LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk | Water The High Peaks region In the Northeast portion of the Park you can find the High Peaks Region. Here you will find the tallest mountains, the steepest creeks, and unfortunately the least reliable flows. It is in these peaks where New York State's most famous river, the Hudson, has its headwaters. In the70's it was the Hudson that was the epicenter of all things paddling-related in the Adirondacks. The scene on the Hudson is alive and well to this day, and a chance to paddle this classic at medium to high flows should not be passed up. On the right year, with the right combination of bountiful snow and warm temperatures, there can be a window of consistent water that will have High Peaks area paddlers ditching work for days to play on their local favorites. It was here in Keene Valley in late summer 2011 that hurricane Irene devastated the area. Roads were closed for weeks, businesses were lost, and homes were completely destroyed. Even the Keene Rescue Squad building had to be relocated. As a consequence of the flash flooding that resulted from over six inches of rain falling in less than eight hours, many of the rivers that flow into the valley were changed forever. The tight knit community bounced back quickly and continues to welcome paddlers to explore. The South Branch of the Boquet River is the perfect A fine day of paddlling High Peaks warm-up. It can be navigated safely at a variety of flows, it's roadside and has significant rapids at the putin and take-out that can be paddled or easily portaged depending on the flow or your mood. Shoe Box falls at the put-in is absolutely magical at medium to high flow. The feeling of flying off the right hand wall and landing softly in the pool below is the equivalent of a paddler's "powder day." As the river continues downstream, there are several nice boulder style rapids until Split Rock Falls. This two-tiered 30 footer is absolutely terrifying at high flows, but as the water gets lower, paddlers 22 LOCALadk Magazine Spring 2013 will attempt to land off of the first ledge, hoping to resurface with just enough time to get a single paddle stroke in the water before launching off the second. John's Brook is the Holy Grail of Adirondack Paddling. When river gauges in the area are headed sky-high, paddlers will flock from all over the Northeast Region to experience what this majestic creek has to offer. An adventure into John's Brook can be as short or long as paddlers wish. The Garden Trail and the South Side Trail that run alongside the creek the entire way

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