Deception Falls
We ate lunch and hung out at the beach before heading to check out the other falls on the park sign labeled “Deception Falls.” Because of the heat (and because I ran outta beef jerky bribery), we decided to unhook the truck from the rental RV and drive the 8km to the trail head.
We had anticipated to make our way up the 0.8km trail to a little set of falls that we could swim under and cool down in. We even packed towels!
The trail headed uphill through a beautiful birch and fir-tree forest. The lush under-vegetation made it feel like a scene out of Rambo or Congo.
After roughly 20 minutes, we made it to the view point and—boy, were we wrong!
The somewhat “little” water falls ended up being another 100’ + raging masterpiece that there was no chance of swimming under. But, it made for a remarkable photo op!
And, again- there was not another soul! How could this even be? We did our sightseeing and hustled back down the trail as Jax was eager to go play with his campground friend Cash.
But, what a treat to have three remarkable, water falls within 8km of our campsite.
Canim River Trail
We shuttled our kayaks to the trail head approximately 1km from camp in our truck.
We portaged them in the short ½ km trail to the river. The river was a little bit swift, so I tied Jax’s boat to the back of mine and we floated the Canim River from the trail to where it runs into Mahood Lake.
Other than one little white water section and some sweeper logs on the bank, this is a beginner float. It took 45 minutes on the water and would be fantastic for the whole family on inner-tubes come mid- summer!
This was, as Jax put it: “the perfect father son trip.”
Adventure Tips
- Bananas: Bananas are a Catch-22. Some say that they attract insects, but bananas are a great source of potassium, and help immensely with muscle cramps. I eat one before every larger hike.
- Maps: Know where you’re going! Search and Rescue have enough on their plate without you adding to it.
- Camera: Because, who doesn’t like to reminisce on a great place? Just be careful that the allure of the “perfect shot” doesn’t take away from the beauty of the moment!
- First aid kit: Although chances of getting hurt are, in most cases, slim, a Scooby-Doo Band-Aid on a scraped knee has saved the day for Jax and I on several occasions! I keep a minor first aid kit in my day pack—always.
- Toothpaste: A dab of toothpaste on a bug bite relieves the itch better than anything.
- Bring your best attitude: Especially when hiking with the littles! Make sure that it’s more fun than the dang iPad and Nintendos!
