Beaver River :
Mosier Section
Mosier Section
Location - Western Adirondack Mountains of New York
Difficulty - Class IV-V Length - 4.5 miles
Level - Standard release Date - Fall 2001
Difficulty - Class IV-V Length - 4.5 miles
Level - Standard release Date - Fall 2001
The Beaver River rises high in the central plateau of the
Adirondacks and moves sluggishly through swamps and lakes until it
reached the broad northwestern edge of the uplands. Here the river
drops over many bedrock ledges as it steps its way down to the
Black River lowlands. The river is similar in nature to most
northwestern Adirondack runs, pool and drop to the extreme.
Flatwater separates smooth pink granite ledges that provide
excellent opportunities for whitewater kayaking.
Despite its remote location in a sparsely populated region of
northern New York, the Beaver has been dammed and developed
into a large hydroelectric project by Orion Power. In reality, the river
is now a series of reservoirs connected by diversion pipes and
canals and the short sections of natural riverbed that do remain are
dewatered for most of the year. Word has it that local boaters
managed to make a few descents of some stretches of the Beaver
during times of extremely high water in the spring when the power
company could not divert or hold back all of the water coming don
from the mountains. However, runs were rare at best.
In the 1990s dedicated members of the American Whitewater
Affiliation negotiated with Orion Power to secure a series of 11
releases a year spread over three sections of the Beaver River.
Each of the three runs is ledgy in nature, manage to have their own
unique character, and are exciting while managing to remain
relatively friendly. Of the three sections, the Moshier provides the
longest and provided the best river running experience. The
releases have been designed to maximize boater opportunities in the
area and multiple sections of the Beaver are always running on any
given weekend. Quality whitewater at the driest time of the year in
the northeast makes the long drive to northern New York worth while.
Adirondacks and moves sluggishly through swamps and lakes until it
reached the broad northwestern edge of the uplands. Here the river
drops over many bedrock ledges as it steps its way down to the
Black River lowlands. The river is similar in nature to most
northwestern Adirondack runs, pool and drop to the extreme.
Flatwater separates smooth pink granite ledges that provide
excellent opportunities for whitewater kayaking.
Despite its remote location in a sparsely populated region of
northern New York, the Beaver has been dammed and developed
into a large hydroelectric project by Orion Power. In reality, the river
is now a series of reservoirs connected by diversion pipes and
canals and the short sections of natural riverbed that do remain are
dewatered for most of the year. Word has it that local boaters
managed to make a few descents of some stretches of the Beaver
during times of extremely high water in the spring when the power
company could not divert or hold back all of the water coming don
from the mountains. However, runs were rare at best.
In the 1990s dedicated members of the American Whitewater
Affiliation negotiated with Orion Power to secure a series of 11
releases a year spread over three sections of the Beaver River.
Each of the three runs is ledgy in nature, manage to have their own
unique character, and are exciting while managing to remain
relatively friendly. Of the three sections, the Moshier provides the
longest and provided the best river running experience. The
releases have been designed to maximize boater opportunities in the
area and multiple sections of the Beaver are always running on any
given weekend. Quality whitewater at the driest time of the year in
the northeast makes the long drive to northern New York worth while.
The run starts out below the dam at the base of a huge and
unfortunately trashy slide littered with rooster tails, jagged boulders,
and other obstructions. This drop has been run, but the potential for
something bad happening is high enough that most paddlers do not
choose to make the easy walk upstream to run this slide. If it were
clean this slide would be one of the highlights of the river. From the put
in a hundred yards of easy water leads to the first horizon line on the
Moshier and paddlers find themselves with two options.
Either side of this fifteen foot ledge is straightforward, but it is worth a
look on your first run down. Many other paddlers will be out on the
rocks, waiting for carnage, hiking up to run the rapid again, or just
relaxing. The Beaver releases are in September, making this the only
creek running in the northeastern part of the country. Be prepared to
share the run with just about every kayaker living within three hundred
miles of the Adirondacks. River right is a fun twisting class IV slide with
a vertical drop through a hole at the top. River left is a clean plunge
into a deep pool with a friendly to non existent hydraulic. Lots of people
will hang out here and run this one again and again.
Below the first drop things get a little more exciting at the next horizon.
This fifteen foot falls features an angled ramp into a boof with the
easiest line being in the middle. Driving hard right and trying to boof
into the eddy on that side is a great line, but the hole over there is way
stronger than it looks. The river bends ninety degree to the right
immediately after this falls and runs through a steep and fun class IV
drop with a few more trashy holes. Unfortunately it is kind of tough to
hike up to run this one multiple times. Things mellow for the next few
miles as the Beaver runs through pools and quickwater with several
class III rapids.
Eventually the river narrows and steepens considerably. This is the
final rapid, called Moshier Falls, is actually a several hundred yard long
stretch of class IV+ - V whitewater with five distinct drops. Lots of
people will be out scouting this on river right which means that you will
not wander into this blindly. This stretch definitely deserves a scout
since the best line is complicated and there are a few hazards. When
we ran the Beaver few people had made the run and enough folks
were unfamiliar so that the crowd scouting the last stretch of rapids
was pretty substantial. Being able to watch numerous paddlers run a
stretch of river while scouting is always helpful, but people new to
creeking should not lured into a false sense of security after having
seen a line nailed multiple times.
unfortunately trashy slide littered with rooster tails, jagged boulders,
and other obstructions. This drop has been run, but the potential for
something bad happening is high enough that most paddlers do not
choose to make the easy walk upstream to run this slide. If it were
clean this slide would be one of the highlights of the river. From the put
in a hundred yards of easy water leads to the first horizon line on the
Moshier and paddlers find themselves with two options.
Either side of this fifteen foot ledge is straightforward, but it is worth a
look on your first run down. Many other paddlers will be out on the
rocks, waiting for carnage, hiking up to run the rapid again, or just
relaxing. The Beaver releases are in September, making this the only
creek running in the northeastern part of the country. Be prepared to
share the run with just about every kayaker living within three hundred
miles of the Adirondacks. River right is a fun twisting class IV slide with
a vertical drop through a hole at the top. River left is a clean plunge
into a deep pool with a friendly to non existent hydraulic. Lots of people
will hang out here and run this one again and again.
Below the first drop things get a little more exciting at the next horizon.
This fifteen foot falls features an angled ramp into a boof with the
easiest line being in the middle. Driving hard right and trying to boof
into the eddy on that side is a great line, but the hole over there is way
stronger than it looks. The river bends ninety degree to the right
immediately after this falls and runs through a steep and fun class IV
drop with a few more trashy holes. Unfortunately it is kind of tough to
hike up to run this one multiple times. Things mellow for the next few
miles as the Beaver runs through pools and quickwater with several
class III rapids.
Eventually the river narrows and steepens considerably. This is the
final rapid, called Moshier Falls, is actually a several hundred yard long
stretch of class IV+ - V whitewater with five distinct drops. Lots of
people will be out scouting this on river right which means that you will
not wander into this blindly. This stretch definitely deserves a scout
since the best line is complicated and there are a few hazards. When
we ran the Beaver few people had made the run and enough folks
were unfamiliar so that the crowd scouting the last stretch of rapids
was pretty substantial. Being able to watch numerous paddlers run a
stretch of river while scouting is always helpful, but people new to
creeking should not lured into a false sense of security after having
seen a line nailed multiple times.
The first two drops pretty easy, but a strong move is required
between them and a large hole below the first has the potential to
cause trouble. The outflow from the second drop is really fast class
III leading into the hardest part of this series. A small river right eddy
lets you set up for the middle drop which falls ten feet into a hole fed
by a river right eddy. The best line is to drive left here to avoid the
hydraulic. Once you pass the hole drive hard left for a sweet boof
off of the next five to eight foot drop. I’ve seen plenty of people gut
this one, but it looks like a pretty stupid line. A few good eddies are
next, but the last drop is shortly below and it features a pretty
grabby hole in the center. The easiest line is a far right boof.
It is this last stretch of whitewater that really makes this run
outstanding. Unlike the typical Adirondack slides that require only
making one move at the top and holding on, precise boat control is
required to run a clean line through Moshier Falls. Lots and lots of
boaters get slapped around pretty good here, and things are
generally friendly, but I have seen a head injury that required
evacuation by ambulance from the take out and a swimmer was
body pinned under the rock that you boof left off of in the fourth
drop. Luckily the swimmer was rescued, but this could have been
very bad.
Multiple runs of this last section are made possible by an easy trail
through the woods and many people will spend the better part of the
release playing here if they are not interested in racing off to see
another one of the sections that the Beaver has to offer. The Mosier
section of river has become a fan favorite because it is a little longer
than the Eagle and Taylorville runs and has a little of something for
everyone. Easy falls suitable for intermediates and a fairly long and
continuous stretch of solid class IV+ whitewater for advanced
paddlers.
The Beaver River releases are part of a series of recreational dam
releases negotiated in New York that provide excellent boating
throughout the late summer and fall. Now boaters can rely on
paddling either the Racquette, Beaver, or Moose Rivers from late
August to the end of October or early November, by which time the
fall rains usually bring many other rivers to runnable levels for a few
weeks before things get locked up by the ice for another winter.
between them and a large hole below the first has the potential to
cause trouble. The outflow from the second drop is really fast class
III leading into the hardest part of this series. A small river right eddy
lets you set up for the middle drop which falls ten feet into a hole fed
by a river right eddy. The best line is to drive left here to avoid the
hydraulic. Once you pass the hole drive hard left for a sweet boof
off of the next five to eight foot drop. I’ve seen plenty of people gut
this one, but it looks like a pretty stupid line. A few good eddies are
next, but the last drop is shortly below and it features a pretty
grabby hole in the center. The easiest line is a far right boof.
It is this last stretch of whitewater that really makes this run
outstanding. Unlike the typical Adirondack slides that require only
making one move at the top and holding on, precise boat control is
required to run a clean line through Moshier Falls. Lots and lots of
boaters get slapped around pretty good here, and things are
generally friendly, but I have seen a head injury that required
evacuation by ambulance from the take out and a swimmer was
body pinned under the rock that you boof left off of in the fourth
drop. Luckily the swimmer was rescued, but this could have been
very bad.
Multiple runs of this last section are made possible by an easy trail
through the woods and many people will spend the better part of the
release playing here if they are not interested in racing off to see
another one of the sections that the Beaver has to offer. The Mosier
section of river has become a fan favorite because it is a little longer
than the Eagle and Taylorville runs and has a little of something for
everyone. Easy falls suitable for intermediates and a fairly long and
continuous stretch of solid class IV+ whitewater for advanced
paddlers.
The Beaver River releases are part of a series of recreational dam
releases negotiated in New York that provide excellent boating
throughout the late summer and fall. Now boaters can rely on
paddling either the Racquette, Beaver, or Moose Rivers from late
August to the end of October or early November, by which time the
fall rains usually bring many other rivers to runnable levels for a few
weeks before things get locked up by the ice for another winter.
Here I am running the first falls on the Mosier section of the Beaver River. I swear that
throwing high braces like that was cool back in the day.
throwing high braces like that was cool back in the day.
Dan running the river left channel at the first ledge, a fast sloping ledge drop into a large
pool with options for rock spins and splats on the way down.
pool with options for rock spins and splats on the way down.
From below the second falls and its runout rapid look formidable, but in reality the line is
pretty easy if you stay out of the holes.
pretty easy if you stay out of the holes.
Mike is barely visible at the top of the picture as he exits the second drop at Mosier Falls
and charges into the crux of this class IV+ section.
and charges into the crux of this class IV+ section.
If you look closely you can just see my paddle blade as I drop off of the preferred left side
at the fourth drop of Mosier Falls.
at the fourth drop of Mosier Falls.
With nothing else of any consequence running within hundreds of miles, expect to be
sharing the Beaver with hundreds of your closest friends.
sharing the Beaver with hundreds of your closest friends.