Sacandaga, Middle Branch, New York, US

Christine Falls to East Branch

Christine Falls

Christine Falls
Photo taken 10/15/10

Gauge Information

River Description

Tim Trezise shared:
The Middle is a great run when everything else has dropped after a long amount of rain. It holds water from the two big slow-draining lakes and still cranks class V rapids when everything else is back to low levels. Put in at the Old Rte. 30 bridge upstream from Christine Falls or just start at or below Christine Falls (you need a lot of water coming over the dam to flirt with Christine). Do not trespass on or around the dam. Finding a starting spot below the dam when the water is high is very tricky. Creative seal starts work. Be careful of the undercut left wall at the bottom of the drop.
Run Christine's Revenge (just downstream - finishing at the powerhouse). Revenge is about a 10' falls on the right and a bumpy slide on the left. At high water the hole below the falls can be very frothy and retentive; you may opt for the left slide.
Boogie water to Roadside Falls (when low, run the slide/slot right; when high, go for the big-air boof left and stay out of the hole). Get some video action here.
A bunch of boat-scoutable horizon lines and fun slides & more boogie water take you to the flatwater before Austin Falls.
When you see the rapids forming again, get out and scout on the left, using the old road. The upper section is a powerful slide (V) with undercut/pinning rocks on the right. You can run the lower IV+ section into the big curly tube or waterfall - depending on if it is low or medium. The Groove Tube (at low-medium water) is a very unique river feature that is fun to paddle right into and emerge airborne on when coming out the other side. High water is dangerous, fast and powerful V+--not recommended. The Class-IV runout of Austin below the Groove Tube is a great series of slides and boulder drops. Mellow class II brings you to the old bridge (optional takeout) or blast through 2 miles of flatwater to the class-III entrance to Auger (VI).
Take out right before Screaming Right Hand Turn. Carry or die. One boater accidentally was swept over the falls and survived by an act of God. The gorge below Auger is V, tapering to IV to III to II, finishing in over a mile at the Rte. 8 Bridge. Take out about 200 meters past the bridge on the left along a secondary road. Watch out for poison ivy.

Lat / Longitude data are very approximate.
Portage: Auger Falls