The Sanikas River is one of raging beauty and quiet reverence. Glacier fed from the Twin Lakes that calmly occupy the lower and upper bowls of Mt. Skyinarta, the Sanikas river has its origin in the Katshinka Falls. These falls flow down from Kanti (the upper hot) and Shivias (the lower cooler) Lakes which are thermally heated by the Volcano they exist within. Then, suddenly, the river makes the 30,000 foot drop in elevation to Thunder Bay approximately fifty miles away as the crow flies, but more than a hundred due to the sheer number of switchbacks the route from the Sanikas Gates to Thunder Bay takes. Due to this severe drop in elevation, the Sanikas River is actually a series of bedrock steps that manifest as one set of falls cascading into a plunge pool, flowing over a rapid that leads into a riffle which plunges over yet another falls repeatedly until the river levels out just before the actual bay. These plunge pools can be deep or shallow depending upon the type of rock and substrate they manifest within and depending on the accumulation of erodible materials at the bottom of their depths. The Sanikas River itself is not considered 'navigable' because of the sheer number of falls on it. Hikers, however, carrying rappelling gear are definitely able to wander down its banks and enjoy its scenery. The River itself, with all its individual places, often is accessible from the road.
It does not, as one might expect, freeze in the winter like every other river around it. Due to the fact its origins are heated by Skyinarta's volcanism. In the winter, The Sanikas River often gives off ghostly steam as it works its way towards the coast. Near the bay it is of normal temperatures having cooled in its treacherous journey to the sea.
Moderator Note: The Sanikas River has a great deal of recreational activities from fishing to swimming to simply taking long walks down its banks. The Sanikas River flows year round, though due to the drop in altitude it experiences, the waters are not navigable because of a series of falls. If the road and pass aren't open, odds are it's too dangerous to hike down the river in any other season besides summer.
Original location credit: Gossamer
