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Weiner Falls
Last summer, Weiner Falls and Rainbird Excursions were featured in a local cable television production. This magnificent waterfall is completely unknown to most of the people in the the community. And I’ve been getting calls even now (It’s December) asking how to get to it. The waterfall is only about a 30 minute hike from a spot near the West Bay Hotel on Sproat Lake, Vancouver Island.
It’s a little tricky to find as there are no signs to get you there. So I used Google earth to create a map for you to find it. If you are driving from Port Alberni, drive past the turnoff to Great Central Lake and take the next right turn just before the entrance to Sproat Lake Provincial Park about 300m further on around the bend in the road. Follow the gravel road about 500 or 600 m to a left turn at the start of a recent clearcut. (The photo below is out of date. It shows the area with trees still standing.). This road parallels the highway. Follow it until it ends at a creek, and park in the turn-around. You will be at the “P” in the picture below.
From there walk back about 30 feet and follow the road leading up the hill (away from the lake) toward the powerlines. You will walk through some large second-growth forest and emerge unde the powerlines within about 100 meters. As you follow the road it will quickly deteriorates as the hill gets steeper. Look for a trail that leaves the road on the left and parallels the powerlines. Really it is an old eroded logging road. You will go by a couple of old rusted car wrecks and an obvious trail to the left. Do not take this first trail! Go past it and hike for another 10-15 minutes until you come to a bush with a faded pink ribbon and another more recent blue ribbon on it. There will also be a bunch of rocks there, the remains of a small cairn that got knocked over. This is where you turn off the trail onto another less obvious one. You will hear the falls at this point. The trail will take you to the top of the falls. At the fork you can either go to a ledge at the top or go left to the top of the canyon below the falls. Here there are some ropes attached to trees to assist you to get to the bottom for the best view of the falls.
I often see Red-legged Frogs above or below the falls. They are listed as species of concern in British Columbia. I have seen bears in the area a number of times. I have never been bothered by one. But I also don’t chase them down for a better picture either. that could be dangerous. Below are a few more pictures.
