Saturday 5 June 2010

Tangle Falls


[1-click to enlarge]












Tangle Falls are located in Jasper National Park, 200m from the Icefields Parkway. They are 10km north of the Wilcox Creek trailhead.

There is a trail that leads from Tangle Falls which is not well marked, but leads up to Wilcox Pass. The hike to Wilcox Pass from the Wilcox Creek campground will be covered in a future post.




[2-click to enlarge]











When Mary Schaffer and her group were coming down from Wilcox Pass to navigate their way past the Sunwapta Gorge, they took the right side of the stream urging their pack horses to find their way down the dense underbrush to the bottom. When they did manage to reach the bottom and crossed the stream they noted other horse tracks had descended at the same location. Later they learned that Bill Peyto, an early outfitter, had found the easiest way was to take the left side of the stream. They named the crooked stream “Tangle Creek” after their descent.


[3-lower section of Tangle Falls - click to enlarge]











Research: Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies by Mary Schaffer (1911), p.56

Photo Credits: [1]-listentoreason CC=nc-sa-flickr, [2][3]-Alaskan Dude CC=flickr.

9 comments:

Teresa said...

What beautiful scenery! Thanks for sharing. I love waterfalls. And I liked the story of how the falls got their name.

Rune Eide said...

There is something about waterfalls that excites me. maybe that is why I have never been able to get photos like this.

Leah J. Utas said...

It's a visit to the Parkway without leaving my desk. I can feel the spray.

Lauren said...

beautiful pictures! Too bad that Mary Schaffer didn't know that another group had found a better pass via the left side!

Charles Gramlich said...

tangle falls seems a perfect name for that waterfall. All the different threads of water, tangling togetther then coming apart again. Very lovely.

Barbara Martin said...

Teresa, there is something about waterfalls in the mountains that soothes my soul. Even photos.

RuneE, perhaps there is a knack to it.

Leah, I like these virtual tours, too.

Lauren, Mary's group were fortune they got down in one piece, especially the pack horses.

Charles, it certainly has an appeal to me.

Cloudia said...

ahhh!

Aloha from Waikiki

Comfort Spiral

Rick said...

Hi Barbara! Not only are these photographs wonderful, it was great hearing the story.

Bernita said...

I like this waterfall especially. Much nicer, more natural than the broad, great deluges.