a beautiful rainbow captured in the spray of the glacial runoff...see that tiny crazy person in orange?!
Alright, so this 'hike' is basically a nature path with stunning views (see below!) but it's still about 3 miles, and we took the kids, so we're going to stick with Hikes With Kids. :) We went on this hike the other day to get out of the house on a beautiful day even though it was afternoon, and we have a couple dogs staying with us for a few weeks while their owners are on holiday. Stefan and I knew that although the dogs are older, they'd still be able to do this hike well, the kids would be able to 'walk' them (they love walking them!) and we could get outside in the sunshine and exercise for awhile.
You may remember this view from when we did it about 10 months ago, but what a huge difference a seasonal change brings! The glacial runoff is in full force right now in the early Spring, and late last summer, the same area was basically a trickle and shallow pool that you could walk across to the other side! Incredible.
one of the prettiest views in all of BC on the Lower Falls trail at Alouette Lake
This is a great hike for any type of ability, and it comes with a view like this ^. Isn't that just as pretty as a postcard? So many people like to go down to this area to swim in the summer, but in early April, with the snowmelt icing the water, we only saw one brave soul!
At the top of the falls, there is a small area (not shown) to sit on rocks and catch some sun, eat a small snack, and take some photos before heading back down the trail. The water is gushing so fast and it is so powerful, that one slip if you were near the water could easily be your last. While we were there this time, there was an overeager dog, owner unseen, jumping around and slipped. Our family did not witness it but the people next to us screamed and luckily! he somehow found his footing, jumped back up and ran up the trail to a safer area.
I'm glad it was a happy ending, but it's a good lesson to my kids that nature is powerful and not a force to reckon with-it's not tame and the power can easily overtake you. I'm thankful the dog was not harmed, but I know people die getting too close, jumping too close to rocks, or swimming too deep every year...it's why they post signs! Please be careful out there.
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