Giant Waterfall Discovered in Calif. Park (COOL!)

[Rick Myers]

WHISKEYTOWN, Calif. - Dick McDermott knows these parts as well as any man can. But McDermott says he's never laid eyes on the nearly 400-foot waterfall that park officials recently discovered in a remote corner of the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, 43,000 acres of wilderness in northern California.

The 92-year-old used to earn a meager living mining the creeks that meander through the deeply wooded hills. He has slogged through the brush and hiked overgrown logging roads, hunting deer and gathering wood for his homemade fiddles.

"Sure, I was surprised," he said from his home in the park, where he's lived for more than 70 years. "I've been all around that place, I never seen 'em."

(snip)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050812/ap_on_re_us/secret_waterfall

[Rainscents]

1. Wow, that's great.

It look very pretty!

[Lisa]

2. I just sent this to the satellite imagery guy in our department ...

He loves collecting stories like this. Thanks! (Plus it's his birthday today, too!)

[Rick Myers]

13. Tell him Happy Birthday from us at DU!!!

[acmavm]

3. Amazing, but wouldn't it be kind of hard to miss? Especially if you were

a park ranger or something like that?

[Eloriel]

4. Well, see, that's what I thought about the number of planets in the

solar system, too. :shrug:

[Arugula Latte]

18. Yeah... What the Hell?

I could see it being overlooked in some remote corner of Siberia or something ... but California?

Still -- pretty cool!

[Trajan]

5. Yes: it is VERY cool ...

About 49 Degrees F ...

[DawgHouse]

6. This is so cool!

[DemoTex]

7. Too kewl! I live in east-coast waterfall land .. Transylvania County, NC.

I live in the Gorges State Park area, above SC's Lake Jocassee. The waterfalls here are spectacular. I have a small waterfall on my property (listening to it now!). I'll take some pics of some local falls with my new digital camera next week.


DemoTex cooking "Q" for dad's b-day party (#85) tomorrow in Atlanta. Notice the T-Shirt!

[OzarkDem]

9. Happy Birthday to your Dad!

Save us some Q!

[DemoTex]

11. Thanks O-D.

Those butts only yielded about 1.5 gallons in the big Zip-Locks. I've got about a gallon frozen from last weekend, so I will take some of that. I love to cook pork BBQ, but I eat little other than the tastings for seasoning. My B/P and cholesterols are way too high for much pork. My joy will be in the raves tomorrow.
In fact, check the pic-link below. I've lost nearly 20 pounds in the last three months. I'm looking trim my friend! Feeling good too!

[karlrschneider]

10. Save me some brisket, Mac!

:D

[DemoTex]

14. Sorry Karl, brisket is a Texas beef thing.

I'm doing NC pork BBQ now.


Mac killing a pig in NC!

[karlrschneider]

15. Oh gawd, I'm embarrassed! Can you pull some of that piggy fer me?

:D

Now I don't wanna get into a thing over the BBQ sauce 'cause I like the Eastern (vinegar & red pepper) and ALSO the western variety with 'maters. :D

[Rick Myers]

12. Great to see you, brother!!!

Love the shirt!!! :kick:

[DemoTex]

16. Thanks Rick!

Listening to Allison Krause and Mike Compton now. Heavy!

[psychopomp]

19. You lucky guy

What a great place to live (I am assuming that is your home)!

As long as I have your attention, :toast: for all the posts of yours I have read over the years.

[shanti]

20. a waterfall on your property?

lucky you! :7 i love waterfalls!

[OzarkDem]

8. Park was dedicated by JFK in September 1963

They have links to pics and an MP3 of his speech. Look at the crowds that turned out that day!

http://www.nps.gov/whis/exp/40th/Photo%20Gallery/index.htm

My favorites

http://www.nps.gov/whis/exp/40th/Photo%20Gallery/pages/JFK%20feeding%20deer_jpg.htm

http://www.nps.gov/whis/exp/40th/Photo%20Gallery/pages/JFK%20podium%20distance_jpg.htm

http://www.nps.gov/whis/exp/40th/Photo%20Gallery/pages/JFK%20young%20ladies_jpg.htm

[burrowowl]

23. Thanks for links! eom

[sintax]

17. kick n/t

[AlphaCentauri]

21. beautiful nature!

[ridgerunner]

22. the government at work

"Until recently, very few had seen the roaring water that tumbles three tiers before pouring neatly into Crystal Creek. That such a spectacle should evade even park officials for nearly 40 years is remarkable, said park superintendent Jim Milestone."

This seems about right, it takes the government 40 years to figure out what the people already know.