Horseshoe
Creek Cascades
There are many waterfalls
on Horseshoe Creek below Horseshoe Lake in the Wheeler Peak Wilderness
Area.
I separate them and
describe them as three waterfalls:
Horseshoe Creek Cascades
...is the upper portion 400’ high
Horseshoe
Creek Falls ...is the middle portion 100’ high
and
Horseshoe
Creek Lower Cascades ...is the lower portion 250’ high
These are all wonderful
waterfalls and each section of falls here are quite worthy of their own special
recognition.
Horseshoe Creek Cascades
are 400’ high. These photos below
show it all from top to bottom.
next is a “twin” tier… side-by-side… and
July 4th… of 2009 an average snowfall year… snow 10 feet thick
covers the falls.
soon the tiers get higher and steeper…
while still flowing thru the same solid bedrock layer.
higher and steeper… this tier is a
waterfall about 40 feet high.
Horseshoe Creek Upper Falls
this section falls almost 100 feet…
so is this one…
…nuthern ‘bouta 100’
the final 30’ is some-what less steep
beta facts:
name- Horseshoe Creek
height- 400’ high multi-tiered
cascade-waterfall
elevation- 11,700’
GPS coordinates- ±36°33.943’N 105°24.168’W
flow- always strong
season- July to Oct… the early bird will fight snow drifts
but will see the best water-show
accommodations- Wheeler Peak Wilderness
ownership- Carson National Forest
access- 4½ miles on trail #56 to Horseshoe
Creek, then upstream several hundred yards more
nearest town- Red River is about 10 miles
North of here
fun fact- those who never leave the trail,
never see these falls
essay bro
This is a very high and beautiful waterfall.
How high… is hard to say.
It drops 400’ and is less than a 45° angle…
However the entire drop cuts thru one single mass of bedrock… which is what the
World Waterfall Database WWD standards calls “one waterfall”… in this case a
“tiered” waterfall: http://www.world-waterfalls.com/measurement.php
…so according to the WWD Horseshoe Creek Cascade is waterfall 400 feet
high. Now I personally do not feel
that this is as amazing as nearby Star Falls 400’ high sheer free-falling
waterfall… but the WWD rates them as equal… I disagree but I also don’t want to
measure each individual tier of this falls… and then name it or number it… so…
I just call it a cascade… and I want to share it with you…!!! …ah …er …here ya
are…
Make yourself a copy of my map. Horseshoe Creek Falls and Horseshoe Creek Lower Cascades are listed on a separate page of their own. Please enjoy all of the many waterfalls of the upper Red River. It’s some of New Mexico’s best…!!!
Enhanced
National Geographic 7.5’ topo map
__________ONE-MILE___________
Send questions and comments to dscott@TheMarbleSculptor.com