Devil's Punchbowl

bean · Feb 27, 2004

I went from top...

To bottom!!

Today my spring break starts (woo!!) and thought I'd celebrate by visiting a couple parks and taking some photos. Yeah, I'm an odd one

terri · Feb 27, 2004

Of the two, I think I prefer the second one....seems to have more visual appeal than the top one looking down. Interesting place, I'm sure.

Hooray for spring break! I wish I was on one too!!!

craig · Feb 27, 2004

Is that ice stable enough to climb?

bean · Feb 27, 2004

I like the photo from the bottom of the gorge better as well, I just wanted to show the difference in perspectives from the usual top view to a more breathtaking view from the bottom.

I didn't dare venture too close to the ice funnel thing, since it was above freezing today and there were a number of fallen ice blocks, some the size of a dishwasher or so.

mrsid99 · Feb 28, 2004

Really neat shots of great scenery!
I think I prefer the first one mainly because it seems more interesting but the second is a close second.

mrsid99 · Feb 28, 2004

Really neat shots of great scenery!
I think I prefer the first one mainly because it seems more interesting but the second is a close second.

photobug · Feb 28, 2004

Incredible place to shoot. I like the view from inside better as well. Is this like a storm drain collection area or...??

manda · Feb 28, 2004

bean · Feb 28, 2004

photobug said:
Incredible place to shoot. I like the view from inside better as well. Is this like a storm drain collection area or...??

Nope, this is an all natural feature.
It's not as big as it looks, the waterfall is about 110 feet high, but the bowl shape is an incredible sight.

"Approximately 1 million years ago, the area was subjected to four great ice ages. By this time, the inland sea had already retreated and great slabs of ice covered the land. Their effect on the landscape was to either sharpen and expose the escarpment rock face or to bury it with drift material.

Following the end of the last ice age there was a period of high water levels. This is what etched the final details into the landscape of the Punch Bowl. The water concentrated into huge streams which had a tremendous capacity to carve out the landscape. One of these powerful streams plunged right over the escarpment at Stoney Creek and carved out what would later become known as the Devil's Punch Bowl. Eventually, there was less water available in the area to continue the powerful stream, and its capacity has been greatly reduced. The rate of development in the Punch Bowl declined quite considerably after this time period, but it left a gorge that seems almost bottomless if viewed from the safe side of the surrounding guardrail."

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/wentworth/devilsp.htm