Standing at the EarthCache location, you will have a great view of Bow Falls. Unlike other waterfalls you may have seen in the Canadian Rockies, Bow Falls is wide and short. You might feel some mist from the waterfalls during the mid-summer due to the high water levels. Lots of tourists and tour buses stop here. Late afternoon or early evenings are the quietest times to visit. There is a trail that will lead you to the top of the falls and that you can continue on to walk to town.
The Bow River valley is the main route through Banff National Park. The Bow River’s headwaters begin at the Bow Glacier located off the Icefields Parkway. Before the Ice Age, the river flowed between Stoney Squaw and Tunnel Mountain, but a dam of glacial debris across the old Bow River valley north of Tunnel Mountain diverted the Bow River southward to its present channel.
“In Banff National Park the Rocky Mountain formation marks the end of the Palaeozoic geological period, the time of ancient life. This was a time in which life consisted largely of shell-fish and a few primitive fishesand plants, although towards its close some forms anticipated life of the Mesozoic. The Mesozoic era, is the time of medieval life, a time of advanced plants and sea animals, but mostly known as the time when the great reptiles roamed the earth. . .The break between the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic is, as recognized by geologists, one of the great gaps in geological history.” [1. The Story of the Mountains in Banff National Park, p. 10]
The Palaeozoic formations are the rocks that typically form the mountains. In the valleys between the mountains are formations of the Mesozoic era. Mesozoic formations consist of banded dark colored siltstones and shales. They break into natural flagstones and have been used extensively in the park for building stones, for example, the administration building and the Banff Springs hotel. Some layers have mud cracks, which suggest deposition in shallow water followed by exposure to the atmosphere, causing the cracks to form in the drying muds. These rocks are perhaps best seen at Bow Falls and up the Spray River valley below Banff Springs hotel.
Although not required to log this EarthCache, please consider posting a picture of yourself, or GPS receiver if you prefer, with Bow Falls in the background.
Questions
In order to receive credit for this EarthCache, you must answer the following questions via the Geocaching messenger service or email to Andrew_and_Dad@rocketmail.com:
1 - Bow Falls flows along a boundary between Palaeozoic and Mesozoic rocks. On which side of Bow Falls are the Mesozoic formations? Explain the reasoning associated with your answer.
2 - Since their formation, Bow Falls has worn its way 100 to 200 feet upstream. What change in the falls would you expect to occur as the falls continue to work their way upstream.
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Parks Canada’s mandate is to protect and present Canada’s natural and cultural heritage and offer exceptional visitor experiences. This EarthCache has been approved by Parks Canada. www.parkscanada.gc.ca/banff
Reference
“The Story of the Mountains in Banff National Park”, by Helen R. Belyea, Issued by the Geological Survey of Canada, 1960.