Trail: To get to the Canyon check out my trail guide for Lower Weiner Falls here.
This trail takes you through a beautiful temperate jungle canyon I’ve dubbed Nil’s Canyon. The trails are fairly enduring, zigzagging up and down the canyon side surrounding Weiner Creek. It’s a moderately strenuous hike dropping and gaining a fair bit of elevation in recurring intervals, leading you to explore the canyon side through various steep switch backs. The setting is calm but the traverse challenging; steep terrain, thin trails and creek crossings, all assisted kindly by the work of prior hikers. Along its length, they have set the trail up with a system of intentionally placed log bridges and rope railings. To reach the falls, a small stretch of walking through the stream is required. If you want to explore comfortably, waterproof shoes are highly advisable, or water shoes and shorts if exploring in the summer.
Hike back upstream on the trail you just came from. Approaching the bridge, the trail will split into a Y, take the high road, staying on the left. This trail will take you high up a long and steep switch back, warming up your legs for the copious up and downs ahead. At the top will be a T-section. Taking the left will shortly take you to a small lookout, head right to continue your way to the falls. Keep right until coming to a steep and skinny set of switchbacks. The stony trail zigzags down its surrounding abundant, lush canyon side, leveling out on the riverside, then bringing you past a small set of waterfalls and over a solitary log bridge.
Go left up stream and stay left, the fall is near to here. Scrambling over logs and boulders along a steep and rugged rock face, you will now hear its roar. Just around this corner is the waterfall. At pretty much all times of the year, you most probably get wet at this point. The trail leads on to the wide creek bed encrusted with boulders and flowing water. In front of you is a sheer drop, water cascading from high above you.
Just like the lower, smaller neighbour of this cascade, a view from the top is possible and beautiful. Head back down stream momentarily, there will be a well-trodden, steep trail up the hillside. Eventually, the trail will even out and come to another intersection. Turn left head back upstream and follow the euphonious melody of a percolating stream. Be careful if you decide to hike right down to its mouth. The view down the canyon is alluring, but the rocks are very slippery when wet. Always try to stay low to keep balance in areas like this and wear shoes with lots of traction.
For a loop hike, when heading back, just keep following the trail straight instead of descending the hillside. The trail will take you over a couple of rustic log bridges, a small waterfall, and through a healthy second growth forest. Stay close to the creek and it will be easy to find your way home.
Sprout Lake: Wiener Creek empties into Sprout lake, a larger sized lake over 25 kilometres long. The lake is usually very busy, occupied by power boats, vacation homes and the last Mars Bombers, planes which assist Vancouver Island’s firefighters by dropping water over forest fires.
Sprout lake has been called home by many over the years, from the current vacationers, to early settlers of the Alberni Valley, and for thousands of years prior to colonial times by many indigenous peoples who called the lake Klee-coot or “wide open”. In more recent times, the lake gets its name from Gilbert Malcolm Sproat, who moved to the area in 1860 and was involved in setting up the first sawmill of the area.
Just before Gilbert’s arrival in 1854, a horrendous event took place on the lake. Across from Bishops Landing on a small island, where a group of Opetchesaht had taken shelter during wartime, retreating from their home at Sprout Falls. Men, women and children attempted to take asylum together on the island as invaders swam to the shores on make-shift rafts. The battle took the lives of many men, women and children, but ultimately the outnumbered Opetchesaht became victorious. Between Nil’s and the “Massacre Island” sprout lake has a very interesting presence.
Vanislewaterfalls 