Waterfalls of the Okanagan - Sicamous Creek Falls

Our second stop on Father's Day was to Sicamous Creek Falls, located just past Sicamous, off of Highway 97A at Waterway Houseboats, onto 2 Mile Rd.

As we arrived it started raining quite heavily. We considered not going but decided a little (or a lot of) rain wasn't going to stop us. Thankfully the trail was in great condition and was not overly slippery when wet. The rain did provide a little trouble while picture taking. It was tough to keep my lens dry but I was able to get a couple of nice shots. I wasn't able to get all of the shots I wanted due to safety (water height and speed combined with wet surface from the rain), but will just have to try again on another day!

Some pics of the waterfall at the bottom of the stairs.

Sicamous Creek Waterfalls

Sicamous Creek Waterfalls at the end of spring.

Raging water!

The creek from different spots along the trail.

The Sicamous Creek

The Sicamous Creek Falls Trail

The rained stopped near the end of our hike and as we started to climb back towards the parking lot the humidity was so high that my lens fogged up and I couldn't keep it clear til we hit the open air at the parking lot. It gave the pics a dreamy quality!

Shooting the trail though a fogged lens.

More foggy trail.

A little friend we met near the parking lot.

A wee snail.

A short video clip of the Sicamous Creek Waterfalls.

All in all it was a most excellent Father's Day spent with my family. 

Do you know of more waterfalls located in the Okanagan Valley? Leave a post in the comments bellow.

Waterfalls of the Shuswap - Margaret Falls

While still in the midst of much packing, renos and chaos, my family and I decided to take a break on Father's Day and get some fresh air. Our first stop was to one of our favourite places, Margaret Falls. Located in Heralds Park, directly across the Shuswap Lake from Salmon Arm, it is accessible from the Trans Canada Highway (Highway 1) near the Tappen Co-op. 

The Margaret Falls trail is in superb condition. This short trail is easily accessed by most people and is stroller friendly. In fact, the most difficult section of the trail is just as you travel down from the parking lot to the actually trail. It is a bit steep, but does have a handrail for the steepest part. The rest of the trail is a mild slope and has several small bridges that you cross from one side of the river to the other.

Still raging with spring's runoff combined with all of the rain we have had, this waterfall did not disappoint the many visitors who came to see it that day (the parking lot was near capacity). The falls themselves were raging so hard that it created a thick mist at its base. It was all I could do to try and dry my lens every few pictures. 

Some pictures taken along the trail to the waterfalls.

Near Entrance of Margaret Falls Trail

A splash of bright green among the rocks.

Margaret Falls in late spring

The trip back to the parking lot.

A little video of the falls to get the full experience.

This is one of my families favourite places to visit. If you know of other great places for a family outing in the area or other waterfalls located in the Shuswap, leave a post in the comment section below. 

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Earth Day 2011

This Earth Day, the family and I decided to celebrate by hiking one of our favourite trails, the Sicamous Creek Falls! We did a bit of a twig toss while walking this lovely little trail, to help get it in great shape for the summer. 

The trail is in excellent shape except for one area in the lower portion. Several trees uprooted over the winter and fell towards the creek, their roots took a section of the trail with them.

The waterfalls will turn from mellow and quiet to intense and powerful as the snow begins to melt higher up in the next couple of weeks. We will likely be back within the next month to enjoy it.