waterfall

Winter is coming

Plunging temperatures and low sunlight heralds the arrival of winter in Iceland. And it arrives early this far north, with cold, windy and dry conditions taking over from the blissful and wet summer.

Signs of these changes were everywhere. Waterfalls had an aura of winter all around, puddles and streams on trails became icy, while lakes in the highlands had already started freezing. These conditions make outdoor adventures in Iceland challenging, but offers unique conditions and compositions. This is one of the multitude of falls showcasing its winter sheen.

Kvernufoss
Iceland

Bruarfoss

It didn't look like much on the map. And even the short walk from the parking lot didn't inspire confidence. But once I got to the wooden bridge straddling the river downstream of the falls, I was taken aback. It wasn't the typical Icelandic waterfall, featuring a tall column of water descending from the lip of hard basalt that you see everywhere. Instead, it was a diffuse waterfall, spreading along a long ledge over which a multitude of streams pour over. Perhaps what was most fascinating was the tiny canyon barely 3m tall and a meter wide that cut its way into the face of the waterfall.

I spent an hour admiring every single detail of the waterfall, from the columnar basalt in the foreground, the faded clumps of orange grass that contrasted with the deep blue water, and the roaring sound of the gushing river.

Bruarfoss
Iceland

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Colors of Palouse Falls

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A lovely side-trip from the Palouse region is Palouse Falls. Set within the rolling terrain created in the aftermath of the cataclysmic Missoula Floods, the falls appears out of nowhere. The falls takes the Palouse river from a narrow rocky escarpment down to a wider shallow basin leading to the Snake River.
Capturing the falls in all its glory is challenging endeavor, even with the widest of lens, as you can see above. It also requires the sky to cooperate, which it only partially did on this day.

Palouse Falls State Park
WA USA

Horsetail Falls

Nestled in one of the lush green canyons lining the Columbia river gorge, this waterfall tumbles over an overhang of basalt columns. When I visited this place in spring, I saw the ribbon of white twisting its way through the lush undergrowth. The black walls of the canyon were adorned with fresh growth of mosses and lichens fed by the mist from the gushing falls. From this vantage point, I could spy the trail going under the overhang to give a unique perspective of the waterfall.

Columbia River Gorge
OR USA

Waterfalls of the Gorge

It had been ages since I had been to the waterfall, but the moment I entered the glade where the waterfall was nestled in, memories started flooding in: a tall column of stark white water set against the dark and sinuous basalt columns, a gushing creek flowing under a mossy wooden bridge, surrounded by the fresh greenery of spring. I still remembered the refreshing scent of petrichor, the ice-cold spray from the fall, and the thunderous roar echoing through the canyon.

Such was the impact of this lovely waterfall along the Columbia River

Columbia River Gorge
OR USA

The Misty Woods

Visiting the Columbia Gorge in the midst of a thunderstorm means that not only are you going to get pelted by rain, but you also get the occasional bouts of sunlight. And that light can add an ethereal and primeval feel to the waterfalls of the canyon. This was one of those waterfalls gushing from the recent rain-showers of April

Columbia River Gorge
OR USA

Hidden in the Forest

One of the hidden gems of the PNW is catching the vibrant cascades in the innumerable creeks cutting through the forested slopes of the Cascades. As the heavy winter snow starts to melt, the tiny brooks become flush with snowmelt and breathe life into the surrounding vegetation.

I noticed this creek while hiking up to a glistening lake in the Cascades. While from afar the cascades were loud, up close, I could spend time and admire the tiny rivulets coursing through the rocks, and small plants hanging on for dear life. It was a breath of fresh air in the hazy days of the pandemic.

Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

Hidden Delights

“There is a waterfall in every dream. Cool and crystal clear, it falls gently on the sleeper, cleansing the mind and soothing the soul.”

Few things bring mind to peace as hearing the sound of a gurgling creek gushing out onto a roaring waterfall. And on a hot day, the gentle cold sprays carried in waves by the wind is mana from the heavens.
This one was no exception, where a seemingly nondescript creek plunges through a deep ravine in the thick forested slopes of the Columbia Gorge.

Columbia River Gorge
WA USA