Wednesday, June 13, 2018

June 13 – Chapman Falls

Yesterday the forecast had called for a rainy day today. This morning it changed to mostly cloudy with some sun. This turned out to be true although as I am writing this at around 6 pm we did get a quick burst of rain.

I like to go to waterfalls on cloudy days as they are much easier to photograph and we don’t need a clear sky for any long distance view.

I am finding that the websites and blog post I use to select what to do each day never really give a good representation on what being there is like. For Chapman Falls they usually showed one or two slightly obscured pictures so we didn’t expect too much. Instead we got one of the best falls that we have been to on the trip. And it was not just one waterfall but 4 large ones in a row. And because of the rain last night they were really roaring. I hope I do a better job of describing them.

You can hike to Chapman Falls from the bottom up or the top down. Since the top entrance was very close to the RV park we went that way.

Screenshot (30)

It only a 3 km return trip with just an 80m drop in elevation and most of the happens in the switchbacks right by the falls.

The first 1/2 km is on a dirt road.

IMG_1047966

Then the description said that you branch off on to a signed single track mountain bike trail called BLT. This is the entrance.

IMG_1048087-Pano

This is the sign.

IMG_1048089

The first part was mostly flat but narrow and we got a little wet from plants encroaching on the trail.

IMG_1047968-Pano

Then the trail traversed, slightly downhill, along a ridge.

IMG_1047974-Pano

IMG_1047976

And then down some switchbacks to our first look at the falls.

IMG_1048071

IMG_1047992-Pano

A view from just a bit more upstream.

IMG_1048013-Pano

The photosphere.

It seemed like that log across the stream and the set of them parallel were manually placed.

IMG_1048014

IMG_1048010

Upstream a bit more, there was a pipeline of some kind, crossing the creek. I guess people tried to walk out on it.

IMG_1048072

So now they just use ropes to jump in the pool.

IMG_1048028-Pano

We couldn’t see a way to go farther but looking upstream we could see a short canyon with a cascade at the end.

IMG_1048027

At this point we knew nothing of the other waterfalls that were downstream. There turned out to be three more and each was much larger than the first one. They also were harder to get a look at. I had to scramble down a steep rooted hill and stand on some rather narrow ledges.

The next was just below the first.

IMG_1048031

The next was just off to the lower right corner of the picture above.

IMG_1048044-Pano

IMG_1048047-Pano

IMG_1048033-Pano

The photosphere.

Down and around two corners, one left turn and then an immediate right

IMG_1048035-Pano

Another photosphere.

To the final, I think biggest, falls. Also the most obscured.

IMG_1048054-Pano

We only saw three other people on the trail and I met them here. They had come up from the bottom. I asked them if there were any better views farther down and they said no.

We returned upstream to a nice flat rock for lunch.

IMG_1048062-Pano

When we looked at the log there was a thin stream of water spouting up and it looked like it was peeing. On examining the picture I see that a the water is somehow following this crooked thin branch.

IMG_1048069

Then back to the car.

IMG_1048085-Pano

After a quick stop at the visitor’s center, we walked along the rocky beach in front of downtown Sechelt.

IMG_1048092

We are at a very low tide.

IMG_1048099-Pano

There was some sort of loading terminal at the end of the beach. What looked like a tiny tug was hauling a huge barge.

IMG_1048108

Off to the horizon. There were so many layers of clouds in the sky.

IMG_1048107

IMG_1048109

And a new empty one coming in.

IMG_1048102

I walked out on to the village pier.

IMG_1048112

There were some dark clouds and it looked like rain inland from us.

IMG_1048118-Pano

The photosphere.

Normal houses to the right of the pier.

IMG_1048124

Condos to the left.

IMG_1048117

IMG_1048126

Walking back to the car, this house had a miniature version of it’s slightly older self out front.

IMG_1048128

IMG_1048127

And home.

1 comment:

  1. What a beautiful natural trail with spectacular waterfalls!

    ReplyDelete