Lineham Falls- You Can Look, But You Can’t Touch

I am spending my Sundays this month working at Pearl’s Cafe in Waterton. My friend Keirstyn is the manager and was short staffed for the shoulder season and asked if I could spare any time to help. The best part is that set schedule so that I am off by noon for hiking time!

I decided to hike Lineham again (I hiked it in 2010) and planned to be a maverick and actually get to the base of the falls.

I would call Lineham a moderate hike because it’s going up most of the way, especially in the beginning. It’s not an overly steep incline, but steep and steady enough that you’re breathing heavy and your calves are burning.

I forgot to bring water so I risked beaver fever and drank out of the streams and rivers and the water was delicious! Halfway through the hike, I found a waterfall just off the trail which was a great place to rest and get more water.

When I finally was close enough to see the fall, the trail ends.  You see the falls in the not so far off distance and think “Why the heck would the trail end here??”

This time around I thought I would be a maverick and I went off trail. Sorry Parks Canada! Don’t be mad! I just really wanted to run my hands under the falls!

I traipsed through growth and brush which became thicker the closer I got to the falls. I  came to a tree line and decided that if I went into an unknown treeline I may not come out so I turned around and went back ready to admit defeat.

When I got back to the stopping point, I realized there was a path that veered off to the right! It was a legit path so I followed it up and up.

But suddenly the trail was gone, covered in shale and rocks from a slide. I thought if I walked across it I would find the trail on the other side so I channelled my inner mountain goat and began navigating through the loose ground along the steep incline toward the falls.

The incline was getting steeper and the ground looser and there was still no sign of the original trail. Since I was hiking alone, I decided it wasn’t the best idea to risk slipping and falling off trail where no one would hear or see me. I admitted defeat and turned around.

All in all it was a good hike but it was much shorter than it felt. I’m guessing my off trail escapades made it seem longer, but it was less than 3 miles round trip and took me 1:15 to complete.

I’m not finished trying to touch those falls though! I’m thinking next time I may follow the river up to the base of the falls. I’ll just have to make sure I have someone with me, just to be safe.