Mistaya Canyon Falls

Feb 17, 2013

 

 

This trip to Mistaya Canyon was a complete gamble for me, as I didn't have any concrete evidence of a waterfall.  I would solely be running on a really weak rumor that Mistaya Canyon Falls exists.  As you may be able to tell by the pictures taken here, there was a storm coming in, which would cause me to reduce the amount of investigating and scouting abilities that I had wished possible.

 

 

 

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The hike to the canyon is a mere 300 meters from the parking lot.  This short hike is a constant downward slope and not traveled by people this time of the year.  Beyond the canyon, travelers may take the Howse Pass (one which I'm told is very elegant in summer months).  However during the winter this pass has extreme avalanche warnings as it takes you along a mountain wall.  Due in part because of the caution signs and the impending storm, I wasn't able to explore much beyond the bridge and canyon lookout.

 

The canyon walls of these carved rock were beautiful, even in the snow covered winter.  The definition of each layer deeper, and deeper into the canyon was remarkable.  Though I feel that the bridge is directly above the waterfall, and atop the real beauty of the canyon.  As the picture of the canyon wall here is from directly above, looking down.  Although that said, the carved limestone was definitely worth the short walk from the parking lot, and worth getting snowed on in order to return to you photographic evidence of this narrow canyon's dissolve in early 2013.

Although evidence of the waterfall in its true glory is yet to be proven here, I did hear the roar of the water beneath me, carving out the limestone as it has been doing for many years.  If nothing else, this is sufficient evidence to show that in future years, from the sight of the bridge, we will be able to see a completely carved out canyon and 100 meter waterfall plundging into the basin as it travels its long journey downstream to the North Saskatchewan River.