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Snow Creek Falls

Snow Creek Falls from the summit of Half Dome



Snow Creek Falls is an elusive 2140ft cascading waterfall in Tenaya Canyon. Its height places the falls amongst one of the tallest waterfalls in the world. However, it doesn't get much fanfare due to its inaccessibility.

The photograph above is the best view that I know of. It's from the top of Half Dome, which is over 8000ft in elevation. From here, you get to look down at the falls so you can pretty much see all of it. Of course, summiting Half Dome is a challenging endeavor of 16 miles round trip with 4000 ft elevation gain, including a 1/4-mile section of the infamous cables.

Speaking of cables, you'll want to get an early start for the Half Dome hike because it gets crowded on the cables (especially on the weekends). That's because there are many people who bite off more they can chew and freeze due to fear. The lines can get ridiculously long (and tiring if you're stuck on the cables themselves) so many people often pass on the outside of the cables (both upwards and down).

It's not for everybody, but it's certainly better than getting stuck on the exposed metal cables with a looming afternoon thunderstorm building up in the Summer.

A bit of advice if you're going down the cables. I found it's best to go down with your back to the open and your front facing the granite. That way, you can sort of "rappel" down the steep friction pitch while holding onto the cables.

The photograph below shows the other way you can see the falls - albeit unsatisfactorily.

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Snow Creek Falls from the Mirror Lake Primitive LoopThe lower part of the elusive waterfall from the Mirror Lake Primitive Loop. Supposedly you can get better views further upstream along Tenaya Creek, but that involves some off-trail scrambling which is bad in that it accelerates erosion and scars the fragile landscape (so please stick to the trails!).



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