Upper Junction Falls

I went on a new hike to see a waterfall in the southern part of Alberta, on the east side of the Rockies, near Turner Valley. The trip began with a knee-deep wade through a freezing cold Sheep River, followed by a 14km hike on trails meant for horses. I arrived at a waterfall and took pictures for an hour. I wasn't ready to go back to my truck yet, so I decided to explore further up the creek and see what was there. After climbing over some rocks and hiking around some bends, I found a surprise: a stunning 4-level waterfall. This was Upper Junction Falls. I had been taking pictures of the lower falls earlier, thinking they were the upper falls. I was so excited by the view that I spent another hour taking pictures. The falls were beautiful. At times, I would climb up steep banks and hold onto tree branches to get the best shots. It started to get dark and I remembered the long hike back to my truck. So I packed up my gear. My dog and I started the walk back. We managed to get about two-thirds of the way before it became inky black. Fortunately, I kept a flashlight in my pack. Arriving back at the trailhead, police were waiting with lights flashing. I thought for a second that maybe they were towing my truck. But, someone had triggered their Emergency GPS, and the police were looking for them. I camped at the trailhead that night. The police left and I slept like a log.