Sulphide Creek
Encyclopedia
Sulphide Creek is a 2.5 miles (4 km) glacial tributary
of the Baker River
in Whatcom County in the U.S. state
of Washington, located within a steep and narrow canyon on the southeast flank of Mount Shuksan
, inside North Cascades National Park
. Although called a creek, it is river-like due to its high volume. Its source is found in the "massive" Sulphide and Crystal glaciers at roughly elevation 5803 feet (1,768.8 m), and it runs east collecting several small tributaries before flowing into the Baker River at elevation 1210 feet (368.8 m). The creek is known to have a series of very tall waterfalls occurring both on its mainstem and on its tributaries.
spelling of sulphur, although the origin of the name is unknown.
, Sulphide Lake, then as it flows out of the lake, drops down Sulphide Creek Falls
, one of the tallest waterfalls in North America at 2182 feet (665.1 m).
From the falls, it enters a steep and narrow glacial valley, often called a canyon, that has been said to have "no record of descent or exploration".
Directly at the base of the falls, a tributary stream enters Sulphide Creek. on the right bank. The creek then turns slightly to the northeast, and receives a large tributary on the left bank. This tributary heads in several small snowfields on an east flank of Mount Shuksan, and several streams cascade down into a basin where they join together and flow into Sulphide Creek. Four notable waterfalls
are found in the basin of this stream; these are Seahpo Peak Falls (2200 ft (670.6 m)), Cloudcap Falls (2400 ft (731.5 m)), Jagged Ridge Falls (1500 ft (457.2 m)) and Rockflow Canyon Falls (200 ft (61 m)).
The creek then continues generally southeast through forest until it joins the Baker River on its right bank, two drainages upstream from Blum Creek
and several miles upstream from Baker Lake
, a reservoir on the Baker River, and Shannon Creek
. At this point, the distance from the confluence to Sulphide Creek Falls is roughly 2 miles (3.2 km).
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Baker River
Baker River (Washington)
The Baker River is an approximately , southward-flowing tributary of the Skagit River in northwestern Washington in the United States. It drains an area of the high North Cascades in the watershed of Puget Sound north of Seattle, and east of Mount Baker...
in Whatcom County in 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 Washington, located within a steep and narrow canyon on the southeast flank of Mount Shuksan
Mount Shuksan
Mount Shuksan is a glaciated massif in the North Cascades National Park. Shuksan rises in Whatcom County, Washington immediately to the east of Mount Baker, and south of the Canadian border. The mountain's name Shuksan is derived from the Lummi word [šéqsən], said to mean "high peak". The highest...
, inside North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the state of Washington. The park is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Service Complex. Several national wilderness areas and British Columbia parkland adjoin the...
. Although called a creek, it is river-like due to its high volume. Its source is found in the "massive" Sulphide and Crystal glaciers at roughly elevation 5803 feet (1,768.8 m), and it runs east collecting several small tributaries before flowing into the Baker River at elevation 1210 feet (368.8 m). The creek is known to have a series of very tall waterfalls occurring both on its mainstem and on its tributaries.
Name
"Sulphide" is the British EnglishBritish English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
spelling of sulphur, although the origin of the name is unknown.
Course
After exiting the glaciers, Sulphide Creek skips several hundred feet down a series of Shuksan greenschist cliffs into a small tarnTarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
, Sulphide Lake, then as it flows out of the lake, drops down Sulphide Creek Falls
Sulphide Creek Falls
Sulphide Creek Falls is a tall, moderately large volume waterfall within North Cascades National Park in Washington state. The falls drop from Sulphide Lake on the southeast side of Mount Shuksan down a narrow flume-like canyon to a broad basin below. Because of the narrow, twisting shape of the...
, one of the tallest waterfalls in North America at 2182 feet (665.1 m).
From the falls, it enters a steep and narrow glacial valley, often called a canyon, that has been said to have "no record of descent or exploration".
Directly at the base of the falls, a tributary stream enters Sulphide Creek. on the right bank. The creek then turns slightly to the northeast, and receives a large tributary on the left bank. This tributary heads in several small snowfields on an east flank of Mount Shuksan, and several streams cascade down into a basin where they join together and flow into Sulphide Creek. Four notable waterfalls
Mount Shuksan Waterfalls
There are four prominent waterfalls in the basin of a short tributary of Sulphide Creek, on the southeast flanc of 9,127-foot Mount Shuksan in North Cascades National Park, Washington. Seahpo Peak Falls and Cloudcap Falls, the taller two of the three, are located on separate streams that converge...
are found in the basin of this stream; these are Seahpo Peak Falls (2200 ft (670.6 m)), Cloudcap Falls (2400 ft (731.5 m)), Jagged Ridge Falls (1500 ft (457.2 m)) and Rockflow Canyon Falls (200 ft (61 m)).
The creek then continues generally southeast through forest until it joins the Baker River on its right bank, two drainages upstream from Blum Creek
Blum Creek
Blum Creek is a small glacial tributary of the Baker River in Washington state, in the United States. It is sourced from the Hagen Glacier and another unknown glacier on the north face of Mount Blum, and flows approximately from there to its mouth at the Baker River...
and several miles upstream from Baker Lake
Baker Lake (Washington)
Baker Lake is a lake in northern Washington in the United States. The lake is situated in the forested Baker River valley southwest of North Cascades National Park, and is fed by that river and numerous smaller tributaries. It lies about north of the city of Concrete.The lake covers an area of ...
, a reservoir on the Baker River, and Shannon Creek
Shannon Creek
Shannon Creek is a short tributary to the Baker River in Whatcom County, Washington, near the southwest border of North Cascades National Park. It rises in two forks a few miles south of Mount Shuksan; the glacier-fed north fork begins at elevation , and the non-glacial south fork begins at...
. At this point, the distance from the confluence to Sulphide Creek Falls is roughly 2 miles (3.2 km).
Volume
The volume of Sulphide Creek at its mouth is roughly 540 ft3 per second on average, taking into account the flow of the mainstem at Sulphide Creek Falls and adding the flow of the tributary that harbors Rockflow Canyon Falls.See also
- Blum Basin FallsBlum Basin FallsBlum Basin Falls is a waterfall in Whatcom County, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located near the southern boundary of North Cascades National Park on the headwaters of Blum Creek, a tributary of the Baker River...
- List of rivers of Washington
- Swift CreekSwift Creek (Washington)Swift Creek is a southward-flowing tributary of the Baker River, about long, in Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises in glaciers near Table Mountain and Kulshan Ridge, and flows west before being joined by more glacial tributaries...