The big story everywhere in the Adirondacks this spring has been the high water levels and the numerous problems they have caused. Obviously not as serious as issues concerning property damage, the surging water levels have affected recreation as well.
Spring trout stocking, while taking place, is still lagging a little behind in some areas. A raging Hudson River caused whitewater rafting companies to cancel outings and even affected last weekend's 54th Hudson River Whitewater Derby in northern Warren County.
The Hudson River is at flood level when it measures 10 feet at a gauge in North Creek. A week prior to the derby it exceeded that by 3 feet. Meanwhile, concerns were mounting over the condition of the dam on the Indian River at Lake Abanakee, 3 miles upstream from the confluence of the Indian and Hudson rivers near a launching pad for whitewater rafting outfitters.
What has been somewhat catastrophic for many people turned the Hudson River into a playground for serious whitewater enthusiasts. But it was only the more skilled paddlers who entered the derby. Watching Saturday's slalom races, it was quite obvious that the number of entries was down.
Derby officials opted not to have slalom gates on the east side of the river, which are usually part of the giant slalom race. Still, conditions were fast and challenging enough, especially towards the end of the course that included gates that had to be navigated in reverse or upstream, with Class III rapids just yards away on the opposite side of the river. Several paddlers I spoke with said conditions were fast but they looked forward to possibly completing Sunday's 7-mile downriver race in record time.
At one point in the race a canoe floated by with no occupant. Shortly behind it was a competitor sprinting down Route 28 trying to get ahead of the boat. We later heard that he was able to recover the canoe either by himself or perhaps with the help of a rescue boat.
Overall, the derby may not have been as busy on the water as spectators would've liked, but what they did see was unique.
What about rafting?
Wayne Failing of the Lake Placid-based Middle Earth Expeditions took the recent high water conditions seriously.
"This is epic," he said. "The highest the Hudson River has ever been is 12.05 feet and this year the highest I think was 13.86. The Hudson has never been this high.
"The section that we run — the Hudson River Gorge — we run from the Indian Lake Road and go 3 miles down the Indian, we hit the Hudson, go 14 miles and we normally take out in North River. It's pretty incremental. In the summer when it's family levels and the river is warm it runs about 5 miles an hour, so the trip takes four hours. When it's Class IV, like it is now, it takes two to three hours depending on stops. When it's Class V, it takes about an hour because the river is going 20 miles per hour."
But Failing pointed out that even his business suffered as a result of the high water.
"When you are talking epic record levels you can go around the corner and not know what you are going to find," he said. "Is there going to be a hydraulic big enough to sink a school bus or is it going to just be a big wave? The responsible thing to do is cancel the trip. You can't guide people in conditions you've never seen. Besides, roads were closed and people couldn't get in and out of here. And, where we do our shuttle, where we take out, it was under water. So, we had to pull the plug."
Unfortunately, it's a part of the rafting business that has trickle down effects, economically.
"You can't extend the rafting season," said Failing. "It's from April 1 to Columbus Day and anything you lose in the middle is just lost business. The (local) diner lost 30 people having breakfast here, and there's 30 people who didn't stay in a hotel, and 30 people that weren't rafting with me."
Dan Ladd is the author of "Deer Hunting in the Adirondacks," outdoors editor for the Glens Falls Chronicle, columnist for Outdoors Magazine and contributor to New York Outdoor News. Contact him at www.adkhunter.com.
