The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
at Twin Falls, Smithers, British Columbia, Canada
July 22, 2015

FYI: This is the 105th waterfall the two RV Gypsies visited since retiring in 2008 - they are all listed in the TOC/waterfalls above. And there are sure to be many more waterfalls to come as they continue their RV travels.

This area is blessed with two glistening waterfalls cascading 550 feet down its rocky face. Twin Falls is a natural attraction in the Smithers, British Columbia, Canada area. The Twin Falls attracts people of all ages to the area every year so they can get a glimpse of the side-by-side waterfalls. Yes, there are two waterfalls cascading over rock bluffs and crashing to the ground and forming a wild creek or at times a wild river. However, on this date one of the falls was flowing much heavier than the other fall. The waterfalls flow from the Lake Kathlyn Glacier, one of several glaciers on Hudson Bay Mountain.

The hiking trail follows a wide gravel footpath from the parking lot to a wooden lookout platform. The Avalanche warning is not really a welcoming sign, but it is a necessary sign.

Below: At this information sign, the main trail to the right goes to the day use area and falls viewing platform. This is the way that the two RV Gypsies went.

The trail to the left is the Glacier Gulch Recreation Trail, a challenging trail that takes 2-3 hours one-way to reach the first of the glaciers high above. The two RV Gypsies would love to have seen the glaciers above, but knew the trail was not for them. The gulch hiking trail is said to explore the mountain all the way to the top of the falls and onto a glacier. This trail is no spur-of-the-moment type hike. The hike is challenging, the weather changes and the temperatures drop on the glacier quickly. This adventure hike requires preparation. That is why the two RV Gypsies took the other trail.

It was sprinkling when the two RV Gypsies got out of their car, so they put on rain gear, but Karen Duquette took off her rain gear within minutes. For some reason, Lee Duquette left rain gear on.

Below: At a few points along the trail there were hand rails to assist people and to protect people from the edge of the ridge. The hand rails were also at the steepest points of the trail.

Below: The trail was steep and Karen Duquette stopped and turned around to take a photo of the trail, but somehow the trail does not look as steep in the photo as it was in reality.

Below: Two RV Gypsies took a moment to breathe and take pictures. The sun was brightly shining now and the backlighting washed out the water and the faces of the two RV Gypsies. Oh well, as long as they are smiling.

Below: A view of the bigger falls, which gave the two RV Gypsies time to pause on the steep trail. Karen Duquette was glad for the hand railing.

Below: Views of the smaller waterfall. Obviously there must be times when they are of equal size and that is why the area is called Twin Falls.

Below: The bigger of the two falls.

Below; Lee Duquette is always a clown.

Below: The trail, although short, is uphill and a bit steep and can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes or more to reach the viewing platform, which provided a glimpse of one of the falls. Both falls can probably be in full view at times, but on this date the second fall was barely running.

Below: After leaving the viewing platform, Lee Duquette worked his way around the side of the platform, while Karen Duquette jumped off an opening at the back of the platform and then they continued up the rough hiking trail leading through the mountain shrubbery to the base of the waterfalls. The steep trail was rocky, with exposed roots and boulders and was not as well maintained as the trail to the viewpoint.

Below: Then the footpath followed a ridge very near the tumbling creek created by the runoff water from the waterfalls. The noise of the flowing water was amazing. The photos below were taken from the footpath and peaking through the trees. It would NOT be smart to get too near the creek.

Below: About half way up the trail, the two RV Gypsies came to the only level area on the hiking path that had a sitting bench. It was a welcomed stop before the final push to the viewpoint.

Below: The two RV Gypsies reached the end of trail - kind of: The trail does go on but you have to get around a huge rock to reach it. No thanks! There was a young couple in front of the two RV Gypsies earlier, and they may have gone around the big rock because they were nowhere in sight, but it sure looked like a death-defying act to the two RV Gypsies. And the plaque shown below proves that point! Be sure to scroll down and read the plaque.

Below: In the photo below, the two RV Gypsies are at the big rock which has a plaque on it.
The plaque reads:

Eric Paul Buss
Born September 15, 1951
Died November 27, 1991, in an avalanche

…if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won’t see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for.

George Leigh Mallory

For some reason, the plaque did not make the two RV Gypsies want to go any further.

Below: So the two RV Gypsies headed back down the trail. Back near the beginning of the trail they took a short side trip to where there was a picnic table and got some very nice views of the falls.

Below: One last peek at the raging creek.

Warning: ALL waterfalls can be dangerous. Each person is responsible for their own safety at waterfalls. It pays to be cautious and use common sense.

This is not a linear website, so visitors always have options of where to navigate next. Below are three of those options.

Visit sites in the order they happened and continue on to Moricetown; people fishing with nets and fish jumping upstream.

OR

RETURN to the British Columbia main menu.

OR

Go to the main Canada menu for Alberta, Saskatchewan, The Yukon Territory, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, PEI, Nova Scotia, Campobello Island, and New Brunswick.