on the flank of elk mountain, south of chilliwack and visible from highway one is a ribbon of waterfall high above the forest. it is particularly prominent when it's pouring rain. i've always wanted to go and check it out up close, but there is no trail and the easiest access is all through private land.
luckily i was recently connected with one of the landowners immediately beneath the falls through a new friend. he is a very friendly guy and was happy to give us topographical advice and allow us to use his driveway as an access point. you can see a piece of the falls peaking out of the forest in the far right of this picture.
the flank of elk is rough terrain, steep and rife with deadfall and devils club. at several points chris and i found ourselves climbing rotten shale and moss, or sliding down overflow drainages. solid boots and gators definitely came in handy.
eventually by following the roar of the falls and (as we approached) the thrum in our chests, we arrived at our destination. with the power of the falls resonating through my body i celebrated our triumph with a primal scream.
chris celebrated in more reserved style with a sincere smile.
up close elk falls is actually two separate waterfalls. only the upper one is visible from the valley, but the lower one (pictured above) is still spectacular.
the upper falls is pretty incredible. it is easy to see why this has long been a powerful location to the local people. you can feel the thunder through your boots and up into your chest. standing on slippery off camber rock high above the crashing water adds to the adrenaline.
despite being selectively logged in 2004, the forest around the falls still contains some pretty tall timber. if the access was officialized and a well drained trail was cut this would be a gorgeous spot for hiking and biking trails. looking forward to exploring the area further in 2015.
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