Northeast
New York Maryland Pennsylvania Connetecett Massachusetts
Salmon River, Pulaski, NY
Railroad, Squirt turn
Take RT.81 to Pulaski, NY. (North west N.Y by lake Ontario ) Get off at the Pulaski exit 36. At the top of the
ramp head to the East( right if coming from Syracuse, left if coming from Water town), go to the first left hand
turn and turn Left. You will cross the river. (This is where all the surface boaters putin. They call this Putin
the trash compactor.) Keep going on this road until you come to the Railroad Tracks. At the Rail Road Tracks there
is a small dirt pull off on the left, park there. Put on you gear and grab your boat ad get ready to walk. Not
far maybe 400 to 800 yards. Walk down the Tracks on the same side you parked until you reach the river The Mystery
spot is above the rail road bridge on river left in the recalculating eddy. There is a small wave that forms then
turns in to a small wirl pool. Enter in to the wave as it forms at about a 45% angle. If you time it right it is
a smooth drop with a nice, but short ride 7-15 seconds. The river level should be at 750 cfs on the Water Line
Report line. Call 800-452-1742 Then enter the sight code number 365123 to get river level info.
We have not played there at higher levels so we are not sure if it gets better at higher levels.
Genesee River, Letchworth State park, Below the lower falls
In Letchworth state park just below the lower falls. I was getting 5-8 second and longer drops almost every time
I went in. It is kind of hard to get to you have to paddle up stream from the put in, get out portage around a
short rapid, get in and paddle up stream over to river left ( some hard paddling) Walk up to the top of that, get
back in you boat and paddle 300-500 yards under a foot bridge to the bottom of the last rapid below the lower falls,
where there is a small horse shoe shaped pore over. At low water the water comes down the center and off the river
left side slamming together and forming a nice seam. Paddle half way up the pore over that is on your right so
your hip is even with the upper part of the notch in the pore over. Sink your bow in the foam on the river left
side of the seam with a stern pry and then a cross bow draw to get your rotation going . Try and stay chin deep
on the river left side of the seam ( you can see it from here) It will drift you into the good spot take a deep
breath and Down you go just like Smoothie on the Ottawa. If you drift to far right you will smack the under water
cliff and it will stop your rotation and up you will come. It might be possible to get longer rides here I will
have to try it at different water levels. If the water is above 9.5 ft. you cant get to the spot. The river never
get much lower than 8 ft. and we where there at 8.75 and it was good ! There is one more spot on the river that
has very big whirl pools when the water is very low that looks to be very interesting. It is on the way up to the
Falls spot. If it turns out to be good i will let you know!
The Put in is in Letchworth State park. Ask at the park entrance for a map, and how to get to the boaters put in.
Directions
Take Rt. 390 to Dansvill, NY Get off at Exit 5 ( the dansvill exit) Take Rt., 36 Two miles or so (I believe south
or east) to Rt., 436 W. Folow 436, 15-20 miles. To the park entrance on your right. (436 does join up with Rt.
19 after it makes a right for a short distance, just before the park entrance.)
Jason Kirk
kirkman@exotrope.net
Delaware river, NJ ,PA border.
Here are two local (small but fun and better than none) spots in Lambertville, NJ.
The easiest way to get to us is by Interstate 95. Take exit 1 (Last exit in NJ before entering Pennsylvania) in
New Jersey the Lambertville Exit. It dumps you on to Route 29. Take Route 29 North to both Scudders (about 1/2
mile from exit), and Lambertville Wing Damn (10-15 minutes from exit).
First is at the Lambertville Wing Damn on the Delaware River.
The put-in to the wing damn section is behind the Inn at Lambertville Station Hotel at 11 Bridge St. Lambertville,
NJ 08530. Drive past the Inn and around back to the boat launch. Park and put-in. Paddle downstream (flatwater)
for about 300-400 yards to the wing damn. Eddy out on Pennsylvania (river right) side.To check out the spot by
walking along the damn. At the most upstream corner of the damn is the mystery/squirt spot. It is generally a good
squirt spot at all levels. There is a service eddy directly next to the damn (pennsy side, most upstream side).
The trick is that the entry looks to be a righty charc out of the eddy. It is actually a lefty charc after you
ferry across the small wave and attain back up and hit it lefty. You want to dip in above the wave at be aggressive
in the hips for a good ride. From levels of 3000 to 5500 cfs on the Delaware River, Trenton gauge it forms a small
wave/ripple. This spot is perfect (my opinion) at 3600-4200cfs. and will be good for people who wait to get the
drops for solid 3-8 second drops. Not bad for NJ. Once you figure the spot out, it is one after another.
The second spot is Scudders Falls in NJ. Basically if you start from Lambertville, NJ drive south on Route 29 outside
of town, and for about 10-12 minutes. You will see a sign for Interstate 95 North off to the right with a right
exit. Take this small road/ exit to 95. As soon as you take the right, make another right and go over a small bridge.
You are now at a small park (name escapes me). Either park up top if gate is closed, or drive down to lower lot.
This is a small class 2+ wave and eddy line here. The eddyline is gauged off the same gauge as the Wing Damn from
above. But, this eddyline is only good from 11,000 cfs to 13,500 cfs. Its a pretty apparent eddy towards the bottom
river left of the rapid. Its somewhat rocky and can put a little abuse on the right back edge of your boat as it
too is a lefty charc. But a lefty charc with a rock at the sweet spot. If you want the nice drop, you will hit
your boat 90% of the time. This is more of a quick down force then flushes you out at what seems to be 100 miles
per hour. Those in the eddy should be aware of flying sharp ends. It would be a great setting for a Nealy cartoon
of some squirtboater spearing some unassuming surface boater.
BY, Brad Michael.
Lehigh River, White haven, PA
Z- turn
Z- turn is about half way between the put in and Lunch rock on the upper section of the Lehigh river in Whitehaven,Pa.
There is a big eddy on river left. in the middle of Z-turn. The entry is in the middle of the eddy not at the top
like most Mystery spots. I have only bin there at 500 cfs and was getting 3-5 second rides. But it looks like it
would really go off at between 750-900 cfs. There is a draw back. The river is only class 2 and very long, not
a good river for running in a designation chop boat!
If you had a trailer for a mountain bike you can bike to the spot along a trail ( Level old railroad bed ) that
runs right along the river.
There are some very promising looking features on this river in the first half above z-turn that might turn in
to good DT spots with enough water! ( 900 or more cfs.)
Jason Kirk
kirkman@exotrope.net
Kennebec River, West Forks, ME
The Kennebec River Gorge is about 5 miles long and is constant Class IV= whitewater which increases in intensity
from the put-in on, and culminates in Magic Falls which is a Class IV drop. The put in is about 12 miles off of
Route 201 outside of the
West Forks, ME. While traveling north on 201 with the Kennebec river on your left take the right hand turn just
before going over the bridge that goes over the Kennebec and into "town". Follow this road all the way
to Moxie lake where you will vear left and
onto a dirt road over a bridge. The take out is about 3 miles down this dirt road. It is a left after your second
of two small yellow bridges. It is the Carry Brook emergency access road. Follow the road all the way in to the
parking lot. This will be your take out unless you want to do the 8 mile float out in your glass boat. Treck back
out of this road and take a left back onto the main dirt road. This will lead you right into Harris Station. You
will encounter and FPL (Florida Power and Light) gate where I believe the gate fee is still a dollar. Driver through
the gate and stay on the pavement and head into the parking lot. If you get there real early (8am) you may be able
to drive down and drop off boats. This is a commercially run river with 1200 allocations a day for the commercial
rafting season. The
rafts put in from 10am to 12pm and water flows are typically from 10am-2pm. Try and put in after the rafts, otherwise
you will be avoiding tons of SPORTS (stupid people on rafting trips). The Gorge itself is characterized by 70ft
cliff walls and very string and pushy currents. The river itself is very deep and having been down at fish level
flows there are limited to no bottom hazards to be wary off while going deep. There are
numerous mystery spots along the river with the first being right off the bat at "The Throat" where the
river begins to pick up momentum. Cathedral Eddy is also full of numerous lines varying in strength and all kinds
of large boil lines to have
fun with. There are usually a handful of squirters on the Kennebec on any given day and many private boaters to
help with shuttle.
Camping accommodations are numerous and river lies flow at The Marshall Hotel after a few beers. The water is incredibly
clean and very warm in the middle of the summer.
By, Andrew Whitaker
Roundout Creek, NY
The spot I have been frequenting is on the Rondout Creek, on the water, on the eastern side of the thruway just
as you pass over the creek (on the thruway). The longest rides (full submersion) I have seen is 3 seconds, 4 or
5 spins, though, which is still a blast. Best part about it is that I live on the creek so another hometown spot
is added to our after work activities. There is another spot onthe Rondout that we are just starting to tap into
this year. I have been there at several levels, and am trying to figure out what levels are good for sinkin. The
spot is very powerful, and has sketchy whirlpools and one of the eddylines is real strong/sketchy at certain levels.
The main thing is the current pushes into an undercut wall, which is so far avoidable, but 3 swimmers drowned there
last year. Usually lose a few a year there. Been fully submerged for a second (maybe 2) but got spooked and came
back up (was alone one of those times). Will let you know what we discover about that spot.
The directions for the squirt spot are (keep in mind that we don't yet know the best levels and the access requires
a little bit of trespassing -and they WILL approach you if there are 3 or 4 cars parked there):
Get to Rosendale NY via the NY Thruway, then rte 32. Take a right (if headed north) or a left (if south) onto Creek
Locks Road. It is the road between Cumberland Farms and the mini-plaza with a pizza joint. Go down the road a bit
(you will see creek on the right). When you come to your first bridge (the thruway), park in the lot on your right
(the second one!) before the bridge, making sure not to block access to the locked fence. Walk down the path. put
in and paddle to the washout from the base of the last falls. The seam is where the two currents meet along river
right. tap in from surfer's left, backcuts don't work. Eddy is really shallow. After a ride, you have time for
2-4 ends before you hit rocks.
Rides are short, and have only gotten fully under a handful of times, but for a few seconds each time. Gauge is
Rondout at Rosendale. 9.5 is too low, 10 too high.
http://ny.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=01367500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
By, John Ditmars
The Potomac River, VA
Access to the Potomac spots in my guide to Mather Gorge is from Great Fall National Park in Virginia, Great Falls
and C&O Canal National Historic Park in Maryland, or Angler's Inn in Maryland.
Access Points:
Maryland: Rt 189 to Macarther Blvb
- Sandy Beach. Park at Great Falls National Park (fee area), reached via MacAuthur Blvd. in Montgomery County,
MD. Carry 1/4 mile south along the C & O Canal towpath; take trail on the right that leads to Sandy Beach putin.
- Angler's Inn. Reach via MacAuthur Blvd. Park in one of three gravel or dirt lots across from the Angler's Inn,
a fine restaurant. Carry across the canal, then 100 feet south on the towpath, then right down to the shore. From
the river, the beach is easily seen on river left.
Virginia:
- Fisherman's Eddy. Park at Great Falls National Park Virginia (fee area). From lower lot, carry across picnic
area upstream toward steep trail that leads to Fisherman's Eddy.
- Rocky Island. From Great Falls, Virginia, walk south on trail from picnic area to a small footbridge and walk
left down the rocky gully access Rocky Island surfing waves.
By, stro
Lehigh River, Lehighton, PA (potential, still under exploration)
Lehighton/Weissport Trestle (aka Dunbars)
Description: This is several bridge piers with a drop of ~ 2-3 ft through
the channels followed by a large recovery pool/eddy. The channels get
progressivly deeper and steeper to river left. Very convenient park &
play.
There's a large rock protruding from shore ~1/4 mi downstream river right
(visible from 209 bridge) which has a strong seam begging for exploration.
At low levels (<1000 cfs) only the left channel is deep enough for sinking
but it provides two
strong seams and a surfable wave train. There may be some large riprap at
the top of the chute (under the trestle) so evaluate prior to sinking at
the
top. There is little obstruction out from under the trestle. As levels
rise,
the center channel opens and then river right.
At 1700+ cfs, the center channel has a good seam on the river right side,
which can be tapped at several places, the river left line is very broad
and
confused. The river left channel is the strongest with well defined lines
on
both sides and its wave train has flushed out considerably. The left seam
on
this channel is fed by a strong compact eddy next to shore. The right seam
of this channel should be tapped under the trestle for the strongest suck.
The river right channel is too shallow and rock strewn to mystery at this
level but can still provide entertainment in the small eddy river right of
the chute.
The eddys & lines hold up to at least 6500 cfs although the saplings
downstream
begin to form a strainer. Sink with caution at these levels.
River: Lehigh
Location: Lehighton, PA
Directions:
* Mahoning Valley interchange of PA Turnpike NE Extension (I-476)
* US-209 South to Lehighton (NOTE: South US-209 runs north between
Lehighton
& Jim Thorpe so careful with your internal compass)
* Long US-209 bridge crosses the Lehigh River (lights at each end.)
* Make right at end of bridge (stay on Rt 209 South, heading towards Jim
Thorpe)
* ~ 1/2 mile from bridge, Rt. 209 splits & becomes ONEWAY, stay in right
lane
* make right at Dunbar Beverage (purchase apres squirt libations)
* Follow dirt (primitive, but car accessible) road under RR trestle and to
the river, large cobble bar for parking.
Lehighton Gauge: (~1/2 mile downstream of trestle - no additional inflow
between)
< http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?01449000 >
By,
Tim Luce
Lehigh River, Easton, PA
The only spot I've been in my squirt boat has been here at Glendon so I'm not sure of the quality. We novices were
easily getting arm-pit deep with the flow at 1700 cfs on
the Glendon gauge (150 ft upstream). I'm guessing short rides 2-3 seconds, but again I have no yardstick. This
seems to be a good beginners spot as the river bed is mostly small cobble. The south (river right) pier is the
low and high water spot, either eddy line has potential. At higher flows (4500, probably as low as 3500) the north
pier is also capable
towards the main channel.
Glendon Bridge specifics:
gauge: 1500 min (I'm guessing) - 6000+ cfs (haven't seen more yet)
Internet
<http://pa.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?dd_cd=04&dd_cd=05&format=gif&period=
7&site_no=01454700>
Easton is in eastern PA at the forks of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers
From I-78 take first/last exit in PA for Easton,
follow signs for Crayolla Factory and Canal Boat rides to the
bottom of the hill (~1 mi)
cross the Lehigh River on the 3rd st Bridge, get in left lane on
the bridge
turn left at light after bridge (McD on left) onto Washington
Stay in left lane past McD's
make first left onto Lehigh Drive (at foot of a steep hill)
continue on Lehigh Drive ~ 1.2 miles to 1st Stop sign with green
bridge (Glendon) on the left.
There is parking just past the stop sign or in Hugh Moore Park
across the bridge.
There is slightly better river access here then in the park
Walk out on the bridge to check it out.
If its too tame head back to McDs and go straight at the light onto
Larry Holmes Drive
(if coming from I-78, turn right at light after the bridge over the
Lehigh)
There is parking on the right where L. Holmes drive bears left (~
500 yds past light). This is the Forks
There is a boat ramp down to the Delaware here and also across the
river in Phillipsburg NJ
There are several bridge piers here as well as the seam where the
two rivers join.
I have no first hand knowledge of the Forks play spots although I can
see there are some very strong seams where the Delaware and Lehigh merge
as well as off the various bridge piers. I can't vouch for the quality
or any subsurface features at these... yet. I can't give any levels yet
either, although there seems to be something (don't know how deep) all
summer long. The closest upstream gauge is Belvidere NJ ~13 miles
<http://pa.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=01446500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,
00060,00010>
There is also supposedly a good line upstream 200-300 yds on the
Delaware where the Bushkill Creek joins the Delaware. No idea at all
about levels or exact access.
The Bushkill spot could be reach with an upstream paddle from the
forks - not to bad unless the Delaware is cranking or...
continue on L. Holmes Drive (PA 611 North) from the Forks, past
the older bridge to NJ
as you approach the second bridge US-22 turn right to go under the
bridge (611 N)
after looping under the bridge you'll turn right over a small creek
(the Bushkill) look for a parking spot on the road
find your way down to the creek or the river (sorry I haven't been
exploring yet)
use your highly attuned senses to seek the entrance to the realm
By,
Timothy Luce
(aquaholic@mac.com)
Tvill, Farmington River, Ct
- the gauge is Farmington river at tariffville on the ct usgs page. the best levels are 1.8/1.9 on the low side,
and a little above 3 ft. on the high side. My favorite levels are between 2.2 and 2.5, but either way up or down
it is still good.
- To get to tville, take i-91 thru Connecticut...either north or south depending on where you're coming from. Take
exit 40 off 91 towards bradley airport. Once you are off 91 you will be on another multilane highway, you will
pass a few exits, but keep an eye out on the right hand side for the exit for rt. 20 towards East Granby, this
is the exit you want. After you get off the exit ramp you will merge onto a road and almost immediately you will
come to a set of lights. Take a left at the lights onto International drive...it will be divided for a bit, then
merge into a regular 2 lane road...about a mile after it merges into a regular 2 lane rd. you will see a left hand
turn called Spoonville rd., take a left onto this. follow Spoonville rd. and eventually you will come to a weird
3 way stop. after you pass the 3 way stop you want your second left...it looks like it is labeled Spoonville rd..
go down the hill and you will turn and run along the river. To get to the downtime spot, watch for the first road
on the right once you are running along the river (this is a landmark). About 100 ft. after the first road on the
right will be this little dirt road with a fence gate on the left hand side. you will see a little northeast utilities
sign on the fencepost....just drive into the road and park along the side, but make sure you are out of the way
so others can come through.
Here is the gage.
http://ct.water.usgs.gov/rt-cgi/gen_stn_pg?station=01189995
By,
Chris Towles
Canisteo River, NY (potential, unexplored)
The spot is right next to the USGS river gage. The Seam is formed by the wall the USGS put up to get a better reading
on the river level. When the river is 6.72- 7.4 the seam is on river right. At lower levels the seam is on river
left. It works as low as 4.28 at that level you only get as deep as you forehead. The entry is a regular charc.
You get a quick drop and a 3 to 5 second ride. Longer rides might be possible. I have not bin there enough to tell
what level the seam works best.
It is located on Rt.119 in Cameron, NY. From Rt. 86 ( rt. 17 new name) in Painted Post by Corning, NY. Get on rt.
15 south Take the Addison Exit. Take a right at the bottom of the ramp on 417 going in to Addison. In Addison get
on rt. 119 west it is a right hand turn, just before you cross the river. The river will be on your Left until
you go through Cameron ( don’t blink or you will miss the town ) you then cross the river on a steel bridge. After
about 1 mile or so you will cross back over the river on a newer bridge. Pull over and park right past the bridge
. The seam the just down stream of the bridge.
Here is the USGS river
gage.
By,
Jason
Deerfield River - Dryway Section, MA
Take Rt. 2 to Charlemont. MA to get to the local outfitters (Zoar). They can
help you with Info on the river and camping.
Take Rt. 2 to Charlemont. MA to Zoar Road. After about 2 miles the road
will come to a 'T', take a left at the 'T'. Drive about ten minutes to get
to the Dunbar Brook Picnic Area access road. Take a right onto the Dunbar
Brook Picnic Area access road, follow it down the hill (1/10th mile) were
you can park or, take a right and continue down the hill till you get to the
(about a 1/4 mile) to the Dryway takeout parking area. To get to the Dryway
put in continue another few miles up Zoar Road into the town of Monroe, in
the center of town take a right and follow the road across the dam to the
put in area (1/10th mile). Put in parking is another 1/10th mile up the
road.
Access to the Dryway takeout is via the Dunbar Brook Picnic Area access
road. This is also the road that leads to the power plant, so be careful to
observe posted no parking areas to keep the power company's access open. The
town of Monroe has complained of boaters speeding through town, so keep it
down. The Dryway is too great a run to lose over inconsiderate boater
behavior. Also, State police frequently run radar and ticket on Rte 2 and
Zoar Road.
Water level information for the Dryway is available through the Deerfield
River information phone (888 356-3663). Listen for the spill at the #5
station dam. A schedule of the release dates for the coming year can be
obtained from a local outfitter at. http://www.zoaroutdoor.com/home.htm
The Dryway section of the Deer Field River has two good spots.
The first is about half way down the river on river right where the rafters
stop to take a break. There is a rock that creates a small pore over. Paddle
up to this spot facing the river right shore, slide in to the pore over
leaning your boat down stream. Once all the way in drop your right hip and
Down you go! The ride is only a couple of seconds before you have to
surface, because of the rock down stream that is taunting you to come visit.
Please be aware that getting to and from the first spot requires passing through
Class 3 and 4 water.
The next and probably the best spot on the river is 100 yards up stream from
the takeout. There is a rock in the middle of the flow that only barley
sticks out of the water. Enter the seam at 45%, as the water builds on the
rock dive you bow in about a foot deep then impact your hip. You will get a
good 5-10 second ride here. This spot has the potential for longer rides.
There is one problem with the takeout spot. If the water in the lower
reservoir is not low enough the Mystery spot is then covered with water. As
far as I know there is no way of telling if the spot is submerged except for
going to look at it.
Deerfield River - Fifebrook Section (Consumption Junction), MA
Well, I found a really sick new DT spot. I have to first off give credit to
Chris Martin, as he was the one who first told me of the spot a few years
back. We looked at it, and Chris tried hopping into it without a whole ton
of success, so I kinda wrote it off. I went back there today to actually try
it myself, and I was floored. The spot is on the Fife Brook section of the
Deerfield river in Massachusetts. The spot is at the confluence with the
cold river, but the squeeze and the eddyline are actually formed by the
convergence of the Deerfield with itself after it wraps around an island.
The entire thing reminds me of smoothy as far as entry and things like that
are concerned. The eddyline is extremely benign looking... it looks just
like a small convergence of currents feeding into a deep pool. There are no
real whirlpools, and not really many boils to speak of. The entry is almost
exactly like smoothy once you get near the squeeze. What you do is paddle
down the main current and across the small V shaped eddy just above the
convergence. you aim for the secondary current that meets the main flow just
above the convergence. You hit the current and drop up to your shoulders,
and slow motion screw down as you get sucked towards the squeeze. When you
hit the squeeze, its just like smoothy...you feel the tug, grab a breath and
drop in. Once you're down its incredibly smooth...I dare say smoother than
smoothy. There is almost no current underwater, and not a whole lot of
layers to speak of. however, once you're in, there isn't much that brings
you back to the surface. If you hit it right, you will continue to drop
deeper and deeper (6-7 ft), otherwise you can just hang 2-3 ft. below the
surface as long as you can hold your breath. It reminds me a bit of the spot
at pushbutton on the Ottawa (the little swirlies in the flatwater near the
island) in that there isn't much current there, but once you're in you will
just hang at the same level forever. The water is incredibly clear, and you
can see the surface above you the whole time cause its basically flatwater
above. I was consistently hitting big rides (15 sec range) and it was
extremely easy on the body. Its defiantly a long boat spot, cause you need a
boat that can just sorta hang underwater, but if you have the right boat and
decent technique at screwing in, hold your breath! I'm pissed I never went
there before this. I feel like a little kid on x-mas right now, you couldn't
tear the smile off my face. The spot is park and play. When you are driving
towards zoar gap from rt. 2 you will see a trailer park on your right. near
the end of the trailer park on the left hand side of the road you will see a
small pull off, you can park here, and walk across the train tracks. Follow
the trail to the river. You'll see the spot when you get there as you will
be high up on the bank. Just beware of railroad police...if they catch you
trespassing crossing the tracks they will arrest you. Its a benign looking
spot, but if you have the screwing down charc dialed you can go big there.
Its a long boat/ hands paddle spot for sure.
Chris T.
Alternate access point to Consumption Junction by Bruce K
1 - Find Zoar Outdoor on Rte 2 in Charlemont, MA
2 - Head west on Rte 2, the parking spot (which fits 4-5 cars) will
be on your left at 2.5 miles. The mystery spot will be on your right, where
the two rivers converge.
3 - Go 2/10ths of a mile further (it's just around the corner) and
make use of the turn-around spot on your left (it's right next to a big
tree).
4 - The turn-around area can also be used for parking.
5 - You have to watch carefully for cars when crossing the road or
pulling out; cars are doing about 50-60 mph around that area and there's a
bit of a blind corner.