The waterfall is fed by rain or snowmelt. It descends in two streams side by side, the eastern one being the larger but both quite small. The eastern one drops , and the western one , the second highest fully airborne waterfall in Yosemite that runs at some point every year (the highest being Ribbon Fall.) The waters then gather and descend another on steep slabs, so the total height of these waterfalls is to . It can be seen and photographed from a small clearing close to the picnic area on the north road leading out of Yosemite Valley east of El Capitan. The fall is sometimes referred to as an ephemeral fall because of its seasonal nature.