We've had some good rain this weekend (several inches) - but no ice so far - and the waterfalls are running full tilt everywhere. The Buffalo is way up, nearly to the bottom of the bridge over Hwy. 21 at the upper end of Boxley Valley, and well over the low-water bridge at Ponca (in fact the water level is nearly into the bathroom there!). Amazing that the water levels can come up this much with only a few inches of rain - the levels are higher than we will often see at other times with six or more inches of rain. I guess the ground is pretty saturated. Anyway, you can drive anywhere around here and see waterfalls pouring off of nearly every hillside around - Boxley is just incredible.
While waiting for my daughter to party with her friends (I dropped her off then had to go pick her back up again a couple of hours later), I snuck away down to Steele Creek and got a few shots of the two giant waterfalls there. One is what I consider the tallest waterfall in this part of the United States - probably 30-40 feet taller than Hemmed-In Hollow - but it only runs when we have flooded conditions like today. I got some shots of that waterfall, but the one above is of the smaller falls at the upstream end of the magnificent Roark Bluff (the height of the other end of the bluff is about 250 feet, but obviously less at this end). I stood in the pouring rain for about an hour trying to get a good shot or two of these waterfalls. As you can see the Buffalo filled up its banks. There are a couple shots of these falls in the Cloudland Journal entry for today.
Depending on how much ice we do or don't get overnight (it is still raining here tonight) tomorrow might be a great day to be out in the woods with your waders and umbrella and tripod! I'm hoping the ice doesn't get too bad here so I can get out and find more falls.
Posted by Tom Kennon on January 13, 2007 at 10:19 PM
Tim, that is an incredible shot! Thanks for sharing it. Be careful and try to stay dry.
Posted by Bill Dark on January 14, 2007 at 12:15 PM
Holy crap! I haven't seen the river that high in quite a while. Glad you braved the elements to get a few good shots of these waterfalls, they're beautiful - and high! I think your photographs are the first I've seen of these. Thanks for posting!
I thought about getting out this morning, but looks like the roads will start icing soon. It'll probably be a couple more hours before the cold air gets over the Buffalo drainage area...
Posted by Rob Graham on January 14, 2007 at 7:08 PM
Hey Bill, it was in the upper 30's and even upper 40's all day today - 48 at 5pm and no ice at all. Waterfalls were running full tilt all day long in the Buffalo River area - I hope you were able to get out and snap a few (same goes for everyone else). I've got a few I'll post in the Cloudland Journal later tonight (I'm only allowed to post one every 72 hours here...) This was one of the best waterfall weekends in a while...
Posted by Dale Edsen on January 15, 2007 at 10:10 AM
Nice waterfall Tim. At least the water coming into the river is clean. The river looks like chocolate milk. And very high!
Discussion
5 repliesWhile waiting for my daughter to party with her friends (I dropped her off then had to go pick her back up again a couple of hours later), I snuck away down to Steele Creek and got a few shots of the two giant waterfalls there. One is what I consider the tallest waterfall in this part of the United States - probably 30-40 feet taller than Hemmed-In Hollow - but it only runs when we have flooded conditions like today. I got some shots of that waterfall, but the one above is of the smaller falls at the upstream end of the magnificent Roark Bluff (the height of the other end of the bluff is about 250 feet, but obviously less at this end). I stood in the pouring rain for about an hour trying to get a good shot or two of these waterfalls. As you can see the Buffalo filled up its banks. There are a couple shots of these falls in the Cloudland Journal entry for today.
Depending on how much ice we do or don't get overnight (it is still raining here tonight) tomorrow might be a great day to be out in the woods with your waders and umbrella and tripod! I'm hoping the ice doesn't get too bad here so I can get out and find more falls.
I thought about getting out this morning, but looks like the roads will start icing soon. It'll probably be a couple more hours before the cold air gets over the Buffalo drainage area...