Which falls are your favorite - and why?

Of all the falls along the border, Rebecca has always been my favorite. I'm not sure just why, maybe it is the two channels with the island between, maybe it is the geology, with the rock obviously toppled on its side. Maybe it is the flume effect of the water flow, or the deafening noise thrown back from the cliffs which can be trance inducing.

I've heard of people running the south channel, but I've never seen it, or talked to anyone who says they've done it. But for the jut of rock which interrupts the flow, it looks like it would be easy to do. It appears you'd have to be a fast paddler in a responsive craft to get around the jut. Has anyone run the channel in a canoe or kayak - or seen someone do it?

I once saw a small boy, standing on the flat rock of the island, on the south channel. A sudden surge of water sucked him in and he was instantly gone. He re-appeared far out in Lake McAree, screaming like a banshee, scared to death, but otherwise unharmed.

Sitting on the island rock, watching the water flow, about a dozen years ago, I realized there was something in a crack in the rock near where I was sitting. Working patiently, I dug out two trade knives, French style "scalpers," of the type traded to the Ojibwe by both French and English and looking like nothing so much as an undersize Chef's knife.

Rusted, one almost gone, they had obviously been there for many years, an offering by an Ojibwe, I doubt not, to the manidoog of the falls.

I returned them to their nitch.

looking forward to all the answers you are going to get; meanwhile, would you be willing to tell the story behind your profile photo?

Thought-provoking question. I love waterfalls. Rebecca is gorgeous. But not my favorite.

Curtain Falls and Silver Falls are both so powerful, but they aren't my favorites. We have been to Johnson Falls several times, and I think the hike back there, and the way you can see such different views at the upper and lower falls is so neat.





But Johnson Falls isn't my favorite.





From all of my trips, I am going to select two waterfalls on the Namakan River in Canada. Not in the BWCA, but precious to me because they were part of my first view of the canoe country. I don't have good photos of them, as I didn't have a good camera in 1971. This one is High Falls. I understand High Falls is going to be dammed for a power plant and it won't look the same anymore:









The other one is Myrtle Falls. It isn't much of a waterfall, really. But I sat on a rock in this little waterfall on a July day and I said a prayer that God would bless me with a brown-eyed baby boy to always remember my first canoe trip. Our son will be 40 years old on Tuesday. He has deep brown eyes (the first brown-eyed child on my side of the family.) Happy birthday, Ed.

quote oldnewbie: "looking forward to all the answers you are going to get; meanwhile, would you be willing to tell the story behind your profile photo?"

It's my grandfather (left) and his brother Thomas Edison - framed by skis. He was instrumental in instilling my love of wild places. The photo would be from about 1924. They lived near Perent Lake.

I like the place too. We have been tempted, but have not run the S. channel or seen anyone else do it.

With high water, the Rebecca Falls is also my favorite as the interaction with the gushing water with close up views and the defining thunder. Also the vertical upsurge caused by downward pressure of current against rocks is inspiring. The danger of being close with the sloping rocks adds to the experience although extreme caution can mitigate the actual odds of becoming part of the action. Add the close nature of the landing between the falls and the gathering of the water as it begins to slope downward into the funneling effect of the head of the falls. At the bottom, the surge of the incoming water to McAcree then pushes and fans its way as a delta. I even caught fish there. This is all about only the south falls. Now add the North fora bonus in my view,

quote Spartan2: "Thought-provoking question. I love waterfalls. Rebecca is gorgeous. But not my favorite.


Curtain Falls and Silver Falls are both so powerful, but they aren't my favorites. We have been to Johnson Falls several times, and I think the hike back there, and the way you can see such different views at the upper and lower falls is so neat.








But Johnson Falls isn't my favorite.





From all of my trips, I am going to select two waterfalls on the Namakan River in Canada. Not in the BWCA, but precious to me because they were part of my first view of the canoe country. I don't have good photos of them, as I didn't have a good camera in 1971. This one is High Falls. I understand High Falls is going to be dammed for a power plant and it won't look the same anymore:










The other one is Myrtle Falls. It isn't much of a waterfall, really. But I sat on a rock in this little waterfall on a July day and I said a prayer that God would bless me with a brown-eyed baby boy to always remember my first canoe trip. Our son will be 40 years old on Tuesday. He has deep brown eyes (the first brown-eyed child on my side of the family.) Happy birthday, Ed.


"

+1 on High Falls...amazing display of nature's power! My favorite spot to watch it is to hike to the top of the island between the falls and check out the entire span flowing from Bill Lake. Capt Tom falls is pretty cool too...much smaller, but cool nonetheless.

Spartan2 - I have some recent pics of High Falls...I'll upload them once I get back to my laptop.

Pat

Cool. I would enjoy seeing that. Thanks.