Oswegatchie River, East Branch
Dave and Helen Damouth
www.damouth.org
28 June - 4 July 1987
This trip is well described in the ADK publication "Adirondack Canoe Waters, North Flow", pp 18 - 28. I also heard that it was recently written up in Canoe Magazine. If anyone has that issue, I would like a copy of the article.
Maps required: Five Ponds, Wolf Mountain (only if you go all the way to the headwaters), Newton Falls (only for the approach road). This would make a good trip for a group of Boy or Girl Scouts.
This section of the Oswegatchie is perhaps the least populated and most undeveloped of the multi-day canoe trip possibilities in the Adirondacks. The entire area is classified as wilderness, so no buildings, no powered boats or vehicles, no roads. There are numerous hiking trails. A trail guide is available from DEC, but we didn't have it
The entry is via Inlet Road, off route 30 just west of Wanakena (southwest corner of Cranberry Lake. The river is canoeable for approximately 20 miles above this point, and the only practical canoe trip is two-way, up the river from this point, and then back down the same route. {Note added 6/29/2003: in recent years, a long portage from the Oswegatchie headwaters to the interesting canoe country to the east has been added – this should be a very attractive trip if a car shuttle is available}.
We left Rochester at 9:30 AM June 28, arrived at the river about 1:30, and were on the water at 2:15. The river is initially about 75 feet wide, quite deep, and appears smooth and jet black. The water color actually is dark tea when you dip out a bucket full, probably as a result of being filtered through several dozen beaver dams. Except for narrow passages around several dead trees which fell into the river last winter, the first five miles were easy.
The current was obvious, considerably slowing the upstream trip. Our 18' Sawyer Cruiser likes to go in a straight line, and it took some muscle to get it around the sharp corners against the current. We had a late lunch at High Rock. "High" only means about 25 feet high, but this granite outcropping is high enough to have a nice view of the surrounding swamp. We stopped at Griffin Rapids about 5:30 pm, roughly five miles upstream. The water was higher than normal for this time of year, and there was no sign of any rapids. We camped about 100 yards south of the Griffin Rapids lean-to, in a grove of large white pine and hemlock. An outhouse was available behind the lean-to. A faint trail led inland 100 yards to a clear cold spring.
Next morning we slept late, recovering from late nights earlier in the week. We were on the water about 10:30. We passed another lean-to at Buck Brook. At about 12:30, we reached the foot bridge on the Five Ponds Trail, around 11 miles from Inlet, and made camp just upstream from the bridge on the south side. After lunch, we hiked the Five Ponds trail as far as the second shelter at Little Shallow. Five Ponds is a geologically interesting area, consisting of a 150 foot high glacial esker with several small ponds along each side. The top of the ridge was lined with huge virgin white pine. We are told that some of the most beautiful terrain and trees are around Wolf and Sand Ponds, but we ran out of time and didn't get that far. The esker extends, with interruptions, for about six miles. The shelter at Big Shallow is on the shore of the pond, among large pines, and would be an attractive place to spend a night. The Little Shallow shelter is less interesting, set well back from a swampy shore. We got back to camp about 6 pm. At dark it started raining. Later, a thunderstorm came through, and it rained off and on all night.
We slept in until the rain stopped, at about 9 AM, and were on the water about 10:30. Two miles further upstream we reached High Falls. This is the major tourist attraction of the area, attracts many backpackers and canoers, and is as far upstream as most canoeists go. There are two shelters available as well as numerous good tent sites. The falls are about 15 feet high, with sufficient water volume to be impressive. The river channel is carved out of grey granite. A good portage trail is on the north shore. The book says that the shelters are usually full. The river below High Falls has several beaver dams and one bank-to-bank windfall tree, all of which are low enough to drag a loaded canoe over. (Don't take your heirloom cedar strip showpiece canoe). There are a couple of short small rapids which we were able to paddle and pole up and later run down, with only minor scrapes.
After an hour of so of sightseeing, we headed upstream, ate lunch at around 2 pm, and continued. All along the river were signs of regular maintenance. Windfalls have been sawn off to maintain wide enough passage for canoes. One windfall was at least three feet in diameter and was lying about 18 inches above the water. Instead of trying to saw through it, someone cut a notch a foot or so deep and 18 inches wide in the bottom of the log, just big enough to pass your head and shoulders as you flatten yourself against the canoe thwarts. This section has one short class I or II rapid which we portaged around (perhaps 100 yards). It could probably be run in a more maneuverable boat than ours. We also dragged over another half dozen or so beaver dams. The river alternately winds through swamps and then through deep dense forest. In the swamps, the river path is unbelievably convoluted, wrapping back on itself like ribbon candy. There were numerous dead end channels where previous loops have been cut off and partially filled in. It would be easy to get lost except that the strong current always indicated which channel was the "real" one.
This is the middle of a huge tract which was acquired by the state in 1896 while still virgin timber, and is some of the prettiest forest you will ever see. There are huge maples and yellow birch as well as white pine and hemlock. At one point in this stretch, we saw a china tea cup hanging on a nail on a tree. Under it, we found a small, clear, cold spring, dug out and neatly lined with rocks, and filled our water bag. The book says that DEC tries to maintain signs identifying the springs. We saw no signs during the trip. We set up camp in a pleasant clearing among large trees on the north bank about 18.5 miles above Inlet. A huge horizontal pine trunk, bleached white and forming a bridge a few feet above the water, followed by a large granite boulder on the left, are landmarks just downstream from this campsite. The landing at water's edge is visible if you know what to look for, but the camp site itself is above a steep 10-foot bank and cannot be seen from the water. This is apparently the site of one of the semi-permanent hunting and fishing camps established along this river in the 1800s, some of which persisted until the area was finally classified wilderness in 1969. Two rough wooden tables, miscellaneous junk, tent poles, scraps of rope, etc, suggested annual use by local fishermen. It was reasonably clean, although messy. Lots of nearby firewood indicated that use was infrequent.
Next morning we were up at dawn (5:10 am), and on the water by 6:10 for a day trip to see how far upstream we could get with an empty canoe. We dragged over more beaver dams than we could count, while watching the river gradually shrink to little more than the width of the canoe. We often had to pry the canoe around corners, with both ends touching one bank and the center hard against the other bank. The map shows a large swamp with feeder streams coming in from all directions in a fan shape. The beaver dams broke the flow into many tiny parallel streams, until there was no indication of which was the "main" channel, and no one channel big enough to float the canoe. We gave up about 2/3 of the way across this swamp, just a few miles above our camp. In the spring high water, much of this would be flooded and it would be possible, and interesting, to go further. In normal summer low water, we would have been stopped several miles earlier. We were back at camp by 10:30 AM. We broke camp at 3:45 and paddled back down to High Falls. Going down stream, the beaver dams were fun. Most of them had enough water flowing over the top so that with a running start we could shoot over the low spots without stopping. A couple were so leaky that we had to drag over. In one, we hit the low spot going fast and slightly off center, and a projecting log end in the dam rocked us up on our side as we crossed. One rail dipped under and we shipped a substantial amount of water. We immediately regretted not bringing a bailer. It takes a long time to bail four inches of water using a sponge and a canteen. As we approached High Falls, we heard what sounded like a war between two teen-age street gangs. It turned out to be just four 18 year-olds having fun, but we headed back upstream, and found a nice quiet site about a mile above the falls, arriving about 7 pm.
Next morning, we left our camp set up, and paddled back down to High Falls for a day hike around a 12 mile loop. The well-marked DEC trail goes east several miles along Pine Ridge among virgin pine and hemlock groves then turns north and runs past several attractive ponds for another few miles. Here, we crossed another marked trail and turned west, passing just south of Cat Mountain. A 0.6 mile spur trail runs up Cat Mountain, (2256 feet above sea level), where we stopped for lunch and relaxed and enjoyed the view for abut 90 minutes. Most of the top of this mountain is ringed with large granite outcroppings, giving a nice view in all directions except northeast. Near the summit, Helen saw unexpected color in a small clearing off the trail. We investigated and found the clearing covered with sweet william, growing wild. Looking further, we found several colors of columbine, and a couple of rose bushes in bloom. Then the mystery was solved when we found the foundations of the ranger's cabin which had been associated with the fire tower which used to exist on the summit.
The trail continues west, joining another trail on which we turned south back toward High Falls. We now passed through The Plains, a broad area remarkable for having no trees or bushes, just grass. It has been that way since the area was first explored, and no one has a convincing explanation why. At Boiling Springs, we found no springs at all, just beaver dams. Just before High Falls, we saw an early piece of logging machinery, abandoned in the woods. It had an antique gas engine which drove iron caterpillar treads and cable drums for a hoist. The hoist boom and cable were missing. The huge gear trains and chain drives (chain links 2" wide and 6" long) were all exposed. OSHA would have nightmares.
We arrived back at High Falls, tired, at 4 pm, talked to a DEC Ranger for a few minutes, and headed back upstream to camp. It rained lightly off and on all afternoon and evening. Next morning we packed up and headed downstream. In the three days we spent above High Falls, we saw no other people. At HIgh Falls, as we pulled into the portage, the Ranger was waiting for us. He had a hiker in the shelter who had fallen and injured his ankle the night before, and couldn't walk. This place is 13 miles from the road by river, probably somewhat less by the narrow foot trail. The Ranger was attempting to raise his headquarters, to get a crew with a litter to walk in. We offered to transport his patient out, estimating that our gear, one medium sized man, and part of his gear, would just fit our narrow low-freeboard Cruiser, and would be within the rated load capacity. As it turned out, the DEC truck was able to get up the trail as far as High Rock, so we met them there, saving three miles or so. The very loaded, low freeboard, trip downstream was mostly uneventful, although harder paddling than we planned. It drizzled and misted off and on all morning.
The invalid had one stressful event: We were able to drag over the low beaver dams and run the two minor rapids, even with the extra load. This caused white knuckles but no problems. However, one windfall blocked the river completely, and was a thicket of branches. Our invalid had to climb up a mud bank into a dense alder thicket, force his way through it for 10 yards on one foot and a cane, come back down another slippery mud bank, and get back into the canoe. He made it, but looked a little white afterwards.
We arrived back at Inlet in early afternoon, explored the village of Wanekena and the State Ranger School by car, and drove leisurely home, taking back roads down the western edge of the park to the Thruway.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable, although somewhat damp, trip. The area is rich in early Adirondack history, much of the trip is in magnificent virgin forest, and above High Falls we found the solitude which is one of our major reasons for these trips. Late spring and early summer flowers were numerous: some showy orchids in the swamp, the last of the iris and spirea, and particularly the large showy white spires of Joe Pye weed. The wildlife was surprisingly sparse: a few ducks on the river, one deer, one chipmunk, one loud splash (perhaps a beaver), lots of forest birds. The beavers had gone elsewhere. Only one of the many dams showed any signs of recent maintenance. Just above High Falls, we several times saw a group of four baby ducks who seemed to be without parents.
Equipment Notes: We had two new pieces of equipment on this trip.
a: A lightweight water bag from REI. This is a nylon shell containing a thin polyethylene replacable liner. The water spout looks a lot like the spigot on the square cardboard 4-liter disposable wine containers. It holds a couple of gallons and is much lighter and folds much more compactly than the folding polyethylene 2.5 gallon or 5 gallon containers found in local stores. It is fairly convenient and inexpensive. It was nice to have along, because we twice found a spring from which we could carry a day or two's supply of drinkable water, less effort than boiling or filtering.
b: A water filter. We bought the Katadyn Pocket Filter. This is a ceramic filter element with a built in pump. It is about the size of a pint water bottle, and weighs 28 oz., less than a quart of water. If it saves carrying an extra quart of water, we come out ahead. The device is very ruggedly built and should last forever. It filters down to 0.2 micron, and carries performance certification from a long list of national and international health organizations.