By Alicia Upano
To Joseph Bushee Jr. of Millers Falls, hiking without a goal is no better than spending the summer indoors. So Bushee’s constant hiking companions include a handmade walking stick, a Pentax camera and a waterfall.
“Hiking is fine, but you kind of need a goal at the end,” he said. To Bushee, that means the 200-foot cascades and meandering brooks dotted throughout western Massachusetts.
A fisherman and canoer, Bushee said he has always been an avid outdoorsman. In the last decade, he has become a veteran visitor of more than 20 waterfalls in the area, found in either hiking guides or by recommendation.
“As a kid, you couldn’t catch me sitting around the house. With my kids, I’ve tried to pass that on, a love of the outdoors,” he said. When his children were younger, he added, they often accompanied him on the trails.
His many hikes prompted him to launch a local Web site, complete with directions and photographs. The site is part of a Waterfall WebRing, a series of Web sites devoted to “lovers of falling water,” from the Pacific Northwest to Iceland.
The following is a list of waterfalls in the area. For directions and photos, visit Bushee’s Web site at http://www.mtdata.com/jbushee/guide.htm.
Pauchaug Brook, Northfield
A 25-foot waterfall at the end of Wanamaker Lake with fair flow in the summer. Drive by or hang out to watch the ducks, geese, and if you’re lucky, the fishing derbies.
Old Wendell Rd. Falls, Northfield
A series of cataracts at the end of a short but tall hike. Best to visit in wet weather, to avoid finding a dry bed.
Briggs Brook, Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, Erving, Village of Farley
One of Bushee’s favorites. A finer, misty waterfall at the end of a steep but short climb. Lots of hiking opportunities and caves to discover.
Bears Den, New Salem
With access near the road and a short walk, this waterfall is great for small children. Also an opportunity to go fishing.
Sluice Brook, Shelburne Falls
This waterfall, Bushee says, is a nice place to land a boat into the Deerfield River. A mile downstream, you will find Sluice Brook.
Tannery Falls, Savoy
A short trail leads to two waterfalls. The larger one, an 8-foot tall cataract, falls into Ross Brook, and the smaller falls and merges into Parker Brook.
Chapel Falls, Conway
This two-step waterfall is practically on the roadside and fans out nicely. For a bit more adventure, a nearby short loop trail leads to small cliffs.
Slatestone Brook, Sunderland
A waterfall visible from the road. From the fall, Slatestone Brook flows into the Connecticut River only a few hundred feet away.
Gunn Brook, Sunderland
Down the road from Slatestone Brook, this waterfall is perfect for a quick trip, Bushee says. It’s over 100 feet tall and at the end of a very short trail.
Roaring Brook, Leverett
A short walk will lead you to the waterfalls, spilling through a split in a ledge. The ledges and boulders are marked with trails, one of which leads to the tower on top of Mount Toby.
Twin Cascades, Florida
The Twin Cascades – a 50-foot and an 80-foot waterfall – converge as one fall with huge flow and lots of mist.
Wahconah Falls, Dalton
A short trail to a large flow, 40-foot waterfall. Also a picnic and campfire area before the falls.
Glendale Falls, Middlefield
A 20-foot cascading waterfall with lots of rocks to climb.
Sanderson Brook Falls, Chester
Another of Bushee’s favorites. Less than a mile trek, but uphill, to the waterfalls.
Buffam Falls, Pellham
A flat walk to the 10- to 15-foot waterfalls where Buffam Brook and Amethyst Brook meet, but the trail is littered with mini-falls along the way. The reservoir provides a nice spot to picnic.