SCHOHARIE CREEK paddling

Water levels above 2 feet at Burtonsville gauge recommended for skilled whitewater paddlers - flatwater paddlers may want to try Middleburgh downstream when Burtonsville gauge reads 1.5-2 feet.

Watch this video if you are new to moving water.

May 3, 2020 - From Schoharie County Fire Wire: This is not a press release of the 2 rescues which did took place on Sunday May 3rd. But a PSA to help try and prevent someone from getting killed out on the Schoharie Creek south of the Middleburgh bridge/park. This post is to help point out a current problem. For those that dont know Schoharie Creek runs north. We have posted 3 pictures to point out the current location of this water hazard. Due to current water levels being high at this time. The current hazard is located at 42.5783211, -74.3544897 on the creek. In the photos the blue line represents the main channel, red line the hazard area and the green lines where the creek is flowing due to the high water levels. As illustrated in photo #1 marks the GPS location of a hazard.

In illustration #2 The hazard (Red) may present itself as the right path to take or due to the water current pushes boaters into it on the bend where the main channel (Blue) goes left. In this hazardous area, is a large tree down and across this section of the creek with a good stream of water leading to it. Which will suck your boat under! In illustration #3 We highlighted in (Green) all fingers of the creeks path its currently is taken due to the creek running high. The members of the Middleburgh Fire Department, Schoharie County Emergency Services Search & Rescue Team, MEVAC & Scho-Wright did a topnotch job with both rescues on May 3rd. The second rescue did have the response from neighboring Montgomery County Shift-Water Rescue Team and a member of the NYS DHSES. Please feel free to share and also know that there may be many other areas with hazards along the creek. This has just been one that needs to be addressed for boaters n rescues safety.

April 17, 2016 - Schoharie Creek kayaking, Middleburgh to Esperance Fishing Access downstream of Central Bridge. Class 1 rapids, riffles & some long stretches of flatwater past flatland farms & wooded hills. Lots of mergansers, a snake in the water, an eagles' nest. Air up to 70 degrees, water temp in the 40s. Most years the water is a murky red/brown but today a clear green. Burtonsville gauge at 1.5' - some shallow rocky rapids. 15 miles, 5.6 hours.

 

Jul 5, 2015 - SCHOHARIE CREEK from Rt.30 in Middleburgh to Esperance Fishing Access Site on Rt.30A in Sloansville. Burtonsville gauge at 1.76'; Breakabeen gauge at 2.96' - a very nice level (& rare in summer). Class I rapids, riffles, quickwater & some long stretches of slowwater. Woods & fields, a few houses; lush vegetation. 3 or 4 spots with playable waves. Whitetail doe & fawns early, eagle on nest half way thru trip. 14.5 miles, 5.2 hours (incl. an hour-long lunch break).

Apr 15, 2013 - SCHOHARIE CREEK kayaking from Rt. 30 bridge in North Blenheim (just below the site of the old covered bridge that got wiped out by Irene) to Rt. 30 bridge in Middleburgh.  Not long before we had to go over an unexpected man-made 3' drop!  Next few rapids are class II (watch out for strainers); rapids getting easier as the trip went on but there is another class II after the creek goes under the 2nd Rt. 30 bridge just before a picnic area.  One can avoid the worst of the rapids by putting-in at the North Blenheim Fishing Access Site on Rt. 30 N of the village. A very scenic valley.  Walhalla Rocks - a shale cliff rising 600' above the creek.  Vroman's Nose.  Burtonsville gauge at 2.7' (best run at 1.5-2.0'), Breakabeen at 4.6' - on the high side & fairly strong current.  Water temp in the 40s - best be wearing a wet or dry suit - a swim is very likely for those with little whitewater experience.  15.3 miles, 5.4 hours (w/2 good breaks).  Dagger Axis 12 kayak with added bow flotation bags.

May 28, 2012 - SCHOHARIE CREEK from Middleburgh to Sloansville (Esperence Fishing Access Site on Rt.30A).  Water levels: Breakabeen 2.6', Burtonsville 1.6' - a bit bumpy in a couple of rapids but ok.  Interesting to see the creek post-Irene.  Some class 1 rapids, riffles & long stretches of flatwater.  Some light development.  ~2.2 miles in there are strainers in the deep water on the R - we lined the boats in the shallows on the L - the L might be runnable with 6" more water.  Other strainers easily avoidable by skilled paddlers.  Cottonball-like pollen snowing down from cottonwoods.  Saw bald eagles munching on a fish on rock in middle of river, sandpipers, red-tailed hawks, merganser families, owl.  14 miles, 4 hours (short lunch break).  Dagger Axix 10.5 - does not flat spin as well as the Approach but turns easily when edged & is faster on the flats. 

Apr 27, 2008 - SCHOHARIE CREEK canoeing.  From N Blenheim Covered Bridge to Rt.30 bridge in Middleburgh.  First few rapids close to class 2 at this water level; then mostly class 1, scratchy riffles & lots of flatwater.  Very scenic valley, cliffs, steep hills, Vroman's Nose.  After 1st bridge one paddles next to cliff of Walhalla Rocks.  Water level at Breakabeen 3.6', Burtonsville 1.4' - this is about as low as is runnable.  14 miles, 5.7 hours.

Apr 11, 2004 - SCHOHARIE CREEK kayaking. Water temp in mid-40s, air about 50. Water level just under 2' at the Burtonsville guage. N. Blenheim (covered bridge) to Middleburg - put-in on river L just below Rt.30 bridge; take-out on river L just before Rt.30 bridge. Fairly clear green water. A class 2 rapid early (a R-hander that wants to push you into a rock wall) then rapids get progressively easier - waves big enough for canoes to have to bail water out occasionally (one of our tandem canoes went for a swim). The 3 canoes on this trip were touring canoes which have a sharper entry for better glide but the bows tended to sink - the last time I paddled a canoe on this stretch I used a Dagger Legend 16 which had a fuller entry & kept the water out but was slower on flatwater (always trade-offs). Rapids are separated by long stretches of flatwater. Near Breakabeen, creek makes a L turn into a rapid that will push you L toward a downed tree (sweeper/strainer) - by paddling hard forward we all just missed it. Scenery is rural, creek often bordered with cottonwoods & sycamores & sometimes cliffs come near (Walhalla Rocks especially interesting with steep shale cliffs, small waterfalls & vultures flying above). Beaver, red-tailed hawks, wood ducks & lots of mergansers, geese, turkey vultures, kingfishers. See ADK's Canoe & Kayak Guide: East-Central NYS ($19.95) for more details (JD, who wrote this section up in the book, was paddling along with us today). 14 miles, 5 hours. Dagger Cortez 15.0 , a 15'2" plastic touring kayak - normally would not be my choice for this trip (better choices would be any of the more manouverable Dagger Blackwaters or Crossover) but I needed to test the Cortez 15 to see if it would be a suitable boat for next week's big trip - tracked ok (this is hard to judge when in moving water), hard to turn for a 15-footer except when well over on edge, very stable in waves, aggressive adjustable thigh braces allow the paddler to "wear" the kayak, nice backband gives good lower back support.

Apr 20, 2003 - SCHOHARIE CREEK canoeing. Put-in: SW of Rt.30 bridge in Middleburgh; take-out: fishing accaess on RT.30A 1.3 mi. S of Rt.20 in Sloansville. Fairly clear, green water. Mostly flatwater, some class 1 rapids - best one near end of trip (practised ferrying & going in & out of eddies). Water level at Breakabeen: 4.1' & dropping - whitewater may be a bit more interesting at 3.5'. Pastoral setting. Red-tailed hawks, wood duck & lots of common mergansers & Canada geese. Watched muskrat parallel us for quite a distance. 4.3 hrs. Dagger Reflection 16 , a 16'4" tandem canoe, can handle easy rapids, has good speed on the flats, nice blend of stability, tracking & maneuverability - a sweet all-around canoe - Royalex construction means excellent durability and moderate weight (heavier than Kevlar; lighter than fiberglass & aluminum).

Apr. 14, 2002 - Schoharie Creek , Middleburg to Central Bridge, kayaking. Water Levels - NE River Forecast Center. - Water level at Breakabeen was 2.63' - whitewater would be more exciting at 3' to 3.5'. Dagger Blackwater 11.5 & Crossover, an 11.5' all-purpose kayak & a hybrid whitewater/touring kayak. The Blackwater is a do-a-bit-of-everything kayak: turns easily with the skeg up (skeg control from the cockpit) - good for up to Class 2 rapids; tracks hard with it down (less experienced paddlers will need it most of the time on flatwater); one dry storage hatch big enough for plenty of day-tripping gear; large cockpit does not easily allow one to tuck thighs under the coaming for better control - not a big deal to the recreational paddler. The Crossover felt more efficient (more glide) in a straight line but was also easy to turn when needed. The whitwater style cockpit with thighbraces allows for a tighter fit & better control although the backband is old-style & not too comfortable (will probably switch it out to one of the more modern ones like the Bomber Gear or Immersion Research). Skeg cannot be dropped from the cockpit. Crossover can handle up to Class 3 whitewater or long flatwater days with the skeg down. A gbh seemed to enjoy leading us for a few miles. Coyote, muskrats, C geese nesting & really noisy, killdeer, cardinal, kingfishers, r-th, tv, mallards, mergansers, wood duck. Not quite as scenic as N Blenheim to Middleburg but fun nonetheless - less hills, more trash (can't wait for some wilderness trips - ice should be out on most Adirondack lakes this week) - clear, green water. Large poplars line the riverbanks, mostly farmland. Some class 1 rapids, lots of riffles & some long stretches of flatwater. Take-out is at a signed fishing access on RT.30A about 3 mi. N of Rt.7. 13 mi., 5 hrs.....

Mar. 31, 2002 - Schoharie Creek canoeing. From just below the N. Blenheim covered bridge to Rt.30 bridge in Middleburg. 15 mi., 5.5 hrs. Couple of short class 2 rapids early & lots of class 1 (with nice wave trains at this level) interspered with long flat stretches. Flanked by hills rising a 1,000' above the valley - cliffs, too - very scenic. Never too far from Rt.30 but civilization not too intrusive. Saw turkey vultures, redtailed hawks, kingfishers, swallows, red-winged blackbirds, mergansers, a great blue heron, a furry back in the water & more. Dagger Legend 16' tandem canoe is very forgiving & kept most of the water out - an excellent whitewater canoe - too slow for me on flatwater, tho. Paddled both stern & bow - make sure you know a variety of manouvering strokes: draw, pry, sweep, cross-bow draw are basic; doesn't hurt to know duffek & sculling draws. While stern pries/rudder strokes are fine in the rapids, on a longer trip like this it is good to have an efficient j-stroke on the flats. Have noticed that people who primarily paddle WW have no j-stroke (consequently getting tired sooner) & conversely people who paddle primarily flatwater have no manouvering strokes. Ready for a lesson yet? Wore Aqua Shell wet suit (warmth of neoprene but feels better on the skin & is stretchier) despite warm temps (water very cold) + Chota neoprene booties, Sealskins socks, polypro socks & polyester briefs (cotton clothing should not be worn) - stayed very comfortable. Despite the reputation of tandem canoes as being divorce boats, my partner & I are still friends.

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