Hey all:

Question.

I'm coming down to the Lower Mainland in a week. Going to be doing some portrait sessions while I am there.

I'm staying out in Langley, and was looking for a waterfall out the valley that met a couple or three criteria:

1) Picturesque

2) Approachable base. Not one of those falls that you can see from 100 meters away through a gap in a ravine; I want to be able to get to the base.

3) Not super-busy. The person I'm photographing doesn't really want a whole bunch of people wandering about and gawking.

I know the usual list of suspects (Rolley, Cascade, Gold Creek), but it's been nigh on twenty years since I lived there, so I don't know how popular these destinations are (on a Friday morning), nor how easy it is to get to the bases.

Anyone have any suggestions? Or maybe one of those little waterfalls that isn't big enough to be on a map, but is pretty and relatively easy to get to.

My current thinking is Steelhead, but I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!

Flood Falls
Bridal Falls
this one in Norrish
Rainbow Falls (don't park on the bridge or you'll get smoked by a logging truck)
Bosumarne Falls https://goo.gl/maps/NqbLqo5FU492

Flood Falls would be a challenge as it gets nasty light in afternoon, so in the AM it would be a good option. Bridal probably isn't too busy in morning either. Steelhead is possibly still closed by Hydro to repair lookout. I snuck in there last year despite that; but if you got go to the base, with the likely volume, the spray will be an issue.

Have you considered maybe the other way? Shannon, Brandywine, or Alexander?

Mike Falls is a nice small falls but fits your criteria. It's in Golden Ears Park. Park at the main horse corral located just after the park entrance and take the Alouette lake trail. It crosses over the main road shortly. Continue on for about 1 km until you see a small bridge signed "one horse at a time". That's over Mike Creek. Don't cross the bridge. Notice a trail going down off the main trail. Go down there to the creek and the falls. Many people miss these falls as they just keep going over the bridge.

I would go the other way, but I and the model are out in Langley; getting to Brandywine (where I've wanted to shoot for years) would be outside of the scope of available time....

How tough is it to get into Steelhead on the DL? Is it just a matter of rerouting around the construction, or ...?

Just go to the usual area via the trail and climb over the deadfall/signage. It's relatively short, but can get quite muddy. Bear in mind, it very well could be open now. It's been some time since I was there. The upper bit is okay, but not sure how overly photogenic it would be compared to the bottom. Your issue at the bottom during the freshet is the spray will be an issue.

Hey all. Thanks. Decided to go for Mike Falls, which was awesome.