Salmon River Gorge
March 1983 Expedition
Stein Falls
 

      
This spectacular view of Stein
      Falls is from the top of the debris pile. At this point, the
      noise from the falls has made it difficult for the members of
      the expedition to communicate at anything short of a loud yell.
      It is also at this point where we discover the secret to the
      volume of spray that decends from the falls down the canyon:
      in the absence of a splash pool, lower Stein Falls crashes onto
      a flat shelf of basalt, exploding into a roostertail of mist
      that is evident in photos that follow.


      
In this view, mist from upper
      Stein Falls can also be seen, floating directly above the brink
      of the lower falls in this picture. Judging by the size of the
      old growth cedars, hemlocks and Douglas fir in this part of the
      gorge, we estimated the cliffs around the falls to be roughly
      300 feet of sheer basalt. Three distinct layers of these ancient
      lava flows can be seen in this photo, with the lip of the falls
      marking the break between two layers, and a second break visible
      at the midpoint of the falls. The flat platform that the falls
      crashes onto appeared to be a fourth, very hard layer.


These photos are ©Tom Kloster 1983, 
and may not be reproduced or used without permission

Next Image from the March 1983 Expedition >

< Back to Index Page