Strathcona Park celebrated its own one hundredth anniversary this year. It is important to mention it is the only provincial park that co-exists with a working mine which yields copper, gold, silver, and ore, employing hundreds.  In fact, this huge mining operation is minutes from the glory of Myrah Falls.

 

Strathcona Park is rich with incredible landscapes.  Several mountains, lakes, rivers , waterfalls, alpine meadows, glaciers, and a multitude of hikes invite exploration.
We enjoyed the drive as the road wound along the lakes and we saw the views of the many mountain peaks, which captivated us. Always on the search for wildlife, this time I was unlucky, although my dream the night before did nag me into bringing pepper spray and a baseball bat.  I read somewhere that some hikers watched a black bear attempt to navigate Myrah Falls.

Once you reach the small parking lot, there is a good trail which takes about 20 minutes. It is not difficult but it is quite steep and the loose gravel can be a bit slippery.  There is a viewpoint platform about half of the way down, then, as the trail opens out of the forest further down, it would be hard not to feel moved by the amazing view.  You can walk out onto the rocks, which is nice because a lot of waterfalls can only be viewed from a distance.  Be very cautious, however.  The shiny green rock is slippery and due to spray, everything remains wet.  There is a large pool at the bottom of the first few cascades, which, even though it was winter, we had the urge to plunge into the clear green water.

As with many waterfalls, Myrah Falls was first formed by an earthquake, which provided the unique rock formations that allow cascade after cascade of abundant water to flow over shiny green rock, and then chunks of rock, which I liken to the Giant’s Causeway, only smaller. The final cascade then drops into the shore or the lake depending on the level of water.

During out trip we passed only a few cars, and the bus that shuttles back and forth to the mine. I am sure we looked somewhat odd to the people that travel the road daily, but we stopped and lit a wee fire and enjoyed the slow settling of dusk over the lake and drifts of cloud sift on the mountains. We munched our picnic and thought about that swim. Next time we will come in the summer.

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This article was written by by Dona Naylor of Island Times Magazine.