Della Falls Hiking Adventure 2021

Della Falls Trail Backpacking Trip Information (May 28 to 30, 2021)
OVERVIEW:
Della Falls is considered the highest waterfalls in Canada with a total height of 440m (1440 ft). It is located in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. From Victoria, it is a 3 hour drive to Port Alberni. The Great Central Lake is the only access to Della Falls Trail. There are two ways to get to the trailhead- by taking the Della Falls water taxi (45 minute ride) OR by kayaking across the Great Central lake which takes about 8-10 hours depending on fitness level and wind/water condition. Our group’s primary objective is to hike to Della Falls. Although, we have considered a side trip to Love Lake. Della falls Trail is a three-day backpacking trip with a total distance of 36km (recorded from our gps/trail app).
PREPARATION:
It is a three-day backpacking trip in the wilderness and careful planning is required. I’ve planned for this trip for 6-8 months both physically and mentally considering that this is my first backpacking trip. SAFETY first…a detailed trip plan (itinerary and schedule) is very important to leave with our families and friends in case of emergency. There is no cellphone service in the back country so a satellite communicator is required (my friend, Joanna carried a SPOT communicator). Carrying The Hiking Ten Essentials are a MUST whether you are doing a day hike or a multi-day backpacking trip! There is no excuse not to, although I often see other day hikers on the trails carrying nothing but a bottle of water despite regular reminders from SARs and the BC Adventure Smart. Constantly monitor weather forecast and previous trip reports.
Trip report:
The recommended hiking season for Della Falls Trail is from June to October as the trail is snow covered until mid-June and involves intermediate, sub-alpine hiking skill level. My concern was that we were be a bit early in the season. However, based on research, communicating with other hikers who started early May this year and weather forecast, we planned accordingly. We met another group (3 friendly ladies from mid-Island whom we’ve become friends with during the trip) and shared the water taxi with them.
DAY 1: Sunny with temperature of 19C/ 5C. From the trailhead, we hiked 8km to Margaret Creek where we planned to camp. The hike to the first campsite is relatively flat with some river/creek and bridge crossings. Expect lots of bugs/mosquitoes on the first 6km to 7km from trailhead. The trail is clear of snow although some fallen trees from previous storms are blocking some parts. We did notice bear feces along the trail but no actual wildlife/bear encounter. We made noises and our bear bells served as warnings of our presence. We were mindful as we were in bear country. We have also been advised that there’s a pack of wolves and cougars in the area. It took our group 3 hours and 14 minutes to reach our campsite at Margaret Creek. The general area is a shaded with tall trees and there is a food cache and a pit toilet a few hundred meters from our tents site. This was an ideal site for us as we did not want to carry our 30-35lbs backpacks for more than 8kms to the next campsite.
DAY 2: Sunny with temperature of 22C/ 5-6C. A nice day for a 10km hike to Della Falls with an elevation gain of 627m. The hike duration was 5 hours and 16 minutes. The trail features a cable car, wood and metal bridges crossing rivers and creeks. The last 6 to 7km part of the trail leading to the base of the waterfalls is covered with 4 to 5 feet of snow which have started to melt underneath. We did not have to use our crampons/snow spikes but hiking in the snow definitely slowed us down. I would rate the hike as moderate level of difficulty and it required some route searching as trail was snow covered. Our gps sent “off route” alerts a few times. Keep an eye on colored flag markers on tree branches. And finally, we were rewarded with the gorgeous view of Della waterfalls right before our eyes both from a distance and at the base were we soaked our feet in the running stream, drank ice freezing cold glacier water and simply enjoyed the moment of cool mist and appreciate the beauty of nature. It was a perfect venue for lunch too and our friend, Joanna’s birthday celebration…our dehydrated meal pack of beef pepper with rice is like a fifty dollar meal at a fine dining restaurant that would offer similar ambiance. And before we knew it, it was time to hike back to our camp. A long and exhausting day hike but well worth all the trail challenges and obstacles.
DAY3: Rainy with temperature 13C. The advantage of staying at Campsite #1 is we did not have to hike too far back to the trailhead where the water taxi was waiting to pick us up. We arrived earlier at the dock where we had time to hang out with our new found friends.
ENJOY & HAVE FUN BUT FOLLOW HIKING ETIQUETTES. RESPECT WILDLIFE & NATURE.
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