{"id":14989,"date":"2017-12-05T12:00:29","date_gmt":"2017-12-05T20:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=14989"},"modified":"2017-12-05T09:18:19","modified_gmt":"2017-12-05T17:18:19","slug":"northern-new-yorks-secret-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2017\/12\/05\/northern-new-yorks-secret-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Northern New York’s Secret Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year, hundreds of paddlers flock to the foothills of the Adirondacks to celebrate the last hurrah of whitewater at Beaverfest<\/a> and Moosefest<\/a>. The endless line of shuttle rigs parked along dirt access roads and motels packed with smelly boaters is a sight (and smell) to behold. But I\u2019ll let you in on a little local\u2019s secret: These \u201cseason enders\u201d are really just the start. Once the leaves shrivel and drop from the trees, the slightest rain shower can raise the rivers exponentially higher than in the summer. There\u2019s an entire secret season of New York whitewater. All it takes is a little bit of luck with the rain\u2014and a lot of layers. Rumor has it, less than an hour from the put-in of the New York classics, there exists a handful of runnable rivers and creeks. You didn\u2019t hear it from me though\u2026<\/p>\n

West Branch Oswegatchie<\/a> (Class IV-V)
\nPut-In:<\/strong> Fishing Access at the end of the Besha Road, Croghan, NY (44.004327, -75.257351)
\nTakeout:<\/strong> Fishing Access at Kilbourn Road Spur (43.981833, -75.293104<\/u>)
\nFlows:<\/strong> ~2500+ cfs on the West Branch Oswegatchie Gauge Near Harrisville
\n<\/a>Gauge Tip:<\/strong> This gauge is located below the confluence of the West and Main Branches of the Oswegatchie, and at times there\u2019s more water coming from one branch than the other. Gauge readings offer a loose correlation only.<\/p>\n

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Fun slide on the West Branch of the Oswegatchie.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Five miles from the takeout of the Taylorville section of the Beaver, the West Branch of the Oswegatchie is one of the most overlooked sections of whitewater in New York. Horror stories abound about endless flatwater followed by huge rapids, and while it\u2019s partly true, there is one big waterfall most people portage and a few stretches where the current seems to stop entirely, there are enough unique rapids sprinkled throughout to make it worth a look. The river starts flat and wide, but quickly narrows as it tumbles over a small man-made weir. A handful of small riffles follows, and aside from the occasional marker designating public fishing access, the river feels incredibly wild.<\/p>\n

The first real rapid is a shallow slide with a few channels and some interesting holes. It\u2019s only class III, but it provides a welcome warm-up for what lies ahead. The next set of rapids starts about 100 yards downstream and leads without pause over Besha Falls, a 25-footer that has broken at least two people\u2019s backs. Take out above the lead-in and spend some time on the scout. If you plan to run Besha Falls, stay left and be aware of a hidden ledge in the center-right and right side of the falls. If you aren\u2019t confident in your line and want to keep your spine intact, it\u2019s relatively easy to portage down the river left side.<\/p>\n