June 16 – Takakkaw Falls and More

Jennie and I agree that Takakkaw Falls are the most beautiful and interesting falls that we have been to and we have been to a LOT of waterfalls. Unfortunately the falls are just too big and the pictures don’t even come close to conveying what it is like being there. I think a drone movie would do them justice but drones are not allowed in national parks.

As usual the weather reports for today were wrong. They were calling for it to rain all last night and today and get snow at the higher altitudes. Well the heavy rain ended in the middle of the night and it stopped almost completely this morning. We were going to take the day off but if we could go at all, it seemed terrible to waste a day with so many amazing things to see.

So it was off to Takakkaw Falls back in Yoho National Park in B.C. (we cross the Great Divide to get here). Since it was only 12:30 when we finished, there was a hike from the same parking lot that went up along to the Yoho river to two more waterfalls, Angels Staircase Falls and Point Lace Falls.

It is less than a kilometer from the parking lot to the base of the falls, crossing over the Yoho River in a bridge.

A photosphere from the bridge.

The narrow ribbon of water flows down over several steps, the top one throwing off a massive plume and lots of mist.

What made this waterfall especially interesting was that once the official trail ended you could climb up that huge jumble of rocks to the left side of the falls. It doesn’t look far but there is a person almost half way up in the picture above.

I wish I had brought our other camera that was a much better optical zoom than the phones.

So of course I had to do the same. Up I go.

You had to be pretty careful because it was a combination of large rocks, smaller loose rocks and gravel, some of it wet and very slippery.

I eventually made up to this spot, where you really couldn’t go any higher.

Here the falls drop in a beautiful blue green pool before continuing down.

I asked someone to take my picture. I wish they had shifted it over a bit to include the pool.

Looking down from there. It doesn’t look steep but it was a tough climb.

As I headed down, Jennie decided to come part way up and we found a nice spot for lunch.

The sun even came out for a short while and showed more of the huge mist cloud.

Then it started to rain hard enough for the umbrellas to come out so we made our way back to the car.

These photospheres do a slightly better job of show the experience but if you ever get the chance you have to go in person.

From the the official trail.

From part way up.

Farther up.

From the highest I got at the pool.

And a Gif of the moving mist.

 

At the car the rain had stopped and as I said it was only 12:30. I was a bit tired from all the scrambling up and down the rocks but it was too early to quit. The nearby trail actually follows a long way up the Yoho valley and river. The main destination is called Laughing falls but that was a 10 km round trip. At just over half way or 5.7 km there were two smaller falls and as a bonus the trail up to that point was essentially flat.

We followed the river for a while.

Then across this wide expanse of gravel that seemed to emanate from a small valley with a stream flowing out from it.

A photosphere.

It was hard to believe that the stream could grow large enough to do this.

The path was mostly straight as well as flat.

A guy had passed us and then was stopped up ahead. A mother deer and her children were feeding next to the trail.

As we got closer they would give us a stare for a bit and then continue feeding. Repeat until we were too close and they moved into the forest.

The two waterfalls are almost exactly on opposite sides of the river.

Angels Staircase Falls was on the far side and we only got a long distance view.

You can see why it is called a staircase.

Point Lace Falls was up a short path away from the river on our side.

I need brighter clothes.

I tried a long exposure.

And the photosphere.

Then back to the car, in a bit of sun even.

Jennie is always spotting the small wild flowers.

We encountered the same deer on the way back. I didn’t like it when the mother decided to go in the forest on one side and her children to go on the other. I am not sure if deer react as badly as bear when you come between mother and child but we moved passed as fast as we could.

We knew we were close to the end of the trail when the big falls came into view.

A much better day than staying in our RV to avoid the predicted rain.  We embraced whatever came and enjoyed the day, rain and all.