A Running Fool....Ron's Running Adventures

Maybe it's because I've been born and raised here. Or maybe it's because I've never considered this state  to be overly outdoorsy. In either case, I've always admittedly short changed Connecticut when it comes to  it's natural wonders. Not possessing very large mountains or wide, fast rivers (or open space), I've always overlooked Connecticut as having very beautiful places.

This past year though I was very fortunate to see alot of things in this state that I had forgot about. No  doubt my increase in trail running and my return to hiking have certainly enhanced my outdoor Connecticut  experience. But I think also, it has allowed me to see it all with fresh eyes so to speak. To re-discover this state as I explore both new and old parts with my children.

With the recent warm spell we've had here in Connecticut the thought occurred to me that this past weekend  would one of the best times to seek out some of those hidden treasures. So as a way to ward off a slight feeling of Holiday cabin fever, the Starrett clan piled into minivan for a chance to see one of Connecticut's best kept secrets.

As I mentioned we've had a bit of a warm spell recently which has melted away a good amount of the snow cover we had (about 8"). With snow melt there is rising rivers. A prime time to see one of nature's most beautiful features...the waterfall. And believe it or not there are some place here in Connecticut to see some very impressive ones.

One of my favorite parts of the State is the Northwest Corner, a portion of the State stretching from Granby over to Salisbury. This stretch gives Connecticut more of a Northern Feel and tends be more quiet than further south. This stretch also contains two of my favorite trails in the State, the Tunxis and Metacomet. With both of these trails in the area and the Barkhamsted Reservoir also, one can overlook a small State Forest nestled in between. That seems to be the case with Enders State Forest, rumored to have one of the prettiest set of falls in the state. With a fine winter morning greeting us we set out to see if this claim was true.

A short drive later (isn't everything in Connecticut a short drive) we approached the parking lot to the State Forest. Seeing it obviously hadn't been plowed we debated where to park. We finally decided to just park roadside and the five of us eagerly jumped out of the vehicle to hit the trail. A thick icy crust covered the still present snow on the parking lot as we carefully made our way to the trail.

According to the website (http://www.ctwaterfalls.com/) the falls are a short walk from the parking lot. However, it does warn that the trail gets more treacherous as you progress downstream. Within a quarter mile of the parking lot we came upon the river and the first set of falls.

Immediately impressed by the sight we couldn't fight back the urge to scramble across a small ice bridge to climb to the top of the falls.

We enjoyed some quiet reflection before proceeding downstream to the next set. Tumbling faster and farther this second set even included a small gorge.

As we progressed further downstream it seemed as if each set was getting more and more impressive. So far it appeared the rumors of these falls were true. The other truth was the difficulty of the trail. As we moved further downstream this trail became more and more icy, limiting our access to views. Our peristency paid off however as we were to be rewarded with the best set of falls for our finale.

Slipping and sliding we reached our final viewing spot where we were all surprised by the size and intensity of the fall in front of us.

Overall, we were all extremely impressed by the complete set of falls. Despite the slipping and sliding we all had a great time. A great way to spend a fine winter morning. We all had felt we found a secret place that no one else knew about (although previous footprints proved otherwise) and we left anticipating a return trip in the spring.

Enders State Forest is located in Granby along Route 219. For more info visit: http://www.ctwaterfalls.com/

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• #1 Comment from sleepypete4 
  3/13/08 8:31 PM | Permalink

  As a kid I spent my summer in Enders Park sliding down some of the natural grooves the falls had worn into the rock. Hopefully they still exist. Its worth making the trip back in the summer!
  
  Glad I found this blog (from Kickrunners thread about stone cat) since I grew up in the farmington valley. Brings back lots of memories. Keep it up.
  
  Pete
  http://nytrails.blogspot.com