Ausable - Keeseville to US Route 9


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Ausable,

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Keeseville to US Route 9 (Ausable Chasm)

Usual Difficulty IV+ (may vary with level)
Length 3 Miles

Put In on the Ausable


Put In on the Ausable
Photo of Kevin Colburn by Trip Kinney taken June 2005 @ 650

Gauge Information

Name Range Difficulty Updated Level
AUSABLE RIVER NEAR AU SABLE FORKS NY
usgs-04275500 240 - 1200 cfs IV+ 00h49m 447 cfs (rc= 0.2 )


River Description

Boaters must access the Ausable just downstream of the powerhouse on river left to paddle the Chasm downstream. Access is blocked by the power company. AW is working to get public access in the relicensing of the project. We expect to have achieved formal river access by the summer of 2006.


The Ausable Chasm was paddled numerous times over the summer of 2005. The river is one of the most unique and beautiful in the Northeast. The river offers 6 to 8 high quality class IV rapids ranging from vertical ledges to long slides, to rapids laced with waves and holes. The best thing about the run: it is runnable on natural flow almost all summer and fall! After paddling the Chasm, paddlers must paddle out over a couple miles of swiftly moving but shallow flatwater.


There is no place else in the world like Ausable Chasm. For now access is blocked by the power company, but we are hopeful that 2006 will mark the beginning of a brand new summer paddling resource for New York and Vermont paddlers. Enjoy!


Look for access updates and more rapid photos and descriptions here soon!

See also

New York Area Boaters Get an Early Christmas Gift!, December 23, 2004

Yankee Ingenuity Alive and Well in Upper New York State, November 12, 2001;

Paddlers' Alert--Ausable River, February 14, 2002;

2002 Top 10 Conservation and Access Issues, November 14, 2002;

AW in the NorthEast, 2004;

River Stewardship Issues for 2004, October 7, 2004;

Comments on the Ausable, April 28, 2004; and

Ausable Chasm Open Flow Study Planned, May 31, 2005.


Lat/longitude coords are approximate, from TopoZone.

StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2007-06-21 15:37:43

Editors

Stream Team Editor
Kevin Colburn
1035 Van Buren St
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 406-543-1802


Rainbow Falls on Ausable River

Detail Trip Report Edit  Rainbow Falls on Ausable River  Ausable, NY(73.08KB .jpeg)

Ausable Chasm Flow Study

Detail Trip Report Edit  Ausable Chasm Flow Study  @Ausable Keeseville to US Route 9, (481.89KB .jpeg)

Bridge at Ausable Chasm

Detail Trip Report Edit  Bridge at Ausable Chasm  @Ausable Keeseville to US Route 9, (489.10KB .jpeg)

Left Side of Elephant Rock, Ausable

Detail Trip Report Edit  Left Side of Elephant Rock, Ausable  Ausable, ny(1.34MB .jpeg)

Mikes Hole on the Ausable

Detail Trip Report Edit  Mikes Hole on the Ausable  Ausable, ny(84.22KB .jpeg)

Flow study participants enjoy the incredible scenery in the Ausable Chasm

Detail Trip Report Edit  Flow study participants enjoy the incredible scenery in the Ausable Chasm  Ausable, NY(1.13MB .jpeg)

Put In on the Ausable

Detail Trip Report Edit  Put In on the Ausable  Ausable, NY(110.12KB .jpeg)

Second Ausable Rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  Second Ausable Rapid  Ausable, NY(115.18KB .jpeg)

Slide on the Chasm

Detail Trip Report Edit  Slide on the Chasm  Ausable, NY(97.79KB .jpeg)

Long Fun Class IV on the Ausable

Detail Trip Report Edit  Long Fun Class IV on the Ausable  Ausable, NY(156.31KB .jpeg)

Horseshoe Falls

Detail Trip Report Edit  Horseshoe Falls  Ausable, NY(102.03KB .jpeg)

Elephant Rock Rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  Elephant Rock Rapid  Ausable, NY(100.95KB .jpeg)

Lead in to Mikes Hole

Detail Trip Report Edit  Lead in to Mikes Hole  Ausable, NY(165.80KB .jpeg)

The pinch of the Chasm

Detail Trip Report Edit  The pinch of the Chasm  Ausable, NY(166.49KB .jpeg)

Steel Bar in Run out

Detail Trip Report Edit  Steel Bar in Run out  Ausable, NY(87.17KB .jpeg)

Submerged steel in run out

Detail Trip Report Edit  Submerged steel in run out  Ausable, NY(79.34KB .jpeg)

I Beam towards the run out of last Rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  I Beam towards the run out of last Rapid  Ausable, NY(99.20KB .jpeg)

I-Beam Last Rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  I-Beam Last Rapid  Ausable, NY(114.25KB .jpeg)

Steel in Last Major Rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  Steel in Last Major Rapid  Ausable, NY(2.37MB .jpeg)

Steel in Eddy below last Rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  Steel in Eddy below last Rapid  Ausable, NY(121.84KB .jpeg)

I - beam rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  I - beam rapid  Ausable, NY(3.19MB .mov)

looking up

Detail Trip Report Edit  looking up  Ausable, NY(445.73KB .jpeg)

exiting the gorge

Detail Trip Report Edit  exiting the gorge  Ausable, NY(415.21KB .jpeg)

rapid #4, Devils oven (?)

Detail Trip Report Edit  rapid #4, Devils oven (?)  Ausable, NY(398.65KB .jpeg)

rapid #4 (upstream look)

Detail Trip Report Edit  rapid #4 (upstream look)  Ausable, NY(418.09KB .jpeg)


Gauge Information

Gauge Description:

A 2005 flow study, yet to be analyzed, will reveal the preferred range of flows on the Ausable Chasm. Flows were paddled as low as 280 cfs, which was very low but runnable. Flows in the 600 cfs range were great.

Gauge Information

Name Range Difficulty Updated Level
AUSABLE RIVER NEAR AU SABLE FORKS NY
usgs-04275500 240 - 1200 cfs IV+ 00h49m 447 cfs (rc= 0.2 )

RangeWater LevelDifficultyComment
0 - 240 cfs extremely Low-barely Low IV+
240 -1200 cfs barely runnable-high runnable IV+

Report - Reports of Ausable Keeseville to US Route 9 and related gauges

Reports give the public a chance to report on river conditions throughout the country as well as log the history of a river.

Reports

When River/Gauge Subject Level Reporter
AusableKeeseville to US Route 9 [ ] Bridge at Ausable Chasm n/a Kevin Colburn
4y75d17h03m Ausable [NY] Steel in Eddy below last Rapid Low Cheryl Robinson
4y145d17h03m Ausable [NY] rapid #4 (upstream look) 300 cfs Adrian VandenBout
4y145d17h03m Ausable [NY] I - beam rapid 300 cfs Adrian VandenBout
4y154d17h03m Ausable [NY] Flow study participants enjoy the incredible scenery in the Ausable Chasm 615 Kevin Colburn
4y160d17h03m Ausable [ny] Left Side of Elephant Rock, Ausable 500-600 Kevin Colburn
4y164d17h03m Ausable [NY] The pinch of the Chasm 650 Kevin Colburn
8y51d17h03m Ausable [NY] Rainbow Falls on Ausable River n/a John Gangemi

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User Comments
2009-09-19 12:15:58 (67 days ago)
please inform us upstate kayakers whats going on with access Edit
2009-06-30 05:40:42 (149 days ago)
updates??? Edit
2008-07-27 01:03:05 (487 days ago)
It would really be nice to have an update on the information regarding access to the river. This is
a jewel! How can we donate our time and effort to make this runnable? Edit
2008-05-22 09:05:57 (552 days ago)
Any update on access? Edit
2005-07-05 13:22:33 (1604 days ago)
Kory HaagDetails
Jennifer Laslovich has now taken over for Yvonne as the coordinator of the flow study. So email or
call her
716-679-7909
[jlaslovich@neanewyork.com]
Add a Comment

Rapid Summary

Mile Rapid Name Class Features (Legend)
0.0Put In PoolPutin Photo
0.1Horshoe FallsIII+Photo
0.32nd RapidIII+Photo
0.5Diagonal SlideIVPhoto
0.6Left Side Elephant RockPhoto
0.6Elephant RockIV+Photo
0.7Long OneIVPhoto
0.8Mike's HoleIV+Photo
0.8Mike's Hole ItselfIVPhoto
0.8Mike's Hole ItselfIVPhoto
0.9The Pinch of the ChasmIPhoto
1.0Exit CanalII+

Rapid Descriptions

Put In Pool

Put In on the Ausable

Put In on the Ausable
Photo of Kevin Colburn by Trip Kinney taken June 2005 @ 650

The put in for the Ausable Chasm is owned by the power company and has historically been closed to paddlers. We hope that in 2006, based on years of work by AW, access will be opened.

Horshoe Falls (Class III+, Mile 0.1)

Horseshoe Falls

Horseshoe Falls
Photo of Kevin Colburn by Trip Kinney taken June 2005 @ 650

A really beautiful drop with a variety of clean lines. Paddlers boofed left for a cleanish vertical drop, and others took the stair stepped right line.

2nd Rapid (Class III+, Mile 0.3)

Second Ausable Rapid

Second Ausable Rapid
Photo of Bobby Miller by Trip Kinney taken June 2005 @ 650

This rapid is a fun little slide with a wave-hole to crash through. This is a good warm up rapid for the slides that follow.

Diagonal Slide (Class IV, Mile 0.5)

Slide on the Chasm

Slide on the Chasm
Photo by Willie Kern taken June 2005 @ 650

This is a fun slide with a diagonal hole at the bottom. Immediately after this slide is Elephant Rock.

Left Side Elephant Rock

Left Side of Elephant Rock, Ausable

Left Side of Elephant Rock, Ausable
Photo by Willie Kern taken 6/19/05 @ 500-600

The left line through Elephant Rock is a good sneak route that avoids the more difficult right line. You can see the big rock in the middle of the river that splits the flow. The left line is right next to, and wrapping around this rock.

Elephant Rock (Class IV+, Mile 0.6)

Elephant Rock Rapid

Elephant Rock Rapid
Photo of Tim Kelley by Trip Kinney taken June 2005 @ 650

This is the Hero Line through Elephant Rock Rapid and is the toughest challenge on the run. There is a straight forward class III/IV sneak down the left side at moderate flows that likely exists at high flows as well. Most paddlers opted for the sneak line during the study.

Long One (Class IV, Mile 0.7)

Long Fun Class IV on the Ausable

Long Fun Class IV on the Ausable
Photo by Willie Kern taken June 2005 @ 650

This long class IV rapid has the excitement of a fairly blind start and big holes and waves all the way down. At the bottom a rock spire splits the current and most paddlers eddy out on the right and then ferry back across the current to exit on the left.

Mike's Hole (Class IV+, Mile 0.8)

Lead in to Mikes Hole

Lead in to Mikes Hole
Photo by Willie Kern taken June 2005 @ 650

Mikes hole is a solid Class IV rapid with multiple hazards. First and foremost is the debris left in the river by the Chasm Company. There is a large I-beam in the lead-in on river left, as well as some other metal debris. There is also metal gates and debris just under the surface below the hole and debris in the right side of the hole. Obviously something must be done about this. The debris also moves around so scout and be careful!The line, however, is to stay right through the lead-in and then skitter left into the eddy next to Mike's Hole. The wall on the right, next to the hole, is undercut.

Mike's Hole Itself (Class IV, Mile 0.8)

Mikes Hole on the Ausable

Mikes Hole on the Ausable
Photo of Kevin Colburn by Trip Kinney taken 6/19/05 @ 500-600

Mike's Hole itself is relatively easy to avoid by boofing left at medium flows.

Mike's Hole Itself (Class IV, Mile 0.8)

Mikes Hole on the Ausable

Mikes Hole on the Ausable
Photo of Kevin Colburn by Trip Kinney taken 6/19/05 @ 500-600

Mike's Hole itself is relatively easy to avoid by boofing left at medium flows.

The Pinch of the Chasm (Class I, Mile 0.9)

The pinch of the Chasm

The pinch of the Chasm
Photo by Willie Kern taken June 2005 @ 650

This part of the gorge is serene and very beautiful. With the rapids behind you, it is a great place to sit back and admire the scenery.

Exit Canal (Class II+, Mile 1.0)
The last little rapid has been altered to promote safe passage of innertubes. It is a straight shot.


Associated Projects

  • Ausable River Access
    AW has fought a dam owners attempt to block access to the stunning Ausable Chasm.
  • Ausable River Access
    AW has fought a dam owners attempt to block access to the stunning Ausable Chasm.

 River Alert  
 State News  
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 NWRI - Ausable Keeseville to US Route 9 (mobile)