LOCALadk Magazine

26 Spring 2015 LOCALadk Magazine Now two years after Young's trip, the team woke well rested after a comfortable night in the lean-to and made quick progress downstream. While the production team hiked, Fisher and Keller began paddling into the gorge. Before long, they came to a steep slide, and a horizon line with only trees beyond it, signifying a very tall drop. It would be the first of many Fisher and Keller would face, but they never lost their nerve or felt overwhelmed even when the drop they faced was unrunnable. They simply found a way around it, whether that meant crawling through a natural tunnel or rappelling beside a waterfall. Rapid after rapid appeared before them, and Fisher and Keller relied heavily on their years of experience in expedition kayaking as they navigated their way through the treacherous gorge. One particularly risky rapid dropped 40 feet over two tiers, with only a small pool to land in before an unrunnable 60 foot waterfall landing on rocks. Keller, the only person to paddle the drop simply named it "Don't," suggesting to future paddlers it isn't worth the risk. A final series just above the final drop proved particularly challenging, as it required the paddlers to pinball between boulders, off a ledge, and catch a small eddy above a deadly constriction. As they stood above Hanging Spear Falls contemplating for the final time what it might be like to paddle over the edge, Fisher stepped back and let Keller take the honor of the first descent. While his line ended well, Keller was forced to make a scrambling correction at the last second, something Fisher noticed and applied to his own descent. When Keller was clear from the bottom, Fisher took his turn, erring to the right of Keller's launch point, and plummeting 70 feet to the pool below. Fisher made it a point to document the entire descent with a 15 minute long documentary that came out in mid October. In it, he makes sure to recognize those who came before him. He references Squires' trip, using a map to show their route and how it differs from his own. He also spent an entire evening looking over maps and sharing his thoughts with Young prior to the trip. Hearing Young's advice he was ensured that he wasn't going on a wild goose chase. While paddling the treacherous Hanging Spear Gorge should be left to the professionals, the sections above the Flowed Lands and below Hanging Spear are appropriate for expert whitewater kayakers interested in an exploratory style experience. For many, however, the best way to experience Hanging Spear Falls is from the shore, and that's a trip I highly recommend. The trails are well worn from many travelers, but on all but the busiest of weekends, you'll have the place to yourself. Hikers looking for the easiest approach will start at the Upper Works Trailhead near Tahawus and follow the Calamity Brook trail to the Flowed Lands lean-to, crossing at the dam at the south end of the pond and heading downstream. Other options include the eight-mile one-way hike from the Adirondack Loj, or the all but forgotten Hanging Spear Falls Trail that begins just north of the Old MacIntyre Furnace near Tahawus. LOCALadk

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