Enders Falls in the town of Granby, CT, is a set of five unique drops with swimming holes at each. I have hiked to them in all seasons and winter is spectacular.
Every fall at the top on the West Branch of Salmon Brook was hidden from sight and silent behind an ice shield that at times seemed as hard as rock.
The third falls, 18 feet high, was just as solid but the ice could not contain the sound, proving that water always wins, playing a symphony in the state forest. Studying the ice through my 600mm lens, I found one small spot where I could vaguely see the water rushing behind this natural force field. At the bottom of the falls, rocks in the pool worked to create a diamond-studded serpent of ice. At the top, stalactites of ice formed Clydesdale hoofs in a cave and lined the cliffs in decoration.
Every time the ice is different. Each hike down presents something new. During the winter of 2020, I photographed “Enders Ice Tree” in the third falls.
Enders State Forest began as a 1,500 acre gift to the people of the state of Connecticut by the Enders family in memory of John Ostrom Enders and Harriet Whitmore Enders by their four children. It became Connecticut’s 29th state forest when it was officially transferred to the state on April 2, 1970. The property has been added to continuously as opportunities have presented themselves over the years so that the forest is now nearly 2,100 acres in size.
