Pocantico

For Class 2 paddlers: Don't let the rating stop you from enjoying this river. If you start out at the usual put-in, Sleepy Hollow and Old Sleepy Hollow Ext. you will be paddling a mix of flat but fast moving current, CL1 and CL2 rapids with only two small easy to avoid CL3+ rapids which are easily portaged. The CL4+ is above the put-in, you'll have to hike up along side the creek if you want it. Don't park at the small 'pull-overs' above the usual put-in, it's not legal to do so, and there are 'no trespassing signs' upstream of the put-in and I was detained by Westchester Police for being there. The usual put-in is a public and legal place to park. It's unlikely that you'll have a problem parking where you are supposed to be and walking along side the creek upstream to see the big CL4+ slide. From the usual put-in, if you wish to portage the CL3+ spots (there are two of them), when you see a small, cute, rustic paddestrian bridge made of wood and stone, pass under, the creek takes a sharp right, then left in flat water, eddy out creek-right walk up to the paved walking path, walk downstream to the ledges. The secound CL3+ spot is further downstream in the cemetary. When you pass under, or just before you pass under a pedestrain bridge, eddie out. Easy portage on a paved road. Another place you might need to portage, regardless of ability is when you go under a large tunnel due to four river wides trees. At higher water we paddled over them with no problem. Water is flat here. (Note: The water is no longer flat here due to the flood in April 2007 and two of the strainers are now gone. Because the water is swift here now, it is critical to make the eddie just after the tunnel. It's not a hard move for a solid CL2 paddler but you must make this move. A few feet pass the tunnel there are old growth trees that completely block passage. I think you get one more chance if you blow it. The tunnel has small waves at normal levels, at high levels they get kind of big. You do not want to swim here. If in doubt, scout prior to the run. The whole thing can portaged by taking out before the tunnel and putting in after the tunnel. I run the tunnel and portage the strainer only on river left) After which, you need to go left of the island. If there are new strainers, they may present a problem because there's not a lot of room and the stream moves kind of fast here. The secound CL3 spot desribed above is downstream of this. There are quite a few strainers on this creek. Most of which are quick easy portages, easy to see and get out in time. (Note, most strainers now gone be be alert, it dosnt take much to block the entire creek).