Sherman Falls – Illuminated!!!

With its short trail and ease of access, Sherman Falls is one of my favorite “go to” destinations when I am looking to sneak in a quick hike. Waterfalls have been drier than normal this summer but with the rain we had last weekend I felt that it be worthwhile to check it out and I’m glad I did.

Parking at the corner of Old Ancaster Road and Lions Club Road in Ancaster, I headed up the trail and within minutes was enjoying the beauty of Sherman Falls, which I had all to myself.
Sherman Falls is a 17 metre (56 foot) multi tier waterfall surrounded by rugged limestone, mossy rock and natural forest. It has two cascading drops with a wide flat ledge that divide the upper and lower falls.  The double tier makes this waterfall particularly interesting.

Later that day I posted a photo of Sherman Falls on my Facebook page and was contacted by Chris Ecklund, the man behind the City of Waterfalls http://www.cityofwaterfalls.ca with the suggestion that we return an illuminate the falls that night. It sounded like a great idea to me so later that evening we returned and along with a group of volunteers placed around 30 battery powered spotlights in the rocks facing the falls.

These spotlights, each providing 25 million candlepower of light were fitted with a purplish red lenses and when activated bathed the waterfall in a soft purple light. A number of people came by to take photos and enjoy the view.
Hiking and exploring these trails is always a great experience, but for me they take on a special feel at night. I think that the dark makes your sense of hearing more acute and sitting on a rock near the base of the waterfall enjoying the sound of the water and the cool sweet smells of the forest always brings me a powerful sense of peace.

Thank you to the many that have been visiting and sharing my Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dundas-Valley-and-beyond/120774278042380

Always appreciated. Happy hiking!!