July 6 – Rainbow Falls

Not that it matters to anyone else but I just realized that we have now spent 1095 nights in the RV, not counting time at home or the cottage. It sounds much longer when you convert it to 3 years. Since we have had the beast for 9 years, that is not a bad utilization.

The forecast for today and tomorrow was pretty bad, calling for rain and thunderstorms. I had been planning to take today off. Yesterday was a great day, sunny and warm but when we got up, my heart was just not into it. We haven’t had a day off in a while so we just relaxed all day.

When we got up today the forecast said that the rain should hold off until the afternoon so I picked a short trail to try and get us back in time.

Our timing was actually pretty good. It was mostly sunny out on the hike. A few minutes into the short 10 minute drive home it started to rain and then pour down. Back at the RV it was sunny. We could see the line the rain clouds with sunny skies on each side.

Soon however, our skies darkened and the rain moved in for another short burst.

I decided to do a photosphere from the RV roof to show what an awesome view we have. I did turn the RV around on the first day to get the huge windshield looking out.

After a bit more sun, now in the evening, we are in a constant rain.

The hike to Rainbow Falls is hardly mentioned anywhere. I have not read about anyone going there and just found it on a hiking website as an “you could also go here” afterthought. It was close by and at just a 2.2 km loop seemed short enough so we gave it a try. Even though the trail was short, we dawdle so long at the waterfalls that it took us 3 hours.

The hike turned out to be really great. 21 Mile Creek falls steeply down a mountain with almost constants rapids and waterfalls. 

I think the reason that it is so unknown is that the trail seems to mainly for mountain bikers. The side trails down to actually see the creek are pretty rough.

The description from the website also doesn’t at all match the trail. It seems they have rerouted and rebuilt it  There were even under construction signs.

Off and steeply up we go.

One section seemed to have been all brushed out.

We saw a sign later saying that it is part of a Wildfire Reduction Project. They remove all the underbrush and small trees and just leave the large ones.

We took the unmarked side trail down to the creek while the main trail continued to climb. I got to practise my balance beam.

The side trail continued but we could hear the rushing water downhill from this log. It looked even rougher to get down but we could sort of see a trail.

Part way down we had this view.

The photosphere is so much better at giving you that “You are there" feeling.

Once we were down, Jennie found a safe spot to sit while I explored around.

She had a great view.

Today was really the day for photospheres though. The canyon created by the creek is so steep that we were always very close. It made it great to see in person but hard to get enough in a picture to make them interesting.

The photosphere from here.

We really liked watching how the water came off this rock.

I worked my way a short distance downstream. This next picture makes it look flat but it was not. At least 45 degrees.

And the photosphere.

Although I could hear another falls around this corner, it looked too unsafe to continue.

After I came back we climbed up and continued on the side trail.

It ended at what we think is Rainbow Falls. The water coming down splashed out so much that there surely would be a rainbow with the right sun angle. 

Jennie checked out the rocks.

The falls were tough to see as there was a giant boulder in the way. I tried to work my way around it.

This is the best that I could do.

Compared to the photosphere.

We decided to to backtrack to the first place to have lunch. We found a nice flat rock part way down.

Our view.

An attempt at a blurred version.

And the photosphere.

We returned to the main trail to continue up and around the loop.

The cleared out area looked really weird. There was a water pumping station for Whistler at the top of the loop, which maybe what they were trying to protect.

The required fungus pictures. A tiny one.

And a very weird looking one.

We peeked out at another cascade.

And then over the bridge to start the return back down to the car. Jennie is peeking out under the railing.

More rock collecting to be done.

Just after the corner above Jennie’s head is the narrow falls that we saw beside Rainbow Falls. I climbed down to a spot overlooking the falls from this side. It turns out that what we called Rainbow Falls come from a pipe. I am assuming that is an overflow pipe from the water reservoir.

Again I was too close to get a good overall picture. It almost seems pointless to post these pictures.

You can see the big rock, below, that I was trying to get around when we were on the other side.

Once again the photosphere does it better.

The rest of the trail did a lot of long swooping zigzags, for the mountain bikers, back down to the car.

We did pass another massive waterfall.

And then home.