I have spent considerable time in the area of
Great Falls basin. I have made the rappel of the 6 waterfalls at least 5
tines. Three times with Mike & Randy, a time with Chris & Marion
and Rick Soard. and another with Mike, Phillip and Ryan (2003) I took
video on the third time with Chris and pictures on the second with
Mike & Randy and the last with Ryan. The first time with Mike &
Randy there was only one place you really had to get wet. We were able
to throw a rope over and pass packs dry. There was a stand of medium
trees growing in a wash on the route down the canyon. The second time
the three of us went the terrain had changed. The trees had washed down the
canyon causing them to be a major impact on the route and a sandy area
had washed out to cause a huge pool you would have to swim. Four of my
five rappels were in the big swim mode. The first rap has a vertical bolt
into the stone with a big washer, the other five have two short chains
bolted into the rock walls. (Pretty much bomb proof)
The highest you can easily climb to from the wash below is
the base of the 6th rappel.
Looking down into the top end of the rocky Great Falls
Basin. Sunlit Slate Range in the distance
The lowest drop isn't a falls, it is a mostly
hidden route. You can set up and do that rap but I don't if I have done
the upper six. You can climb up to the last good vertical falls by two
routes. I like the one which takes you through a tight hole.
2003 Rappel of 6 of the
waterfalls (Ryan, Phil, Mike ,Lou)
2001? (Chris, Marion, Ric)
Above drawing should have water under the
wedge rock 6' deep which is a drop down not a rapel (If dry may be
a 12' drop?)
The topography of
the narrow gorge changed over the years from when we first did it in the
mid nineties. The very deep pool didn't used to be there, it was just
sand. There used to be a stand of trees that latter became a pain
repelling down among them after they got up rooted and washed down
stream. The wedge rock used to be on your belly in the sand to get under
it. The last falls never had an anchor and the first never had double
bolted chains like all the other repels on the route. The only place you
used to have to get wet was at the top of 4. We would pass our packs
across a rope to avoid the little pool but we had to get wet to proceed.
The first time after the big flush I was sitting next to the top of the
wedge rock. I was sure the water couldn't be more than I foot or so
deep, I sure was surprised when I dropped down and it was over my head.
I have carried cameras including a video one down the course in plastic
bags (After the big flush and the creation of the very deep pool. Ryan
tried to touch bottom and couldn't) I took a Geology class in the 200x
where I used the canyon transformation as a presentation on waters
influences on our planet. A bunch of the young men said they would like
to do the repel but all backed out. (One did repel with me at Fossil
Falls)
