On day 12 we got up early to be the first at Spahat Falls in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It was quite foggy when we got to the parking and there was not a single car or camper on the parking of Spahats Falls. At first you are happy, but then it starts to dawn on you that something is wrong. After walking 5 for about a minute in the direction of the waterfall, you come to a point where you have to see something. Not so, the only thing we saw was a thick white impenetrable fog. When we returned later in the day and the parking lot was half full, we saw the deep abyss we were standing at that time.
Wells Gray Provincial Park - Black bears
We then drove further towards Bailey's Chute. By the time we got there, the mist had risen and we had a blue sky. On the way to Bailey's Chute we saw our 2de black bear. It was a young black bear who was eating berries at the side of the road. We stopped on time and were able to observe him for a long time. We did not see him again on the way back.
Salmon at Bailey's Chute
Bailey's Chute is where you can see salmon jumping at the end of the summer. There is a small parking lot where there was one car in the meantime. The people just came back and told us that salmon were leaping out of the water. I told them where we saw a black bear. They didn't saw a black bear yet and were looking forward to seeing one. After a short walk we arrived at the place where you could see the salmon jump well. You sometimes had to keep looking for a few minutes before you saw one jump. I had put my camera on sharp at the center of the water and took the pictuer when I saw one jump up.
Bear cub
On the way back to Helmcken Falls we saw a little bear boy on the side of the road that had lost his mother. It ran in the canal along the road and made loud noises. You can never get off to take a picture of a bear, for example. Imagine if the mother is still around.
Helmcken Falls
We then quietly drove on to Helmcken Falls. This waterfall is one of the best known in Wells Gray National Park, but it is also one of the most beautiful. It was said that the discoverer, Robert Henry Lee, left camp in the middle of 1913 and walked along the Murtle River when he discovered the waterfall. He asked the Prime Minister of the British Government of Colombia, Sir Richard McBride if the falls could be called “McBride Falls”. Instead, they were named Helmcken Falls after John Sebastian Helmcken, a physician who worked for the Hudson Bay Company. Unfortunately, Dr. Helmcken, Helmcken Falls itself never seen.
Fish for trout and salmon
Not far from Deer Lake we had lunch and my son was finally able to fish. I tried it first and at the first throw we already had a bite, a trout. The same for the second roll. Eli could not wait and when it was up to him, he caught one too. Then he had pulled the plug a little too slowly and got stuck in the rocks. We actually only had an 1 plug and I started looking for it with diving mask and snorkel. The water was freezing cold, but Eli really wanted to fish so there was nothing else to do but go look.
Strong current
The current was strong and I felt the flow of Clearwater River pulling at me to drag me along. After an 15 minute search I gave up and changed another plug a bit so that we could fish legally again. As I already wrote in daily report "From Revelstoke to Kootenay National Park“You can only fish with one hooked plugs and without barbs. I just cut 2 off with nippers, as well as the barbs. This allowed him to continue fishing legally and was able to catch 2 more, one of which was large. Fortunately, we were not allowed to take along, otherwise I would have had to kill the salmon, because Eli was looking forward to one. After fishing and lunch we saw Dawson Falls and Spahats Creek Falls without fog.
Spahats Falls
Spahats Falls is 60 meters (197 feet) high, but if you also count the bottom part, you quickly get to 75 meters. The waterfall flows over an 600.000 year old lavabed. The name Spahats Falls comes from the original inhabitants, what means "bear". The river in which the waterfall flows into is called Beer Creek, hence the name Spahats (bear) Creek Falls. Later the name Spahats Falls was accepted because there were already (too) many Beer Creeks in Canada. Spahats Falls belongs to Wells Gray National Park and is definitely worth visiting. It is located only 10 minutes from Yellowhead Highway.
Dawson Falls
The 90-meter-wide Dawson Falls is one of seven waterfalls on the Murtle River in Wells Gray Provincial Park. The viewpoint is a 10-minute walk from the parking lot. Dawson Falls is sometimes referred to as the “Mini Niagara” due to its similar horseshoe shape. There are many other waterfalls to visit in Wells Gray National Park. An overview of the other waterfalls can be found on the Wells Gray website.
We stayed for the 2de night at Dutch Lake RV Park campsite and in the evening the children went swimming in Dutch Lake again. They had already made some friends and they wanted to stay a few days longer. Eli & Tess had a good time here, but unfortunately had to leave the next day again.
Nairn Falls Provincial Park
Day 13: Drive from Dutch Lake to Well's Gray National Park to Nairn Falls Provincial Park (395 km / 245mi). That evening we made a short walk to Nairn Falls.
Read moreWells Gray Provincial Park: Map
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