Mohawk, New York, US
|
|
2. Cohoes Wave
| Usual Difficulty |
II (for normal flows) |
Gauge Information
| Name |
Range |
Difficulty |
Updated |
Level |
|
MOHAWK RIVER AT COHOES NY
|
|
usgs-01357500 |
10.50 - 18.00 ft
|
II |
01h22m |
10.72
ft
(rc= 0.0 ) |
The upper limit is a rough estimate. If you have better beta on this reach, please add a comment. |
River Description
The wave (which is actually, in Waterford) is located on the first outlet on river left below the
RT. 32 dam. Take a right across from McDonald's onto Fulton Street and take the road to the end;
it's less than 1/8 mile. The wave is at a little park there.
ditmarsj also contributes: "The level changes often, since there is a dam above and just below
the playhole. The level may be 10.5, and may stay at 10.5 all day, but you may experience drastic
feature changes since the dam below may open or close some, filling the area with water,
etc...
"FYI, if you don't have a roll you don't really want to play here, especially when it's cold.
"The level in spring, or just when it is high, means that the washout is quick, and the washout
waves are big. A boater needs to have his roll at this kind of level because the dam below the
feature is big trouble. Also, at certain levels (low end of playable level), the maw on the right
is sticky and SHALLOW. Keep your helmet on and avoid a high brace.
"Oh yeah, the water quality is nasty. Avoid swallowing any."
StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2004-04-17 08:16:07
No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. 
User Comments
really is no max flow. The limiting factor to surfing this wave is whether or not a swimmer will
have time to get out which I will admit to having to do at 23 feet. Actually it takes only a few
hundred feet as the current pushes you into the shore. The main wave gets HUGE at certain levels
especially if you catch the period where the upper dam is opened and the lower is still closed. The
added pool height creates a monster green wave with a small foam pile. This feature is formed by a
shale shelf which has been eroded in the last year or two from a shelf into a V-notch. This has
caused a pretty nasty hole to form at certain levels. Do not drop into the river right hole when
first putting in. That mistake could lead to a brutal beat-down. While the river left wave has
become a semi-nasty hole the river center hole has gotten deeper and a lot nicer. This turns into a
great spin/cartwheel spot, though it is still too shallow to loop. At high water this makes a nice
wave to wave/hole. To reach this requires a ferry which can be difficult depending on the level,
but makes for great training. There really should also be a separate page for the upper waves at
Cohoes which are located a 1/4 mile below Cohoes Falls on river left which appear at 15ft and top
out as 8ft tall crashing waves. This is a high water feature only, the main attraction is the first
wave which forms a hole at around 14ft, wave/hole at 15.5 and a full blown wave upwards of that.
This feature is easily comparable to Inner-City Strife on the Black River in Watertown which comes
in below Knife's Edge at 10.5-11k cfs. Once again to paddle this feature you must have a very solid
roll otherwise you are in risk of taking a long swim with a good likely-hood of going over a dam.
There is a very large (800ft long) straight-forward eddy that forms behind the waves but missing it
is not an option. Reaching these waves is a bit of a challenge and is part of the reason no one
seems to know about them. From Saratoga Ave take an immediate left at the light after crossing the
bridge over the Mohawk. Take a left at the first stop sign which is river street. Park by the fence
where the road hits the cliff overlooking the river. There is a trail that goes upstream to the
right. Follow it and at the third or so overlook will be a tree 10 ft in with a rope or two on it.
If you can use the larger diameter rope to lower your boat and paddle down and then follow it down
the slope. Otherwise you will be forced to transfer ropes halfway down which is doable but a bit
scary. Use extreme caution scaling the cliff, the rock is loose and probably wet. This deposits you
in the eddy in front of you will be the waves. Edit