Hants County | Chronicles Of A Novice Hiker

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.

Ettinger Falls

The Mission

It was my turn to select three destinations for another epic waterfall adventure. On this very cold and brisk Fall day I chose Hants County as the destination. Ettinger Falls, Millet Falls, and Eldridge Falls were on the docket. Off to Hants County we went.

Getting There

Map here. Drive down Windsor Back Road and park just before the gate. It is closed at random times so you do not want to get stuck inside. It is a short walk up to the first set of falls. You will be able to hear them as the river flows parallel to the road.

A Variety of Falls

Ettinger is a special treat because it offers a wide variety of water flows. There are four sights along this river and it is best experienced from the bottom travelling upstream. The first sight is a short but wide little waterfall. This might have been more like a single cascade, but it was dazzling all the same. The way the water draped itself across the rocks, sheeted down the mini rock wall and bubbled into the calmer water below was very pleasing to watch. Perched on a rock nearby we admired how the curtain of water created a foamy wake that washed further down the river and then eventually out of sight.

The second waterfall took on an ‘L’ shape coming around a 90 degree corner and cascading down a stair case of rocks that were in almost perfect cubes. No pictures can do this one justice you really must see it for yourself. Water ran down these rocks taking the path of least resistance breaking off in opposite directions only to meet up again further down the line. This waterfall resides in a bit of a trench, on either side there were straight rock walls. In order to continue up the river you need to climb back up to the main road again.

The main attraction Ettinger falls itself is the third waterfall you come across. it is a very tall and impressive fall. A rope swing dangled from one of the trees above the pool of water, but it was much too cold for swimming that day with the light dusting of snow on the ground.

The last but not least sight is the several cascading falls above Ettinger. They flowed with a more relaxed nature than the staircase cascades below. A lovely finale for Ettinger falls. We were off to a strong start on this adventure.

The Verdict

Ettinger Falls is really worth the visit even if it is an hour out and the only thing you come to Hants County to see. You get so much variety in a single location it is hard to pass up. There is also very little hiking necessary, since the falls are right off the road.