Angeline Falls

High up in the basin of the West Fork of the Foss River in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the outlets of three major lakes all spill into secluded Delta Lake, when then produces the aforementioned river from its outlet. Each of these three streams feeding into Delta Lake produces a significant waterfall and this phenomena is largely responsible for the Foss River basin having one of the highest concentration of high-quality waterfalls in Washington State. Angeline Lake is the central and highest elevation of the three tributary river sources, itself fed by the outflow from Chetwoot and Azure Lakes as well. The outlet of Angeline Lake is subterranean, the surface outlet channel being blocked by a large landslide. The water exiting the lake percolates through the landslide and emerges to the surface about 1,000 feet downstream from the lake. Almost immediately upon returning to the surface, the stream begins cascading steeply down the hillside and quickly reaches cliffs which line the south side of the Delta Lake basin where it spreads out to 80-100 feet in width and pitches nearly vertically, hurtling 424 feet to the talus slopes below as one of Washington State's most impressive waterfalls. At the base of the falls the stream cascades for a short distance before again being absorbed into the rocky slope and receding entirely underground again, only to emerge once and for all 600 vertical feet further down at the south end of Delta Lake. Angeline Falls is large enough that it is easily visible from many accessible locations throughout the Foss River basin, but most prominently from most of the eastern shore of Delta Lake, as well as from the high-point along the West Fork Foss Lakes trail between Little Heart and Big Heart Lakes as well as from most of the summits in the immediate area. On a clear day with good visibility it may even be visible from Beckler Peak on the north side of Highway 2, over 10 miles away. The falls can be seen in tandem with neighboring Big Heart Falls from halfway down the east shore of Delta Lake to the point where the outlet stream from Otter Lake enters Delta Lake (further along the east shore too, but the trail turns away from Delta Lake at this point).