Chase State Fishing Lake - Kansas

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The gravel snapped and popped under the Jeep’s tires as we turned onto the lane that would take us to the lake. I knew that I had come here to photograph a well known waterfall but did not even know where to begin looking. The wind was getting stronger as it was funneled through the hills that bordered the lake. The gray stones lay like debris throughout the hillsides with the larger stone around the crest, like a crown on an ancient king’s brow.

There were several jetties protruding into the lake where several men sat with their heads and hands pulled into their jackets. The morning was cool but the wind was bearing down on the lake with a chill of its own. The grass, finally green with spring, was lain nearly straight over.

At the end of the road there was a swamp-like area that was the intake for the lake but no waterfalls. Failing to find the waterfalls here, I decided to drive back to where the dam held back the waters from the valley below. Half way there I parked the Jeep on the side of the road, ensuring I would not be blocking traffic. There was an outcropping at the apex of the tallest hill that begged to be explored. It looked as though a burn had taken place and the vegetation had only begun to strive to its former glory. The rocks stood there as a testament to the decades that had passed while the prairie winds bared the long-standing stones.

Two stones stood like a gateway to the very top of the tor. There was a “room”, enclosed on three sides by natural stone walls and provided a welcomed, even if short, relief from the blustery wind.

Parking on the side of the road, I started across the dam, leaning into the wind so as not to be blown down the side. With no stones or trees to provide a break, the wind thundered over the earthen dam. I decided to take a left and followed a natural trail a short distance, stumbling upon the first surprise of the day. The first waterfall was not the one I was looking for but was an interesting one on its own. Hopping down a couple of feet to a rock protruding from the pool I began making my way to a better vantage point, hoping to capture the beauty with my camera. The second step almost proved to be a mistake, nearly dropping my equipment and falling into the water as my foot slid on the almost invisible layer of muck. Regaining my balance I moved downstream to the second waterfall, which was the one I was looking for. A nearly thirty foot drop and my fear of heights was starting to take hold as I stood there wavering on the rim.

Fighting my way through some undergrowth and debris from recent flooding, I managed to find a trail on the other side that took me to the base of the second waterfall. The ground was still squishy from recent rains and I could feel the water seeping through the fabric of my shoes. And behold there was yet a third, yet smaller, waterfall a short ways downstream. Of course compared to the other two, there was not much bluster with this last find.
I had come to Chase State Fishing Lake to find a waterfall to photograph and walked away after finding three. There was only one thing that made this excursion more worth it and that was a treasure I found in the nearby town of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas.

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Photos

The "Room"
On top of a stone covered hill

Entrance
The entrance sign for Chase State Fishing Lake