Pywiack Cascade
Encyclopedia
The Pywiack Cascade is a waterfall
in Yosemite National Park
within the U.S. state
of California
. It is located a few miles downstream from the outlet of Tenaya Lake
on Tenaya Creek at the head of the steep and rugged granite gorge, Tenaya Canyon
. The waterfall can be viewed from Glacier Point
, or by a 6 miles (9.7 km) hike from Olmstead Point, but the canyon is dangerous and the waterfall is unsafe to be reached on foot. The waterfall is highly seasonal, although it rarely stops flowing. It typically rages in the spring and early summer while shrinking to a trickle by late summer to mid-autumn.
The water of the Pywiack Cascade slides down a steep angle of solid granite, for a total of about 600 feet (182.9 m). A small waterfall lies directly below the main drop. Below that, the creek continues over jumbled talus
for less than a quarter of a mile (0.4 km) before it plunges over another large waterfall. Not much farther downstream is Three Chute Falls
whose waters continue on into Mirror Lake
and then finally empty into the Merced River
, within Yosemite Valley
.
To the right of the Cascade while looking straight at it, there is another, ephemeral
waterfall that tumbles down a steep granite cliff. This waterfall is of very little volume, but is much taller than Pywiack Cascade.
"Py-we-ack" in the native language means "glistening rocks" and the Indians applied it to both the creek and Tenaya Lake, due to the abundance of glacial polish in the upper Tenaya basin. The name Pywiack has since been applied to Pywiack Dome.
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
within the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is located a few miles downstream from the outlet of Tenaya Lake
Tenaya Lake
Tenaya Lake is a lake in Yosemite National Park, located between Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows.Tenaya Lake was created by the Tenaya branch of the Tuolumne Glacier as it passed through Tenaya Canyon. The lake is supplied by a network of creeks and springs including Murphy Creek to the...
on Tenaya Creek at the head of the steep and rugged granite gorge, Tenaya Canyon
Tenaya Canyon
Tenaya Canyon is a dramatic and dangerous canyon in Yosemite National Park, California, USA, that runs from the outlet of Tenaya Lake 10 miles down to Yosemite Valley, carrying water in Tenaya Creek through a series of spectacular cascades and pools and thence into a deep canyon below Cloud's Rest,...
. The waterfall can be viewed from Glacier Point
Glacier Point
thumb|right|upright|Glacier Point, as seen from [[Yosemite Valley]]. In springtime, this cliff face is covered with dozens of freshets and tiny waterfalls from the snowmelt, the largest being [[Staircase Falls]]....
, or by a 6 miles (9.7 km) hike from Olmstead Point, but the canyon is dangerous and the waterfall is unsafe to be reached on foot. The waterfall is highly seasonal, although it rarely stops flowing. It typically rages in the spring and early summer while shrinking to a trickle by late summer to mid-autumn.
The water of the Pywiack Cascade slides down a steep angle of solid granite, for a total of about 600 feet (182.9 m). A small waterfall lies directly below the main drop. Below that, the creek continues over jumbled talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
for less than a quarter of a mile (0.4 km) before it plunges over another large waterfall. Not much farther downstream is Three Chute Falls
Three Chute Falls
Three Chute Falls is a waterfall on Tenaya Creek, in Yosemite National Park in the U.S. state of California. The falls are located shortly upstream of Mirror Lake, although they are relatively obscure...
whose waters continue on into Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake may refer to:North America*Mirror Lake, Alaska*Mirror Lake *Mirror Lake *Mirror Lake *Mirror Lake *Mirror Lake , one of two lakes in Lake Placid, New York...
and then finally empty into the Merced River
Merced River
The Merced River , in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is a -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through the southern part of Yosemite National Park, and the...
, within Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
.
To the right of the Cascade while looking straight at it, there is another, ephemeral
Ephemeral
Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
waterfall that tumbles down a steep granite cliff. This waterfall is of very little volume, but is much taller than Pywiack Cascade.
"Py-we-ack" in the native language means "glistening rocks" and the Indians applied it to both the creek and Tenaya Lake, due to the abundance of glacial polish in the upper Tenaya basin. The name Pywiack has since been applied to Pywiack Dome.