Ausable, W. Branch
4. High Falls Gorge to the Flume(Whiteface section)
| Difficulty | V |
| Length | 2 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 100 fpm |
| Gauge | Ausable River Near Au Sable Forks Ny |
| Flow Rate as of 28 minutes | 1090 cfsrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | February 15, 2018 |
River Description
This run has changed significantly following Hurricane Irene. Please comment with any updated information.
Start at the Whiteface Mountain chairlift upstream of the bridge to the ski resort, or hike a little ways upstream for a bonus waterfall. There are 2 class 4 drops under the bridge at Whiteface followed by a few miles of Class 2.
Takeout before the Flume or continue into the next section
Plattsburgh Area Reaches
Ausable (Ausable Chasm) Ausable, E. Branch
Ausable, W. Branch (4. High Falls Gorge) Ausable, W. Branch (5. The Flume)
Ausable, W. Branch (Section 6) Black Brook
Boquet, S. BranchBoquet, N. Branch
Chateaugay Great Chazy (Chazy Lake to Miner Lake)
Great Chazy (Miner Lake to Mooers) Great Chazy, North Branch
...River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportJay Slater and I ran this section summer 2009. There were 2 class IV drops under the bridge at Whiteface and close to 2 miles of class II whitewater before we took out above the Flume (and the drop immediately above the Flume). I think we missed out on some of the action upstream of the Whiteface putin (we put in right at the chairlift upstream of the bridge at the ski resort), but I wouldn't rate it Class V. P.S. The Demon falls drop at the end of the flume is good fun!
This is the log under which Tardif was trapped. This is the kayak as it was found 5 days later. When he drowned, the kayak was parallel to the log.
The rapid Tardif had run before being trapped. He was trapped under the logs that can be seen at the middle-left of the photo.
The Island where Tardif drowned, seen from downstream. The accident happened just upstream and right of this island.