You see, about 45 minutes out of town there is a waterfall called Pisew Falls. They're pretty, I've been there a couple times now, but there's also another fall...
Kwasitchewan falls! (10 imaginary points to whoever can pronounce that name on the first try).
Kwasitchewan falls are the tallest waterfalls in Manitoba at 14 meters (Everyone from the mountains, you can stop laughing now; this is a prairie province), and is more than just a bit out of the way. As you can see from the picture, it's a 22 kilometer hike, they say to plan twelve hours, though I think ten hours is plenty.
Anyways, I hiked the loop with a friend of mine. The trail is called "The Upper Track Trail" and follows the Grass River. This is waterway is important because in the late 1700s it was used for fur trading because it led to the Saskatchewan River and finally the Hudson Bay. Of course there was a lot of competition between the Hudson Bay company and the North West Company at the time; something you might have learnt about when you were in highschool, depending on where you live.
But enough about the history.
The trail follows the river all the way to the Kwasitchewan falls before turning back around along Phillips Lake and back to Pisew Falls. The trail is narrow, rough, and challenging, but also very beautiful.
After about four and a half hours we arrived at our campsite. Another twenty minutes brought us to the falls, the main reason I wanted to go on this trip in the first place.
The falls, though not the tallest I have ever seen, were pretty darn amazing. The best part (in my humble opinion) was that, because the falls were so off the beaten track, there was no one there and there were no silly safety fences or signs. The were rocks jutting out over the falls that we could just walk out onto and admire from.
But the awesomeness of this trip doesn't end with the waterfalls, because that evening, after a rather strong storm, we got a great sunset.
And so, after bearproofing our camp, we went to bed.
The next day we hiked home. The second part of the trail is a bit longer, and much
harder, but after five and a half hours (and two territorial grouses), we were back at the car and on our way home.
So, if you ever want a fun adventure in northern Manitoba, go check out the falls, it'll be worth your while.
