Overnight at Kiwi Falls

To start this blog I would like to mention that this is my personal entry for this hike. If you find inspiration to do this one please take what you will from it - but researching for yourself is required. This is not an easy trail - if I would even call it a trail. This is a backcountry bushwhacking adventure and proper navigation is absolutely necessary to find it. You must be prepared for all the elements and unexpected weather changes. So respect mother nature by Leaving No Trace, pack the ten essentials and always plan ahead.

I've had my eye on these falls for years, it's one of those hikes I seen on the backroads map book. I found little bits of information trying to get a better idea of what it entailed. I knew there was not much of a trail, some flagging tape scattered everywhere, filled with bears and the trailhead is easy to miss. Getting to the falls was no easy task, so it has taken me roughly seven years or so to feel confident enough to find them on my own.

I asked my best girlfriend's fiancé Troy to come along with me, as this was no adventure for the faint of heart. I knew not many people would be down for the relentless bushwhack so I was happy when I heard Troy was up for the challenge. I took it upon myself to lead us here, I had done extensive research trying to find any information on these falls and area as I could. I can't tell you how many hours I spent doing this. Looking at topo maps, google earth and satellite images & trying to determine this landscape as best as I could before we went.

I don't like to heavily rely so much on digital maps but this one definitely required it. Thank you for that trail whoever you are. My countless hours of finding a track really paid off for us. I always like to know the area as best as I can just incase phones or anything else for that matter dies out there. After all this is the backcountry.

It's Sunday July 16th 2023, I am not going to lie the night before I certainly had some nerves. Leading someone out into the wilderness always makes me a bit anxious but I knew the company I had was going to be a good one. Troy picked me up around 7AM from Nanaimo and our first stop was Starbucks. I made sure to have a hearty breakfast as I knew the journey we were going to embark on was going to be a long one.

We stopped at the Menzies lookout just past Campbell River, last time I was there - I hiked up without realizing you could drive. Always a nice view up there.

We got to the Upper Adams FSR near Sayward and got to the trailhead around 11AM after a small error in directions LOL, (that was an interesting spur filled with overgrown bushes - good thing for the FJ.) We ran into a couple I knew actually Jesse & Larissa, how funny all the way out here and of course I would run into people I know out in the middle of nowhere. Jesse showed us a photo of the falls and I got excited to see there was water flowing nearing the middle of July. I also picked this time to go as the meadows out here become very marsh like and swampy. I had read people having to wear gaitors - as they get absolutely drenched. I asked Jesse if they had seen any bears, he told us quite a few. This had me so excited and I was actually manifesting to see them but we never did. Lots of scat however - EVERYWHERE! Remember we are in their territory, respect them.

The parking area was perfect, some have even camped here which would make for a good spot if needed, see below. Lots of room and the vehicle is off the road which is perfect. Never really saw that information anywhere - hence why I'm filling you in.

Got our heavy packs on and started the hike in. Hiking to Nisnak Lake was very beautiful and well marked in most areas. This is the only stretch that is well marked and somewhat groomed. We started out by crossing a log over a tiny river and made our way through the forest and then into the beautiful meadows. This area is quite serene and feels so untouched. I'm really happy we got to experience this place so raw and wild. I've hiked Della Falls and enjoyed that but always found the people who have told me they hiked it before all the bridges and cable cars to be very admirable.

We got to Nisnak Lake in just over an hour, we stopped to have lunch and proceeded on the route - which now came out my phone to follow my track heading towards Kiwi Lake. This is where the real bushwhacking came out to play. We had plans to head to the lower falls which the elevation gain was nothing serious from this point. I kept thinking "why are we gaining so much elevation right now" turns out we were already past the lower falls and making our way up to the upper falls which we had every intention of hiking up here to camp anyways. However we discussed earlier that we would go to the lower first and see how we felt as the bushwhacking was a little daunting not going to lie. Kind of funny how that worked out, had we not blindly started hiking up the mountain we might have capped it at the lower falls. So I'm super happy with how that worked out.

We trudged through - making exceptional time. I was very proud of Troy, he kept up with me and that's not always easy. I'm kind of notorious for not stopping once I get into the groove but he was right there and it was nice to stop a couple times to catch our breath. Vertical bushwhacking over thick bush and logs is not a joke. It's the most overstimulating thing besides a three year old toddler watching too much TV. I'm telling you every time a new branch hit my leg I could feel how bruised I was going to be. The super model legs were thrown out the window a long time ago. All worth it - like they always say NO PAIN - NO GAIN! LETS GO.

It took us about two hours from Nisnak Lake to the upper falls making it just about 3 1/2 to get the upper falls. This shocked me and Troy. As I read this takes most people anywhere from 5-6 hours, so I can confidently say we were hauling ass. Determined? 100% - most people never even make it to the upper falls, so we were feeling accomplished AF! (OK calm down Alyssa - sorry I'm just so freaking stoked we made it.)

This is BC's tallest waterfall, the reason it doesn't take the crown like Della is because it's not continuous like Della Falls, hence why everyone thinks Della is the tallest. However it's not and now I can say I've hiked both of them.

Couldn't put a price tag on the smile that I had, every inch of my soul had been waiting for this moment and pictures never do any justice. You just had to be there. We made our own campground - because we are crazy and want to lift giant rocks after we had just bushwhacked for over two hours, why the hell not right?

There is a flat spot I had heard about but it wasn't right near the base and we both said we didn't care if it was uneven ground, we wanted to camp right in-front of these beautiful falls. We set up camp, played some music, had dinner and talked the night away basking in our success. I will always cherish my moments, these exact ones. People whom share the same passions as I do, the times we are not distracted by phones, jobs, everyday life and simply being present with each-other.

After taking in this beautiful place we called it a night around 10PM, we each got into our tents and I put my earplugs in. You could still hear the waterfall muffled and I always like that as it eases my mind about hearing other things outside my tent. Do you ever feel like a vulnerable burrito just waiting for something to eat you or is that just me? Took me awhile to fall asleep as it was still a little light out, once my excitement tired out so did I and my mind finally went to rest.

Waking up around 7AM, I was pleasantly surprised to see Troy already up. Nice to have the same schedule as someone out here. I made myself a cup of coffee and we ate some breakfast. It had poured a little during the night and I knew the forecast called for some rain, so I geared up as soon as the rain started to keep me dry while I ate. We got pretty lucky with the weather coming up and you have to prepare and brave the elements if weather suddenly changes. We both said "well this is going to suck" and started to pack all of our wet tents and gear. You kind of just have to embrace this and that's exactly what we did, no complaints just purely happy to be out here. That is the only attitude I want to be around while I'm out here.

Started the trek back around 8AM or so and I knew we at least would get the worst part over right away, we decided we wanted to check out the lower falls going down. So that's exactly what we did. EVERYTHING and I mean everything was wet, the trees, the bushes, our backpacks, our clothes, I felt sticky, sweaty and man that was a look. I have never smelled so ripe in my life. We could hear the lower falls and made our way to the base of them making a small detour to get to these ones. We just made our own trail really by bushwhacking and getting over logs.

The lower falls is quite impressive and pictures certainly don't give it any justice. THIS IS MASSIVE in person. It's crazy. We hiked out to one of the last meadows you go in before Kiwi Lake. We had missed this meadow on the way up, so this was a very amazing view as you could see the lower falls in the background there.

I always appreciate some peace + quiet while on hikes - as well as I enjoy conversation. Troy had the same thinking as I did. We hiked in silence, chatted and it ebbed and flowed. I always like to hear my thoughts while doing stuff like this. It challenges me in a way that I can't even describe - I'm always curious to what I think about when the terrain get's more difficult. It's like therapy. The "WHY IN THE HELL DO I LIKE THIS AGAIN?" - "This is really messed up, my legs hurt like crazy" - "Wow this is the best view in the world" - "I can't believe I am doing this" & then always the "I'm so strong & proud of myself for getting here"

It's really a mental thing that you go through - not just the physical and that's why I love it so much. We stopped at one of the last meadows you have to hike through after Nisnak to have a snack and kept trucking away. This part felt like nothing after what we just endured over the last 24 hours. It was nice to finish it off with cooling off in the river - getting that stank and sweat off to then me literally hiking back to the FJ in my bathing suit - as Troy said "now that's a look" it really was LOL.

We got back at the vehicle around 3:30ish? If not before, it took us around 4 1/2 hours from the upper falls to get back to the parking area. Not bad again as we made some stops along the way. We were very ready to take off our packs and start our way home and to unpack our wet gear (YAY) oh god..always the fun part am I right?

I wrote this blog the moment I got back from this trip because I felt so inspired, so recharged and refuelled. Craving even more out of life, I always say "I will rest when I'm dead but for now life is meant for the living." I hope this gives you some inspiration to go out and see new things and live your life. There is so much out there to see and do and please if you do get inspired by this particular adventure - remember good places take time to find. Do your own research - you will be rewarded and you will feel so proud of yourself like I do right now.

That was one for the books and one I will cherish for the rest of my life. Stay safe out there and see you on the trails.

WATCH MY YOUTUBE VIDEO VERSION HERE!

ALYSSA