Where the Waters Meet EarthCache
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The purpose of this Earthcache is to bring you to the site where
the Yoho River and the Kicking Horse River meet, known as the,
"Meeting of The Waters." The answers to the questions will be
located on the sign near the co-ordinates.
The scenic drive into Yoho Valley should not be missed by anyone
visiting Yoho National Park. While traveling the road you will pass
a few notable viewpoints -- the Upper Spiral Tunnel Lookout offers
an excellent vantagepoint to watch a train pass into the depths of
Cathedral Mountain, with the vast backdrop of Mount Stephen and its
glacier that dangles over 1km above the valley floor -- the next
stop is the Meeting of the Waters where the raging Kicking Horse
River is joined by the Yoho River. True to the First Nations word
“Yoho”, used to express amazement or awe by the Cree
people, the Kicking Horse and its tributaries drain a spectacular
landscape of massive icefields, mountain peaks ranking among the
highest in the Canadian Rockies, canyons, gorges, cliffs and
avalanche slopes. The Kicking Horse River system is fed by glacial
meltwater streams and small timberline lakes. It varies along its
length from turbulent rapids and waterfalls to braided streams
meandering through valley flats. The Yoho River originates at the
north end of Yoho National Park and flows generally south to join
the Kicking Horse River some distance northeast of Field. It begins
at the toe of the Yoho Glacier and flows within 5.8 km from its
source it has already received the waters of Waves Creek, Twin
Falls Creek, Fairy Creek & the Little Yoho River. It continues
south for another 4.4 km to its confluence with the stream Takkakaw
Falls is on. Along that stretch is a significant canyon in which
the river drops over at least one major waterfall & possibly
more. The river also picks up the waters of Whiskey-Jack Creek near
Takkakaw Falls. From there it flows another 7.8 km to its
confluence with the Kicking Horse River. At the confluence, the
Yoho is actually the bigger of the two rivers. It is also the
siltier of the two at the time, and most of the silt the Kicking
Horse has comes from the Yoho. In 1858, near Wapta Falls, a pack
horse kicked explorer James Hector in the chest, and the Kicking
Horse River got its name. The Kicking Horse flows through the
Eastern and Western Main Ranges of the Rocky Mountains, leaving the
park downstream from Wapta Falls to tumble through the spectacular
lower Kicking Horse River Canyon to its confluence with the
Columbia River. The section of the river system designated a
Canadian Heritage River consists of the 49 km headwaters section
which lies within Yoho National Park, along with the 18.5 km Yoho
River, the Kicking Horse’s primary upstream tributary. To log
this earthcache, please email owner the answers to the following
questions. Do not post them on your log. 1. What is the colouration
of the Yoho River water? 2. What is the colouration of the Kicking
Horse River water? 3. Why the difference between the colouration of
the two rivers? 4.When standing at ground zero, estimate the
distance from where you are standing to the spot where the two
rivers meet. 5. If possible post a picture of you & or your GPS
with the river in the background. Do not include the sign with your
picture.
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