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AVALANCHE GORGE FALLS
RATING - 24.0

VR - 2 (Small)               HR - 9                  SR - 6/20

TYPE OF APPROACH - Trail + Bushwhack

DIFFICULTY - Difficult

LOCATION - Rainbow Creek Valley

TYPE - Segmented

HEIGHT - 600'

WIDTH - 15'

GPS - N48 47' 14.48"  W121 44' 44.45"

ELEVATION - 3400'

Right segment of Avalanche Gorge FallsAvalanche Gorge Falls is actually two separate waterfalls located about 1/4 of a mile apart.  Both streams originate in a series of snowfields on the northern slopes of Lava Divide.  The two creek plunge in a series of drops, each totalling around 600'.  The left hand stream has more volume than the right segment but is more difficult to see from the ridge.  The left segment finishes with a plunging waterfall that may be over 200' talls by itself.  Unfortunately, this can't be seen from the ridge.  This isn't a waterfall that you should necessarily go out of your way to view, but it's a great accent to the view of Baker and the Rainbow Glacier.

I recently learned that the falls can also be seen from along the Rainbow Ridge Trail.  It would even be possible with some off-trail work to get at least to the top of the falls and then probably climb down to views from the bottom.  I will attempt this in the future if I ever overnight on the ridge.

 
DIRECTIONS - Follow the directions to 22 Goat Lake Falls.  From the ridge to the southeast, Avalanche Gorge Falls can be seen dropping hundreds of feet from the snowfields below Lava Divide into Rainbow Creek Valley.

NEARBY WATERFALLS - 22 Goat Lake Falls, Rainbow Glacier Falls, Sholes Glacier Falls
MORE PICTURES (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
 Right side of Avalanche Gorge Falls     Avalanche Gorge Falls from Rainbow Ridge

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