Ice Exploration – It’s a Thing!
When someone mentioned to me a few years ago to check out a gigantic wall of ice, I thought they were delusional! Of course, I had to check it out for myself and, well, they were right! It is a gigantic wall of ice!
Remember marvelling at the sheer force and beauty of a waterfall in the spring or fall? The same effect strikes you but in a different way in the winter. The same waterfall turns to ice, making unusually cool areas for photo ops! Seeing water frozen in this way makes you appreciate the very different seasons we have in New Brunswick. Get outside and celebrate the ice in all its splendour and awesome-ness!
Fall Brook Falls
Once you get to the waterfall area, you’ll see that it is definitely worth the hike in! (Note: expect to pay a small access fee at the gate to gain entrance to the start of the trail).
The following excerpt is taken from the Hiking NB Website where it talks about the waterfall when the water is running, but gives you an idea of just how majestic this waterfall really is:
The trail follows Fall Brook stream into a ravine and through a mixed wood forest. Caution is required at one point where the narrow path climbs quite high above stream level with the help of rails and ropes. The trail then drops back down to stream level and continues to follow the stream to the falls. A small path to the side of the stream will give you your first view of the falls. The trail continues to just below the falls.
The waterfall is the highest continual running waterfall in New Brunswick at 30 m (100 ft). When at the falls you are surrounded by high cliffs on three sides making it feel like some type of cathedral. The falls is much more impressive than the small stream would suggest.
Midland Ice Caves
My first foray to an ice cave spot was in 2018 to the Midland Ice Caves. It’s important that you follow the directions exactly if you aren’t familiar with this area, otherwise you may get turned around. The caves are situated a little more than an hour from Fredericton; on the Hiking NB website, they provide a pretty good detailed description on how to get to them:
Traveling from Fredericton on Route 2 take exit 339 at Jemseg. Turn left onto Grand Lake Drive then shortly after turn left again onto Route 695 towards Cambridge Narrows. Continue on Route 695 for 34 km until you get to Springfield. You cross the bridge at Cambridge Narrows about halfway. At Springfield you will come to a T in the road. Turn left onto Route 124 and after just 500 meters the road will turn sharply to the right. Continue on Route 124 for another 2.2 km then turn right onto Route 855. After another 100 meters turn right onto Guthrie Road. After 1.4 km you will come to a stop sign at a junction with Upper Midland Road. Turn right on Upper Midland Road and after 350 meters you will see a long fence line on your right. This is the start of the trail. You should be able to see the large barn for Everanne Farms on the hill in front of you.
The trail to the ice caves follows an old road that travels along a fence line and steadily climbs through the field towards the wood; further details from this point can also be found on the Hiking NB site. (See note under, "Some Tips Before you Head Out")
Once you are parked, expect a hike to get to the actual ice wall, but it’s not a difficult climb – very slow and steady. Trust me, your efforts will be rewarded when you suddenly catch a glimpse of it! When you get closer to it , you will notice that there is a rope that has been placed at the top to help guide you to the ice wall situated in a bit of a valley. You will be very grateful for this rope! Once you are at the site, you can go into what I call the “ice curtain”, giving you a very unique look into how these are formed, by an overhang in the rock where the water flows over to form large icicles, thus creating an “ice wall”.
Lots of photo ops here!
Devil’s Oven Ice Cave:
Located near Minto, (approximately a 40-minute drive from Fredericton) this ice cave is a little less complicated to access but you definitely should check first before you venture out to ensure that the conditions are right. A good source of info is the Hiking NB Facebook page:
The Hiking NB website posted the following directions:
From Route 10 (Corner near Tim Hortons and Town Hall) head north-west on Main street. After 1.4 kilometers turn right onto Northside Drive. Follow Northside Drive for 4 kilometers, and just before the road crosses a small bridge over Newcastle Stream turn left onto Tracy Road. After 500 meters the road turn sharp to the left and turns to gravel. Follow this road for 3 kilometers and you will come to a hill down to a small bridge. Find a wide spot to park at the top of the hill so you are not blocking the road. This road is usually plowed but can sometimes be narrow.
I visited this ice cave site almost a year ago in March. We were fortunate enough to have very favourable conditions, i.e. the riverbed was frozen to walk to the site of the ice caves. On your way down the path from where you are parked, you’ll notice frozen waterfall spots on the right (but that’s not THE ice cave), which gives you a taste of the bigger ice cave to the left. Like Midland, you are able to duck behind the ice curtain to check out what’s behind, giving you that “other-worldly” feeling of being trapped inside a giant ice cube! Pretty darn cool, and well worth the drive!
Some tips before you head out:
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Please note: The Midland Ice Caves are on private land and that it is a privilege, not a right to be allowed to visit them. Please tread lightly when visiting and make sure you don't leave anything behind.
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The best time to visit the ice caves is generally from mid February to late March. The formation of the ice caves and walls means the right temperatures in the winter, to enable water to properly freeze. Check before you go to make sure conditions are optimum! Visit the Hiking NB Facebook Page, or the Hiking NB website.
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Wear appropriate clothing. Layering is best, plus it wouldn’t hurt to wear waterproof boots and if you have them, ice grippers for those slippery sections.
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Bring water and snacks.
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Bring your camera/phone – you’ll definitely want to capture some photos; the ice caves make for some pretty incredible photos!
Stay and Play!
After your day of adventuring, how about settling in with a nice warm drink and dessert? Check out “New Year, New Treats” blog for some sweet ideas! Why stop there? Book a stay-cation at one of our local hotels and make a weekend out of it! Check out our Stay and Play Packages on our website start planning!
