Niagara Falls...a different way

[dinsdale]

Most tourists go to the Falls just by the actual Falls...American and Canadian(often called the Horseshoe Falls for its curve).I grew up not too far from there about 1/2 hour drive...and know some more ways to get around the area.

There are a couple ways down the gorge walls to see the rapids on the Niagara River on its way to Lake Ontario;the last of the 5 Great Lakes.Some of these trails are wide for construction access when some of the bridges were built between Canada and the US;others are more informal.

This has been a bad year up there as several people have fallen and others swept away by the water as they got to close.In places it is deceptively calm looking;but the channel is deep....the rapids here are not caused by rocks in the river,but by the contours and volume squeezed in the space.One of the few rapids in N. America to feature this geology.

As I said...not too many visitors use these parks and its unfortunate....I'm all alone


whirlpool rapids;


the trail down to the bottom from Whirlpool Park;


At the bottom;

[dinsdale]

Here's some more;

This is a scour hole caused by that littl flat rock swirling around.My trekking pole is about 1 meter.

Some are the size of my hand;

A self timer shot;

The Canadan cable car over the whirlpool from below;

[dinsdale]

I'm trying to add some video of the rapids but my connection speed is slow,I will try from a friends computer tomorrow.

So here is closer to the Falls end of the gorge.I doubled back several times as I was afraid I couldn't get the dog thru some tricky spots;so I parked several areas and just did sections;maybe 10 miles in the morning all told and up and down the gorge 3x.

All alone again


Headed to the Falls;

Lots of old power plant ruins from the early 1910's....the first commercial aluminum was made here at the Falls because of the need for large quantities of power for smelting the ore.


Maid of the Mist from the Canadian side on the way into the spray.Lots-o-blue raincoats!

[retrieverman]

Cool pictures!

[thechamp]

Cool pictures!

Ditto! Appreciate the 'trip'.. Probably never actually see it so this is as good as it'll get.

BTW the dog doesn't exactly look like he's looking forward to the rest of the trip. Might need to get him some little shoes for those rocks..

[dinsdale]

I walked all the way to the bottom of the viewing platform....this is illegal,but I got some surprised looks when I popped out with the dog down there(no dogs down the tower platform to the Maid of the Mist docks.I didn't take many pictures cause I ran out of batteries shooting video when I in there.

I can't read;


This is the other end of the gorge where the Falls started over the Niagara Escarpment.The Lewiston-Queenston bridge is just on the end and Lake Ontario in the distance.On this end of the gorge is some of the best salmon and steelhead fishing in N. America especially in the winter.

These two hydroelectric plants siphon water off above the Falls and let it drop down the penstocks to the generators.All this stuff you can tour for free as it is part of an agreement when it was all built.
Canada on the left;bridge in the distance;

Spot the fisherman in the lower left? This is looking back up to Devils Hole up river;

How about now?(hand held Canon at 40X;not bad)


Why do you make me do this...I like my bed;

[skeetshot]

SUPERB PICTURES

Thanks Dinsdale for showing us the REAL Niagra Falls.

That fishing sounds so tempting . . .

[Olsen]

Great pictures

Looks like a really nice place to take a walk with the dog

[deerhunter338mag]

Thanks mate looks fantastic