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Bridalveil Fall is one of the most prominent waterfalls in the Yosemite Valley
in California, seen
yearly by millions of visitors to Yosemite National Park.[1]
The Ahwahneechee tribe believed that Bridalveil
Fall was home to a vengeful spirit named Pohono which guarded the
entrance to the valley, and that those leaving the valley must not
look directly into the waterfall lest they be cursed. They also
believed that inhaling the mist of Bridalveil Fall would improve
one's chances of marriage.
Bridalveil Fall is 188 metres (620 ft) and flows year
round.[2] The
glaciers that carved Yosemite Valley left many hanging valleys which spawned the
waterfalls that pour into the valley. All of the waterways that fed
these falls carved the hanging valleys into steep cascades with the
exception of Bridalveil Fall. Bridalveil still leaps into the
valley from the edge of the precipice, although that edge has moved
back into an alcove from the original edge of the valley. While Yosemite Falls
seem to also fall into this category, the original course took the
Yosemite Creek
down a gorge to the west of its current location.[3] The
primary source of Bridalveil Falls is Ostrander Lake, some 16 kilometres
(9.9 mi) to the south.
When the wind blows briskly, the waterfall will appear to be
falling sideways. During lesser water flow, the falls
often don't reach the ground. Because of this, the Ahwahneechee Native Americans
called this waterfall Pohono, which means Spirit of
the Puffing Wind.[4]
See also
References
External
links
Coordinates: 37°43′00″N 119°38′47″W / 37.716753°N
119.646505°W / 37.716753;
-119.646505
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