Kaaterskill Creek

A bolder rapid or two above the power line hazard.

Hazard on creek about 1/2 a mile down.

Fawns Leap is rated a 5.3 This has been run quite a number of times over the years which means my crew is likely to give it a go. My buddy who had fired it up 5 years ago dropped in on it in Aug/2009. We knew the drop had changed since the historic highwater event and we were warned. the level was not high that day. The unexpected action on the boater about half way down Fawns was to just get uncontrollably thrown over on the right and he snapped the right blade right off his paddle in the action. He didn't hit any rock hard with his body while falling upsidedown. He Rolled up offside, ran back to the truck for a new paddled and we fired up all the rest of the drops at what I thought was a very managable flow. (btw we all walked fawns after that) Just look out for this one and post successful Fawns Leaping. Remember he stuck the line and got wrecked maybe a medium high healthy flow is what we need there?

As of June 29, 2006, flood damage has closed Route 23a from Palenville to Haines Falls. You can still put in at the bridge above town (below the gorge and triple-drop) and run the mile or so through town, but access upstream, even on foot, will likely not happen for several months. As of now (July 1) it is closed to car, foot, and bike traffic above the bridge.

The flooding also changed the first rapid below the bridge. The gravel bar that separated the left (evil) and right (not so evil) channels has eroded, sending more water left. So, higher levels will be needed to make the right side go. The left side has some new wood as well.

Apparently the flood damage upstream is very significant, washing out big chunks of road. The first boaters who venture back should be wary.

A riverside homeowner in town said he'd never seen the river this high. He told me that his house interior was pretty torn up from the flood. Looking at the high water line, I'm sure other homes were damaged too.

Jeff contemplates the line at Red Rock.
At this level, there is a nasty recirculating eddy at the
base of the drop, but at least the undercut is covered.
This would still be a great level for the Gorge section,
but you will need to get out above Atom Bomb Falls,
which is the last (relatively easy) point of egress before
Triple Drop, which is unrunnable at this level.

This is the drop immediately upstream of Red Rock
Falls. At this level, it is less steep and feeds straight
into Red Rock with no chance to eddy out. At lower
flows, it is a pronounced boof followed by a short pool
so you can get out and scout/portage Red Rock.
This is the last drop in triple drop at a high flow. If
you're running the gorge at this level, be sure to exit
the Gorge above Atom Bomb Falls, or you will have a
very challenging portage around this terminal hole.

Finding the right level for this waterfall is tricky. Too
low and there's a scary undercut on river left midway
through the drop. Too high and the eddies at the base
of the falls are extremely turbulent.
No one wanted anything to do with this one today. If
you
slide off the left side of the flake at the entrance of
the drop, there is about a 99% chance that you would
be fatally stuffed into an undercut halfway down the
drop.

This view gives you a much better look at the two
bottom drops. This is a pretty straightforward rapid at
this level. At low flows, the trouble maker is the first
drop. Get some speed and hit it with
conviction on the right side and you should be fine.
Ted runs a nice line through Triple Drop.