Results 1 to 6 of 6
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Looking down
    Posts
    50,491

    Question North Creek, N.Y.

    I haved moved to a place that's close enough to whitewater, and I'd like to step into that world. North Creek (at the base of Gore) looks like a cool place that may have some good people to show me the way and hold my hand. Anybody know of somebody or some company? Or just some beta on the summer scene, please.

    The Hudson River as a whitewater playground - what a goof.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    8,648
    I don't know much about paddling in that area (other than the fact that the fall released on the Moose are a ton of fun). It seems like the whitewater action is centered around the Watertown area. Generally, instruction is each by a local association (we have the Colorado Whitewater Association here), or retailers.

    Here's a good place to start showing what rivers are runnable.

    http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/state/NY/

    Please join AW. They do great thinks for rivers and river access.

    This may fit the bill for your area

    http://www.kccny.org/

    There is a bunch of information for Sacandaga Outdoor Center in Hadley which I think is need Saratoga/Gore.

    If you need any info or help on equipment let me know. Kayaking is a great sport. Unlike skiing, basic instruction is pretty much mandatory as many of the skills are not common sense.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Looking down
    Posts
    50,491
    Thanx. Did you run Crystal down there? I remember it as a scary thing. I walked around it.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    8,648
    Yeh, I ran Crystal. Nobody portaged or walked any rapids. The flow is strange in April fluctuation from 5K to 20K CFS everyday except Sunday when it maxes at 8K. We hit Crystal on Sunday water so it was no big deal. Appartently, the rapid has changed in the last 5yrs or so. The biggest rapid by far was Lava. In retrosecpt, the following from AW is true:

    "When we scouted this, we thought that it might be possible to go left below the tongue to avoid being buried by the sizeable breaking wave directly below. Observing rafts and a couple kayaks run demonstrated your two options: (i) you could go straight down the green tongue and get buried by the breaking wave, or (ii) you could go left and be taken into the breaking wave anyway. The most difficult thing about Lava was lining up your approach, which is really blind until you literally fall into the rapid. If you are not where you want to be, it's already too late to do anything about it."

    I tried to run the bubble ferrying between the ledge and the huge V. The water is going way to fast and the ferry is unatainable. I got stuffed into the V and went deep. I didn't surface until about 20ft past the hole. After that, the fun really started. The first raft flipped in Lava and we didn't get it out of the current for 1.5 to 2 miles. Here's a picture of Lava at about 25K (20K from the dam plus all the side creeks)


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Looking down
    Posts
    50,491
    Oh man, I'd like to get back down there again, but jeez, the prices have skyrocketed. I did a 14 day trip with OARS in '86 for about $1550, but a six day today costs well above 2 grand. Supply and demand, I guess. That pic brings back memories. Maybe someday in a kayak......

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    8,648
    The Grand Canyon is big business. The permit and comercial process is about to change hower.

    a good read

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •