West Coast Trail – Chez Monique
The West Coast Trail has many great places to stop and enjoy. Chez Monique joins the east with the west, right on the beach along the footpath. This is a unique stop, offering some of the most missed things on this multi-day hiking adventure.
The 77km of rugged West Coast Trail provides little relief from grueling days of hiking. Backpacking along muddy trails, over and around constant obstacles builds appreciation of the good stuff very quickly. The simplest things become pleasures throughout this hiking adventure. But most people don’t really plan for the little pleasures that make for a great trip. Luckily for us hikers, there is a short rest stop along the way.
Between Carmanah Creek and Carmanah Light Station, Peter and Monique Nytom operate a restaurant called “Chez Monique” right off the beach at their home. In recent years, the couple have built their garden to supply part of the restaurant’s food. Monique enrolled in a college agriculture and gardening program a couple of years ago to learn more about developing the West Coast garden. They have enjoyed the help of Wwoofers since 2008 to build and further develop the garden.
Chez Monique is an oasis in the middle of the bumpy road. Offering up burgers, soft drinks, beer, sweets and conversation, Monique and Peter provide welcome relief to weary hikers at the 45km mark. You can camp on the beach near the restaurant, giving you a second chance to chat in the morning. Breakfast at Chez Monique, along with coffee or hot chocolate, completes the stop, but makes it very hard to leave. Peter is a member of the Ditidaht gang and Chez Monique is on one of their more remote reservations. Few of the Ditidaht people live on these remote reserves for more than a few months at a time, but Monique and Peter have been here year-round for many years. This is starting to change as they get older and need to be closer to support. Monique is Metis, originally from eastern French Canada, but she has made her home on Vancouver Island, contributing significantly over the years to Ditidaht and all First Nations peoples in her adult life. Every year now it’s a question of whether this amazing restaurant will continue to be around as the couple ages. They hope that her children and grandchildren will carry on their home and her legacy.
Peter regularly collects supplies from Port Refrew and fishes on his boat, while Monique sets the tone in the restaurant and garden. While Peter tends to keep quiet, Monique is blunt and ready to chat about the area and politics at the drop of a hat, but she’s more concerned with taking care of guests in the restaurant at any given moment. The Wwoofers have added a new dimension to the place, giving it an international character and creating more opportunities for conversation on a layover at Chez Monique.
The meals are excellent and very welcome if you have only brought dry food or ramen noodles. A burger and a beer or soda is a reward for going about halfway. Don’t expect to pay city prices here. The prices are much higher than in the city, but of course, they have to arrive by boat. If you want to have a meal, a couple of drinks, coffee, and breakfast in the morning, expect to throw around $50 or more, so make sure you bring enough money. Don’t forget the crab or salmon on the Nitinat ferry too. Expect another $30 to $40 there, too.
Heading north from Chez Monique, expect to take a side trip to Carmanah Light Station. If the tides are good, head down the cliff at the end of the station to the beach and head towards Dare Beach via the lower path. Heading south takes you to Carmanah Creek and then Bonilla Point towards Walbran Creek, and increases the difficulty on the trail.
Walking the West Coast Trail is a challenge at any time. Once you’ve figured out the organization, equipment, food, clothing, and fitness, there’s the trail itself. Filled with incredible scenery and experiences, the trail is an extraordinary personal journey. A break from the inward, reflective nature of the hiking trail occurs at Chez Monique, with a brief interlude of great conversation, food, and drink. Do not miss it.