MOYIE
After spending Christmas at my folks’ place in Rossland BC, we drove over to the East Kootenays, to Cranbrook to visit my sister and family. They have two girls about the same age as our two kids, and it is always very special for the cousins to see each other. Their girl Mya said we are her favourite of all her many cousins. Take that Doerksen family! (kidding) Most of the time, we did not even see the four of them as they were all off somewhere playing together. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, I suppose.
Anyway on Friday after Christmas, I got up early to do a little hike. Unfortunately my dumb weather app got me up an hour too early. There is a one hour time difference between Rossland and Cranbrook, thus I thought it very odd that there would only be a five minute difference in sunrise time. But then again it didn’t seem right that sunrise would be after 8:30AM in Cranbrook either. Yeah right. Well at least there was a Tim Hortons in town where I could sit and wait until after 8:30 (and have a coffee and donut too of course).
My goal was Moyie Falls just south of Cranbrook. When we were last here in Autumn, I vaguely remember trying to get to this waterfall with Tara, but for some reason we never got there. I have no idea why. My memory is fleeting in old age. All I remember is that we drove up the dirt road from Lumberton, but I know we never even got close to the falls. Maybe we made a wrong turn somewhere? The thing of it is, even if we did not make a wrong turn, we probably could not have gotten to the waterfall anyway.
It is interesting that this road is plowed in the winter. Indeed, I found that many such logging roads in BC were plowed. It is odd. If this was California, there is no way in a cat’s meow the road would be plowed, though I wish it were different in California. It would open up some amazing winter recreational opportunities. Sigh.
Well I found the turnoff that I somehow missed the last time I was here, and started walking down the road to the Moyie River. I had my snowshoes on just in case I needed them, but I did not. The trail was well packed and well trodden. It seems to be a popular hike in the winter, but there was no one here this day (too close to sunrise? It is sure tough getting up at 8:30 eh). It is an easy trek down to the river, and from there the trail continues up stream to the falls. You cannot see or hear the waterfall. In fact, the river is so flat and so peaceful and meandering down here, you think there is no way there could be a waterfall. I was not really sure what to expect either, I thought there might be a 20 foot waterfall, but more likely it would be just 10 feet or even less. But as I rounded a corner, I could see it, and it was a dandy. Not just a 10 footer, but a 46 ft high beauty as the river drops over a hidden cliff in a tight gorge.
I could also see something else. This waterfall is not possible to get to without crossing the river. In the spring, I think it would be impossible. In the cold freezing winter though, it is different. Ice bridges allow passage across the river. I was a bit hesitant, but the path I was following was secure and strong. That extra spaghetti I ate at the Colander Restaurant was not enough to break this ice bridge. The path led over the river, then up the other side to the falls. A big snowy rock right in front of the waterfall I climbed up on top of, to enjoy the view and take my photographs. Notice also the old mine shaft beside the waterfall. It is a very fascinating and beautiful place.