100 km Canoe trip in Remote Vancouver Island Backcountry 

You just can't beat Vancouver Island lakes! They're something special. This hike has been on our list for years, but like you said, it's not easy to get there!

"It's his world, we just live in it" ... Never more honest words have been spoken..only true dog people get that👍

Beautiful footage! Thank you for sharing your adventures!

I can’t believe you paddled that lake!!! I did the trail to Della falls but we took a little motor powered aluminum and it was still a killer from the trailhead to the falls. Good on you guys! You make a great team. Definitely get bigger hats to protect you from the elements. I wore a sombrero type. I looked ridiculous but I didn’t suffer. Thanks for sharing your video. My 4 year old loves watching Kyle and Alana :)

Great video,, brings back memories when I did that trail 50 yrs ago.And canoed like you guys did..There was no bridges back then.,old log crossings with rope..After watching this,I think it’s time for another visit there.Keep up the great videos and adventures 😊

Loved seeing your adventure to Della Falls & Love Lake. Our 37 years here camping & exploring, we’ve never made it on that trip. Can’t tell you how much Diesel warms our hearts. He is a splitting image of our beloved Kipper who we lost this January. She & Diesel would have been best friends. ❤️

Good job guys!

Well done guys.I also own an older dog,good job !

Looks like this video triggers allot of old memories in folks. All the comments reflect my experiences. I was particularly looking for some for the key memory bits for me. Long term history here is they had a saw mill at the base of falls, logging road from the end or the lake. Area grows over and trail forms out of bits of the old road and hikers attemps to circumnavigate some stream crossings.You mention this vague reffernce to its height, laughed because it is a question, and looking at the website it still says there is a conflict, and I have to laugh knowing where the conflict is and why it got lost in history. Growing up and during my time of two trips it was surveyed and reported as the second highest falls (tiered) in Canada. Im thinking I must have read this in a Canadian Geographic, they had developed a new lazer based survey tool some group was messing with. So they embark to first measure all of the highest things in Canada. Problem was that I think both the highest mountain and waterfall at the time came out lower than original survey. They got as far as publishing the results but never continued the program on down the line of corrections. So in effect there are conflicting records because when they lower the highest things into the second highest things, the highest are only the highest by default, have never actualy been confirmed, just lost history, lol. My first bit of local info for you is the lake. Every larger lake on the Island will blow up each day, each with its own rough timeline due to its orientation to the sun. This is the Islands largest lake, and nastiest, biggest waves, plan to get off the lake by 11 am , and you just might catch the first tailwind at your back the last few KMs as it starts to build. Im so glad you made it look so easy, lol. We planned our tripps to be on the water by 5am.Thanks for the shot of "the rock", on the rare hot day, I have group shot, first trip, May long weekend, six guys posing in shorts after a swim, rare at that time of year. If nothing else my group was pretty resourseful on trips and if you could use one, lets make it, or in my case ensure you bring it. We can build a sail out of a few things in a canoe, tarps, tent flys, paddles, tent poles, both trips we sailed the last 5 miles in. On the second trip the weather was looking all over the place so I brought my 2hp out board. I was immediatly ganged up on as operating a motor on a relaxing paddle. I explained my outdoor phylosophy that I love every aspect of the capabilities of the canoe, each one in its place (mention the sail, they get it) then I add and when the lake kicks up in your face with 18 miles infront of you we can revisit the conversation. We paddle and sail our way there, totaly overcast. At the trail head three or our more intelligent members look at the overcast sky and declare they are leaving their rain gear in the boats??? Today we would reference both trips as either that rare hot May day you could swim trip, or, this one that is as the 4 days of rain...except the night it snowed on us trip. The rain started half way to the falls, and three garbage bages had arm holes cut out of them. After the days of rain and snow and a night at the trail head it was still miserable and windy going the wrong way. Without saying anything a buddy and I instinktavly lashed the three canoes together with the paddles and rope, made a trimaran and added my motor on the middle canoe. Now every one has rian gear, but still no dry cloths, 18 miles into windfactor, not looking healthy. Arrange the gang with three across the front seats sitting backwards, hoods up. The gear is rearranged so the two coldest guys sit low in the outer canoes and out of the wind. That leves me, the only guy sitting up, into the wind, facing forward for three hours of pounding and waves. But the guys were busy taking the waves over the head while working the bucket and the sponge. When the video got to the trail head I was looking for what you have a very brief talk infront of, what appears to be large wood beams in dovetailed consturction. This a bit of an old floating bunkhouse, complete with bunks, wood floats ,got water logged and it sat on lake bottom on a slope, and was used as great trail head start or finish., except for mice. My first trip was the last season before Parks actually started improvements. I noted one comment from this time, refferencing walking logs with ropes. You are welcome, maybe, that may have been our rope, lol. Encountered log lying across the leading edge of a waterfall, stream flow filled whole area between falls and the log on one side, water churning to squeeze between the log and the drop, leaving two inches of dry walking surface. There was allot of talk about doing this until one guy got tired of the whining and grabbed some rope, said hold this and charged across the log. We left it. The other fun crossing I think you were taking a break at was a massive log across the river with its root mass flipped up right at the wateredge. The log was one of early routes, fun part was, and it took all of us with packs off, going both ways, climbing either up the sloped bowl of the trunk, or down the backside a vertical climb through routes, had to pass packs in a bucket line. One thing readers might find frustrating is the lack of a full view of the entire height, lots of steps to the falls, and the sightlines from the valley only catch glimpses of portions. We never had the guts to try the Love Lake Trail, it was locally rated as rough, and one up the other side to the falls was rated as are you kinding me. So I hope you can get a better view of the falls on the Love Lake trail? Im not sure if it is still there but the laugh back then was the outhouse, just off the lower bank of the trail, just before makeshift camping area, open meadow view for a minute then back into trees. The outhouse is an Aframe without any front wall, open view across the field, and in my perspective the single best spot to stand (sit) to view the most falls. Someone really maximized on this oportunity, most will stop at the trail and wonder at the first glimpses, then enjoy quality time there later. Which ties clearly wth my last observation, you had to use the classic bear line, lol. Having the fun opption to talk to the Regional Biologist for large critters on the island a fun chat in the cubical was very informative, and he was always interested in observed behaviors. So I was was facinated to get a chance of acutaly see a bear poop, have seem the results on the job regularly, just not deposits. Anybody working within the purest forest will tell you its the last place you see big animals, and my joke is technicaly, speificaly, no they do not "in the forest". I say it needs more specification to say outdoors, with the addition of particularly open, sunny areas....which are sunny patches along road sections and rocky outcroppings, and grouped, openings in the forest, ha, ha. Now retired I hope you can feel my joy having video confirmation of my theory all this time, that bear was in a sunny rocky clearing ! But it only addressed part of the theory, when folks asked me about all these specific needs and why I thought this, having no idea realy jokingly said I dont think they like sqatting into underbrush, the visual was good for a few laughs. But I'm still out on that bit, do you think that was a clear hover, which might support this sillyness. So in closing it came to mind after thinking of the example of myself, alone in a valley, very high up, Ive been looking for a view spot to sit and have coffee and had spotted a rockout cropping coming up. Breaking out of the trees I stop to see up and down the valley, ocean on one side and go to find a spot on the rock to sit. It quickly comes into focus, there is no clear ground to sit on and Im forced to go back into the bush for break. Sunny spot, opening, in groups, and dare say a view. Sound familiar in regards to the outhouse? Animal behavour is so interesting! Great video, good to finaly see Love lake. I have always recommended this trip for the logistics, distance with boats and hiking, with a great destination. And you can brag you reached the highest waterfall in Canada, at least if you are fact checked these days, you have the story,lol.

Beautiful scenery ❤ The hardest part of camping trips are when it's over ! But it's definitely time well spent . One day I'd like to go somewhere where people speak only English

Camping with Steve sent me here. Well worth it. Great great video, editing and charm.

Diesel pushing Alana in to the lake made my day 😂 Another great video and another trip to add to my list. 👍

Hey family, thanks for posting another video. This was an absolute banger. Cheers

That old man is going to one tired boy when you get him home! Very cool you two, thanks for sharing 🤠

Just gorgeous! Absolutely beautiful😍

This may be one of your best videos so far! Thanks for sharing the adventure.

Absolutely gorgeous hike and wonderful commentary. I hope to do this route as well one day!

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

I have done Della falls twice in my life and it is truly beautiful.

Awesome! ❤

Cheers to a successful trip. The drone footage on the glass-like lake was stunning. Thanks for sharing!

Another great video thank you

Wow! I really enjoyed watching that. What a gorgeous place you guys went to. It is being added to my list. Congradulations on your first multi day excursion. Thanks for sharing. Diesel is such a trooper!

Wow beautiful

I’ll definitely be adding this one to the list! Epic episode 🙌🏻

Another awesome video, your videography just keeps getting better! Loving the drone shots. Also love reading the comments for brother Chris's remarks😂😂

good job!! thanks for making all these videos!! BTW, great videography ! and great music selection to pair the scenes! Keep it up!! No one will expect that you are a HIP/HCP is your day job! Great to see you last couple of days at the PROFIT meet!

So great guys!! Diesel pushing Alannah in is way too funny haha

That looks amazing!

I just watched this now, I can see from the date we came really close to crossing paths... I took the Della Falls water taxi in August 8 2023 and hiked all the way to the falls that day in the rain. There must have been a lot of rain because only a couple days later there was a lot more water in the falls as you can see in this quick video clip: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WFiPFBqhy3A.html The next day I hiked up to Love Lake and then hiked out on August 10th. Great hike, not bad for this 64 year old guy!

Great video. I came across it while looking for videos on Buttle Lake, it makes a pretty compelling case to do this instead.

We loved paddling with our 70 # black lab. After she settled down she helped stabilize the canoe. I am always looking for great paddling locations. How is the camping along the lake shore?

“Got the whole family here for this trip”…. 😢

I bet Diesel is thinking, how does Dad and mom have so much energy when all I want to do is sleep. LOL

Or even invest in a freeze dryer.

Last time I was there, was the year following the spring melt that washed out the bridge. It's kinda funny to me watching you guys using the new cable car, considering just upstream, the creek widens and is just ankle deep. It honestly seems a whole lot easier to walk around. Mind you, there was a path beaten through the salmon berry and devil's club to the fording spot, but still.

30 km across. so.. in the middle, you were 15km from shore? yes?

Anyone else spot Bigfoot at 24:10?

Well done guys.I also own an older dog,good job !