Annapolis Valley | Chronicles Of A Novice Hiker

January 8, 2020

Eldridge Falls

The Misson

Eldridge Falls was the last stop after visiting Ettinger and Millet Falls that day. Eldridge falls was the least impressive spot out of the others we had visited. This could possibly be mostly attributed to the unfortunate fact that people have been using it as their own personal dumping ground for their random junk.

Getting There

Map here. Eldridge Falls does not actually require any hiking to get to. You can drive right down Eldridge road and just peek over the edge. But there are lots of little trails around it and you can approach it from multiple entrances, so it is as long or short of a hike you choose. We accidentally turned this one into a larger hike when our gps just lead us up a road that ended at an atv trail that connected to the falls. We just said what the heck and walked the muddy atv trail all the way up to the falls 2 or 3 km later. It took us quite a while hopping from one dry ridge to another avoiding the muddy lakes in-between.

The Unfortunate Trash Heap

Once we had finally made it to the falls I was overwhelmed with a feeling of great rage and disappointment when I saw the state my fellow humans thought appropriate to leave the otherwise beautiful natural landmark in. Old car parts, trash bags and even a microwave or two thoughtlessly strewn down the side of the hill. Unfortunately this is not the first waterfall site I had seen tainted by such inconsiderate actions. I had nearly stuck my hand in a dirty diaper scaling the side of a hill at Ettinger Falls. It is easy to snap your pictures without the glaring eye sore, but in person it is difficult to ignore the lack of respect for nature and try not to think about how the people who would do such a thing must be slowly loosing their grip on humanity one monstrous deed at a time. Those poor unfortunate souls. One can only hope they are being haunted by the ghosts of the Eldridge family for the rest of their days.

Verdict

Besides the enormous trash heap that sullies the environment, the falls themselves and the river it flows down seem fairly unbothered by it. It is a pity I could not as unaware and care free as Eldridge Falls. It is a cute little waterfall, but I would not visit this site again since I find the copious amount of garbage a tad depressing to look at.

December 31, 2019

Millet Falls

The Misson

Millet Falls was the second stop on our three part waterfall journey that day. We had just absorbed the sights of four different waterfalls along the river that claims Ettinger Falls. Ettinger was more then enough to satiate our waterfall fix for the day so the next to stops were purely bonus material! I had picked two more spots in Hants County so off Randy and I went to Millet Falls.

Getting There

Map Here. The Falls are only a short walk off of Falls lake road. This road houses a summer cottage community so the gate is often closed off season. park outside of the gate and walk up the gravel road to the end of Falls lake road. To the left of the little parking area you will see the trail head leading into the forest. Follow this trail upstream and you will easily find the waterfall.

The Verdict

The waterfall is very satisfying, it has a very solid flow along its rushing river. The copper colour of the water was quite attractive and it was fun to watch the water foam up at the bottom of the falls. There is also a perfect perching rock right in front of the falls. On a less damp day it would be a pleasant viewing spot. It is a very easy and short walk to the falls so it is worth checking out if you are in the area. I recommend going while the cottage community is still quiet because I imagine this waterfall spot would be quite busy when cottage season swings back around.

by s.adellebutler-in Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia Adventures- 0 -

December 8, 2019

Woodville Waterfall

The Mission

The Woodville Waterfall was the second stop on Randy’s list of valley highlights having just come from the Kentville Ravines Trail. I was expecting big things from Woodville and it did not disappoint….it definitely…did not! The Woodville Look off and Waterfall are absolute must sees.

Getting There

Map here. From the Halifax area hop on to Hwy 101 and take exit 14 for Coldbrook/Cambridge/Waterville. Turn left onto NS Trunk 1 W. Right on Lovett Rd and right again to stay on it. Follow this road to the end and turn left on Brooklyn St. Turn right on bishop road which will turn into Woodville Rd. Finally turn right on Burgess Mountain Road and watch for the Woodville Trails sign for the parking lot. There are several entrances to these trails and the trails themselves can get quite twisty, but they are well marked. Take a trail map or GPS with you so you don’t get lost. Find trail map here.

The Waterfall

The Woodville waterfall is a steep plunging cascade of water that you can view from multiple levels. Midway down it trickles over a mossy wall of rock that glitters quite enchantingly like emeralds in the sun. It is a unique scene to behold. The true glory of the falls is best viewed from the bottom, which requires a bit of a treacherous descent, but I happened to find a trusty walking stick just waiting there for me to steady myself with. At the bottom we were able to behold its true form from top to bottom. Had there been a bench at the bottom of the falls I think I could have stayed a long while, but Randy was already whisking me along to another highlight. Each vista more romantic than the last.

The Look Off

I love waterfalls with all my heart, but the look off was so breathtakingly gorgeous it was the absolute highlight of this trip, no contest. The trees were in the perfect fall state, leaves fully changed, but still hanging on. They looked luscious and full of life. If I could have immortalized Woodville it would have been in this moment of pure Fall perfection. The walk to the look off was pure bliss, walking hand in hand down the path of fallen red and yellow leaves the trees forming a fiery arc with the sun piercing through. It does not get anymore picture perfect than that. It was pure romance, sitting at the top of Woodville looking down on a fall colored landscape. Feeling the warmth of the sun beating down on us keeping us warm in the crisp fall air. We sat there as if time had frozen, basking in the sun and taking in the glorious view.

The Verdict

Needless to say, Randy had outdone himself with this pick. He had shown me the beauty of the Valley and I will not forget this moment for a long time to come.

by s.adellebutler-in Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia Adventures- 0 -

December 7, 2019

Kentville Ravines

The Mission

Randy was in full control of this adventure. He was determined to show me some of his favourite hangouts growing up in the valley. This outing led me to some gorgeous fall vista points. Knowing how much I love a packed adventure schedule, Randy prepared a line up that did not disappoint. Kentville Ravine Trail was the first of many stops on his itinerary. We also visited Woodville Hiking Trails, Huntingtons point, and Halls Harbour.

Getting There

Map here. From the Halifax area you will take Hwy 101 for about 55 minutes turn off onto the New Minas Connector Road. Take a left on NS Trunk 1 West, after 1km take another left up to the Kentville Research and Development Centre. The Trail head is just past the Research Centre’s parking lot up the hill a bit. You can park across from the chain link fence.

A Fresh Fall Forest

There is no better time to go hiking than mid Fall, when the leaves have all changed color and on the verge of falling. If you stop for a minute and wait for just the right moment, you might be lucky enough see a swirl of red, yellow, and orange leaves flutter to the ground around you. In that special moment you feel like you’ve witnessed a little spark of nature that no one else saw, except for the special someone you may have with you. That is, only if they are patient enough to stand as still as you, just waiting for nature to shower you with its majestic colored leaves. Trust me it’s worth it. Every now and again if you just stop and wait expectantly, nature will usually display something quite unique for you to notice.

The Verdict

The Ravine Trail is an absolute joy to walk through. It is filled with tall strong looking trees with a wide and very flat walking trail. It makes for a very peaceful and easy stroll through the forest of freshly fallen leaves. It runs parallel to a river with a gently sloping waterfall. The waterfall was quite dammed up with fallen tree debris while we were there so it was not able to rush at full capacity. The Ravine Trail is a great spot, but I only experienced a small piece since our main point of interest was the rushing water. We drank it in, figuratively of course, then backtracked to carry on to the other spots on our itinerary.