From: polar@top.cis.syr.edu (Polar Humenn)
Subject: Re: Info wanted on Black River
Organization: Syracuse University, CIS Dept.
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 13:09:35 EDT

In article <5278@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> djcst19+@pitt.edu (David J Casassa) writes:
>
>Hi.  I suddenly find myself with an opportunity to paddle the Black River,
>near Watertown, New York.  I'd be grateful if someone with firsthand knowledge
>could fill me in, or for a pointer to a source such as a guide book.  My main
>concern is with difficulty of the river; other considerations might be ease of
>access, scenery, pollution, volume, how important rainfall or dam releases
>might be.  Thanks!
>
>Dave Casassa


The Black River is a nasty smelly river that Nigagra Mohawk as dammed up
to the hilt, and most of the mills along the way dump into it. 
Okay still interested?  It is actually a fun run, but usually shallow.
That means no flips in the interesting stuff.  You start off at below
the damn in Watertown.  The first interesting thing you get to is this
incrediable play hole, called Hole Brothers.  They hold rodeos there
every once in a while.  After you tire out on that for a while, it's
on to the Mary's Hole, and the Knife Edge.  Scout this very carefully,
and remember it is shallow.  The rapid starts off with some class III
into Mary's Hole, which is the top of this vertically running ledge which
drops off to the left.  The end of it is the knife, which ends in a pointy
horizontal ledge without much water going over it.  The idea is to do the
"True Path".  This involves handling the class III stuff and hitting
Mary's Hole and dealing with it.  You can sort of skirt it to the right,
however, it is powerful and will knock you sideways.  Then you ride
the ledge hole all the way, until you get near the end in which case you
must pop out to the left ride over the rooster tail and hit the 
squirly water at the end of the ledge, turn around and what your friends
get destroyed.  Remember, don't flip in this rapid, it is shallow, and
it is not smooth rock.  If it isn't shallow, think very carefully about
running it.  I've never been there and not run it, but I have had friends
come back and say, "No way, not today", apparently a little bigger than
I have seen it.

So after you deal with that, there is some nice surfing there is the
water fall.  This used to be unrunable.  However, NiMo has install yet
another f*cking damn, and now you can wait at the edge of the falls,
and wait for the water to come up to the level you like it and go over.

Somewhere after that is the Hadrians wall.  Which is an "old" damn with
a pourover on the right.  Depending on the day, and if you like rubbing
the left side of your face on the wall you can run it.  Otherwise, carry
over the wall.  

After that is a monster hole called the "Crusher", you'll know it.  When I used
to paddle with "The General" (Kris Cole), I saw him loose his baby, this
graphite reinforced glass boat, which just tore apart at the seams because
he couldn't get out of the hole.  It's easily skirtable, and some good wave's
around it.  After that there is a good surfing wave, called "Angel's Kiss"
or something like that (Yeah, I know there's one on the Ottawa). My memory
is foggy.

After that it is a long flat pladdle to the old Brownsville Damn, which is gone
now.  When that dam went, the Black river gorge was no longer a lake
and became runnable:)  Carry up along the side of the dam, Class III-IV take 
out.  Or keep paddling all the way to a boat loading dock at a nearby park.
The rafters usually meet up with a motor boat and get towed out of the 
gorge to the park.

Well, I hope that does it for you.  If there are any embelishments, please
post. I haven't run that river in years, maybe I should again ;)

Later,
-Polar
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