WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER paddling near Rt.10 in the Adirondacks
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June 6, 2016 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER from 1st bridge on Rt.10 to just before Shaker Place. One of the Adirondacks' most scenic streams. Soon had to duck under a tree then carry around another; the only obstruction after that was a beaver dam going into Chub Lake. Brief visits to Good Luck & Trout Lakes. Recent rains had brought water level up - the current was going from the river into Good Luck Lake - usually in summer it is flowing out of the lake toward the river. Beaver, merganser, wood ducklings. Gusty wind - blackflies not an issue during the paddle but got a few bites at the car. 11.8 miles, 5.7 hours. 7.5 mile drive between put-in & take-out.
July 22 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER from 1st bridge (upstream, eastern) on Rt. 10 to just before Shaker Place. Water fairly low. Tree across the stream about a mile from start - muddy 20' portage/drag on river R. Not far below 2nd bridge there is a logjam of floating logs that we just pushed thru (a great blue heron reluctantly gave up its spot on one of the logs) & a large beaver dam that was easily hopped over. Side-trips into Good Luck Lake & more...
Oct 8 & 9, 2011 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER GORGE from Rt. 10. Saturday. Doubled the 1 mile carry on unmarked trail in 1.3 hours (longer on way out) - tried singling but it was difficult following the path which was somewhat obscured with newly-fallen leaves. A little before Piseco Outlet red tape markers guide one around some blowdown. Put in below rapids. Flat/quick water for a short distance then most of the current goes L of an island. At this water level I would hit too many rocks with a full load in the canoe (did run it last time here with light day-tripping load, hit rocks). Put in below rapids & not long to the W Br which here is ~100' wide. Downstream for ~1 mile to top of rapids. Bushwhack backpack for half an hour & decide to quit that nonsense. Made camp - no campsites, found semi-flat spot for tent then bushwhacked (brutal at times) further downstream on N side of river for over an hour. Passed one falls with two 5' drops but hit my turn-around time before reaching the next falls. Sunday, paddled upstream past Piseco Outlet - a very pretty section until I hit rapids. Back to PO & carried out. Sore (blister & hotspot on my feet, gimpy knee) & tired. Camped Sunday night at Lake Durant State Campground - nice view of Blue Mtn, too much road noise.
Oct 27, 2010 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER. Recent rains produced high water level. Upstream to Good Luck Lake (the current was actually going up the lake's outlet) - lots of ripe cranberries in the marsh to the W. Checked out a campsite - easy access brings bad campers sometimes (very quiet today). Downstream & into Chub Lake.
Jul 18, 2010 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER upstream from 1st (easternmost) Rt.10 bridge. As one paddles upstream one goes deeper into the Silver Lake Wilderness. Saw no-one, great wilderness feel. 0.2 mile carry at the start on unmarked path near N shore, put in above rapids, several beaver dams, lift over downed tree, some lining thru rocky shallows. The river winds thru grassy banks topped with spruce & alder, some sandy & rocky banks. Break on rock. Skied to around here on 2/25/09. Eventually gets rocky & shallow, walked upstream a ways to check things out. Moose tracks. Avoided the carry on return by lining & paddling short distances, very rough & rocky - next time will do the carry. 5.5 hours. Prospector canoe (Bell & Swift versions are the same design).
Jul 19, 2009 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER from 1st (eastern/upstream) Rt.10 bridge to Shaker Place. The further adventures of Bowzilla & Frankenstern in the Bell Chestnut Prospector canoe. No beaver dams that needed lift-overs - just a tree down just below water level a bit below 2nd bridge & we were able to pull/push everybody over. Side-trips E up a stream over 2 beaver dams (mentioned in Discover the Southern Adirondacks) for quarter mile to boggy vly & into Trout Lake for lunch stop (where we watched a loon feeding). Ravens. Wished Rt. 10 was a little farther away but still a very nice scenic trip with mostly wild shores. Saw more kayaks & canoes than I have ever seen here before - perhaps due to recent article in Adirondack Explorer - note they skipped the section between bridges & missed very pleasant paddling thru more intimate wooded shores different than rest of trip, shallower but plenty deep today. Steep take-out on Rt.10 - Shaker Place still gated. Breezy, so bad bugs minimal. 11+ miles, 6 hours.
Oct 27, 2010 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER. Recent rains produced high water level. Upstream to Good Luck Lake (the current was actually going up the lake's outlet) - lots of ripe cranberries in the marsh to the W. Checked out a campsite - easy access brings bad campers sometimes (very quiet today). Downstream & into Chub Lake.
Jul 18, 2010 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER upstream from 1st (easternmost) Rt.10 bridge. As one paddles upstream one goes deeper into the Silver Lake Wilderness. Saw no-one, great wilderness feel. 0.2 mile carry at the start on unmarked path near N shore, put in above rapids, several beaver dams, lift over downed tree, some lining thru rocky shallows. The river winds thru grassy banks topped with spruce & alder, some sandy & rocky banks. Break on rock. Skied to around here on 2/25/09. Eventually gets rocky & shallow, walked upstream a ways to check things out. Moose tracks. Avoided the carry on return by lining & paddling short distances, very rough & rocky - next time will do the carry. 5.5 hours. Prospector canoe (Bell & Swift versions are the same design).
Jul 19, 2009 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER from 1st (eastern/upstream) Rt.10 bridge to Shaker Place. The further adventures of Bowzilla & Frankenstern in the Bell Chestnut Prospector canoe. No beaver dams that needed lift-overs - just a tree down just below water level a bit below 2nd bridge & we were able to pull/push everybody over. Side-trips E up a stream over 2 beaver dams (mentioned in Discover the Southern Adirondacks) for quarter mile to boggy vly & into Trout Lake for lunch stop (where we watched a loon feeding). Ravens. Wished Rt. 10 was a little farther away but still a very nice scenic trip with mostly wild shores. Saw more kayaks & canoes than I have ever seen here before - perhaps due to recent article in Adirondack Explorer - note they skipped the section between bridges & missed very pleasant paddling thru more intimate wooded shores different than rest of trip, shallower but plenty deep today. Steep take-out on Rt.10 - Shaker Place still gated. Breezy, so bad bugs minimal. 11+ miles, 6 hours.
May 9/10, 2004 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER canoe camping from 1st Rt.10 bridge in Arietta. Good Luck, Chub, Trout & Little Trout Lakes. Water level low for mid-May. Blackflies are out but not too bad (did not need DEET or Original Bug Shirt ) - this week's temperatures will assure they will be out in force by next weekend (let's hope for some hard frost!) Hooded mergansers, yellowish C goose chicks, lots of spotted sandpipers & tree swallows, muskrats - wild loonie tunes thru the night, the "who-cooks-for-you" of the barred owl & the everpresent "huhuhuhu" of the common snipe (sound is made during courtship dives as the air goes thru its tail feathers). Merrimack Baboosic , a 14' solo canoe.
Oct 14, 2003 - Put-in on the WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER at the western bridge on Rt.10 (N of Canada Lake). Paddle upstream & soon take a R into GOOD LUCK LAKE outlet. Crossed the lake to the SW corner. Carried the canoe 0.1 mi. along an unmarked path going SW to a trail junction (the only sign points to Spectacle Lake). Left canoe there & hiked NW along trail which goes around the W end of Good Luck Lake for about a quarter mile crossing 2 plank bridges. Immediately after the 2nd bridge an unmarked path goes WNW, climbing over 600' in 1.1 miles to GOOD LUCK MOUNTAIN CLIFFS. Path is level for a while, crosses a stream then climbs steeply alongside a draw. Huge boulders litter the way; caves invite exploration. Near the top, the path winds clockwise to the lookout at top of cliffs. Views are mostly to the S & W - Spectacle Lake lies below - can see all the way to hills S of the Mohawk Valley. Back to the canoe. Carried 1.3 miles (half hour) over gently rolling terrain & some muddy spots to SPECTACLE LAKE. A loon lets out a wail as I arrive. Spectacle has many neat corners & attractions. NE bay has an osprey nest. A long narrow island & a smaller one offer campsites. The clear water has a green tint to it. Dry Lake Outlet enters over a waterfall. At W end there is a heron rookery & a huge beaverdam blocks the outlet, raising the lake level a few feet. Lots of beaver lodges. Good Luck Cliffs can be seen from the SE inlet. Spend about 1.5 hrs. paddling around the circumference. Carry back to GL Lake & out. Won't be much fall color left after Wed 10/15 winds knock the leaves to the ground. Best bet for foliage in the Adirondacks this coming weekend would be at low elevation (Lake George, Lake Champlain). 8 hours. Swift Kipawa, a 16'6" tandem composite canoe - a real nice combination of tracking & turning ability, primary stability good enough to make one confident getting in & out at beaverdams, very good secondary stabilty (confidence in waves), glides along efficiently (less work to get from A to B) - I like this canoe almost as much as the Northwind. Contour yoke looks nice but still needs some padding on longer carries
Jul 26, 2003 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER GORGE hike fron Whitehouse trailhead near Wells. One of my favorite rivers: upstream, flatwater paddlers enjoy the stretch paralel to Rt.10; downstream, in spring, class 3 whitewater paddlers run the last few miles before entering the main branch at Sacandaga State Campground; inbetween, the remote gorge can be hiked or experienced class 5 kayakers (like Stangasali & guidebook author Dennis Squires) paddle the waterfalls in spring. Water level very high for this time of year (guage at Hope read 2.6'). Whitehouse is at the end of West River Rd (dirt for the last few miles) - used to be site of old logging camp, hunting lodge & boy's camp but no buildings left standing. There are several campsites along the river near the trailhead. At the register the Northville-Placid trail goes N & S, we go N or right for 0.8 miles & take a left on an unmarked trail (1st path you see is the short-cut trail, 2nd is main - both ok). Unmarked but obvious trail (old logging road) leads in 0.6 mi. to campsite on Hamilton Lake Stream. Here, we ford the shallow stream then follow a path L to rapids on the W. Branch & follow it upstream. Soon pass a flatwater section, Big Eddy, then cross Cold Brook (poison ivy, nice mossy waterfall). At a bend & island in the river is a small sandy beach which makes for a nice break. Path gets fainter but you can't get lost if you stay near the river. In 2 places, small cliffs at the water's edge have to be passed - can climb high away from river or take chances at getting feet wet (especially at this high water level) - we picked the latter choice 3 out of 4 times (I dropped one foot in water once) - just adds to the excitement of this trip. Rapids becoming more intense (class 4) until we reach the first & biggest of the falls - absolutley spectacular with this amount of water - carefull, rocks very slippery. (A few years ago, on my 1st trip here, there was so little water we were able to sit in the middle of the falls then rock-hop a mile in under 1 hour further upstream & visit 3 more waterfalls.) Climbed around rocks to the N to top of falls & could see the next falls 100 yds. upstream - great spot! - this was as far as we went this time but if water is low I do recommend going to the next pair of falls which have large pools for swimming below them. Still remains one of my top 10 hikes in the Adirondacks. Ref: McMartin's Discover the Southern Adirondacks. 6 miles, 4.7 hrs.
June 30, 2002 - Piseco Outlet & W. Branch Sacandaga River canoeing & hiking. Finally, a day off after working 13 days straight! From parking area on Rt.10 14.7 mi. N of Pine Lake cross road & find a path heading east. Path is easy to follow at first despite the lack of trailmarkers (it is shown on the Morehouse Mtn USGS map). Wood thrushes sang for me along the way. At a sawed off log the main path bears R & a very faint path bears L - I take the latter one, losing it in some blowdown then refind it & soon arrive at foot of a rapids on Piseco Outlet, about 0.6 mi. & 20 min. from Rt.10. Put in here & paddle downstream thru a short easy class 1 rapid. Soon come to an island - way R is boney (a path on the R can be used as a carry trail) & way L is a short class 2 rapid - I choose the latter (without scouting) & did fine except for hitting one rock pretty hard which cracked the gel coat (the exterior "paint") on the Merlin (used the carry trail on the way back). Many composite canoes have gelcoat on the outside which gives them UV protection, extra strength & often color - some canoes have skincoat instead but these are weaker & are prone to UV degradation i.e. they get weaker with age. After about half mile of flatwater I reach the confluence with the W. Branch & continue less than a mile along this beautiful river before more rapids. Parked the canoe & bushwhacked the S shore over half an hour to a wild & remote cataract (saw a rowboat jammed into some rocks midstream along the way). White Admiral butterflies joined me as I relaxed. Continued further downstream for a while hoping to reach another set of waterfalls (there are 2 more pairs of falls downstream) but the going was tough - I stubbornly wore shorts & have the scratches to show for my adventure - the small spruces were nasty in spots & I had to venture away from the river to walk thru relatively easy deciduous forest, the hobblebush understory & mats of flowering wood sorrel. Gave up on bushwhacking & returned to the canoe. Small seldom-used campsite is nearby & the only one I saw on this trip. Paddled back up 1.5 mi. past the confluence to where rapids block the way - grassy banks & spruce spires line the river, the occasional clump of blue flag adds color. Watched a deer watch me approach - as I neared, it ran into the trees & "sneezed" at me a few times. Back downstream - a large beaverdam blocks Moose Creek & I go over it & spend some time exploring - going over an even larger dam. Spotted a sharp-shinned hawk. White throated sparrows called to me. Returned back up the Piseco Outlet. The carry out took 25 min. Saw no-one all day. Some blackflies & deerflies, very little mosquitoes - overall, not too bad (getting too hot for blackflies - you'll see more on mountaintops & in the High Peaks where it is a bit cooler). For more details see Discover the Southern Adirondacks. About 1.5 mi. carries, 2-3 mi. bushwhacking, 6 mi. paddling - 7 hours. Bell Canoe Works Merlin II, a 15' solo Kevlar Crystal canoe.
Apr. 29, 2001 - W. Branch Sacandaga River canoeing. High water, but not quite as high as when I scouted it a few days ago. Put in at the southernmost bridge on Rt.10 north of Canada Lake. White-throated sparrow sang to us as we set off. First 1.5 mi. to 2nd bridge is wooded, enjoy while you can, rest of trip is mostly thru open marsh. Near Good Luck Lake outlet some small trees block the way, takes some time for everyone to go over or around on land. I paddle up the outlet, see a loon, but Good Luck is mostly ice. Head back down the W. Br. & take side trip into Trout & Little Trout Lakes which at this water level are one contiguous lake. Paddle to the end to get out of the wind, amphitheatre-like. See 2 loons & an osprey + a common snipe on a boggy island. Back on the W. Br. which never strays too far from Rt.10 but traffic is light & not too obtrusive. Finally river goes east around Pine Mt. (land is mostly private here) & arguably the most scenic part of the trip. Stop at a campsite on the right for a break. River has many bends & sometimes you go south when you're trying to go north. Takeout is near Shaker Place - steep. ~12 mi., 5 hrs.
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