McPhersons Mills, Pictou County
45N33.245 62W30.886
20T E537873 N5044619
CLASS: tiered plunge
SIZE: 25'
RATING: excellent (***1 /2)
TRAIL: roadside
DISTANCE: 50m
HIKING TIME: 5 minutes
CONDITIONS: moderate
GEOCACHE: GCVZDR
NS Atlas Page: 30/Z5
NS topo map number: 11E10 (New Glasgow)
photo Leandra Ganko
DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from New Glasgow, take Exit26 off HWY104 and turn right (south) onto Sherbrooke Road/HWY347. Follow this road 7.9km to Park Falls Road and turn left. Continue 400m to the bridge over Sutherlands River and park.
photo Robert Pierrynowski (2007)
TRAIL DESCRIPTION: the falls are immediately on the downstream side of the bridge. A popular swimming hole, revellers jump from the bridge and from the rocks into the plunge pools below.
postcard circa 1906 by WH Torry
postcard circa 1906 by WH Torry
postcard circa 1934
"photo by waldren"
photo Ralph MacAdam (2008)
photo Sylvia Fisher (2012)
You do not include the story of the big boulder in the middle of the pool in the 2nd photo. It used to be part of the peak up to the right in that photo. A kid died diving off the peak so his father stole some dynamite from the mines and dynamited the peak off. Ironically, the diving never really stopped, it is just far more dangerous now. Note you don't see the mamoth boulder in the old postcards.
ReplyDeleteOh you can also slide down the top fall here too, but not in spring runoff (as per your pictures) or you will drown.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that my Uncle, Harvey Fraser, died there in 1922. He was a few weeks shy of his 18th birthday. According to family history and his death records; he was pushed into the water during a battle with another young man. I never heard who the other fellow was. I believe he was the only person that ever drowned there although there have been many close calls.
ReplyDeleteI never heard the story of the big boulder in the middle of the falls. I never heard the story of my gr. father blowing up the rock either. My sister says she remembers our Dad talking about the guy who pushed my uncle into the falls although she didn't have a name. Perhaps that's just as well.
DeletePatrick Henderson also drowned at Park Falls.
ReplyDeleteA few people have because they have tried to jump from the point and always ended up hitting the rocks instead. But I remember swimming out there since I was a kid. I loved it. It's a beautiful spot.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s with the cement wall remenats that are at Park Falls?
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