The last time I wrote about Little Niagara Falls, in Victoria’s Goldstream Provincial Park, was way back on August 28th of this year. At that time the creek bed was completely bone dry, including the tunnel that goes under the highway. We had a few days of rain in October, including a couple of pretty good downpours, so I was interested in seeing if there was any water in the creek yet.
This picture was taken in August when the Niagara Creek bed was bone dry
It turned out that there was more water than I really thought there’d be. Niagara Creek is flowing freely again and walking through the tunnel is impossible now, as is walking along the middle of the creek bed.
I took this photo last Sunday, November 1st, after just a few weeks of wet weather
Although the creek was flowing pretty well, it’s nothing compared to what it will be like in just a few short months. Once the winter rains come this little creek will transform itself into a “ragin’ river” and one that you don’t want to get too close to. One false step and you’d be swept through that tunnel in a heartbeat!
A quick 10 second clip of Little Niagara Falls taken last Sunday
I saw, and heard, a big difference in the Little Niagara waterfall too! Walking along the twisting path to the waterfall, I could definitely hear the roar of the falls long before I saw them. Last summer, the waterfall wasn’t much more than a trickle, barely covering the rocks as it dropped down the 150 ft. falls. On Sunday, it was a real, live, cascading waterfall! I couldn’t get to the same location as I was in August because of the water level in the rushing creek.
Photo on the left is from Aug/09…………………………….Photo on the right is from Nov/09 |  |
When I walked across the highway to the Goldstream River part of the park, it was interesting to see the amount of water now flowing in the tunnel that goes under the highway. It’s not very deep yet, but by mid-January, this will be a torrent of water that will continue well into next spring.
I walked through this desert dry tunnel in August, but not on Sunday!
The falling leaves, and a bit of rain to add some color, have sure made Goldstream Park a wonderful place for a fall hike. What’s especially great is that everything is left in a natural state. No one rakes the leaves up, or hauls away fallen trees, unless they happen to be blocking one of the paths. As many of the information signs note, fallen trees are an important part of the natural environment and provide much needed food and shelter to all sorts of species.
Niagara Creek is no longer bone dry and is once again flowing freely
I’m hoping to go back to Goldstream in December, just before we leave for the southwest, to have another look and see what things are like after some expected heavy rainfalls during the next two months. If I do, I’ll just have to be very careful that I don’t fall in, or the only place I’ll be going is down the river to the Pacific Ocean!
Have a great Tuesday, and thanks for visiting!
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