Paddle Journal

Conewango Dredge and Conewango Creek Saturday, 8/6/05

We paddled from Goodwin's Landing to just before the small rapids at Waterboro, before the Rt 417 bridge, and back. In addition, four of us explored a few more miles on twisty Conewango Creek after the Dredge section of the trip was completed.

Weather was sunny, temp. in the high 70s to the low 80s, a few wispy "mare's tails" clouds high in a bright blue sky. Perfect for paddling. Almost no bugs bothered us all day.

The scheduled paddle trip on the Dredge lasted about 3 hours, including lunch, which was held on a gravel bar next to the Waterboro rapids. The bonus trip on Conewango Creek added another 2 hours to the paddle.

The section of the Conewango Dredge we paddled is not the straight (boring!) part. We paddled the end of the Dredge. The channels are curved and softened by shady tree-lined banks. As we were chatty and it was late in the morning, we didn't see much wildlife, but the air was alive with the songs of birds. The creek is relatively remote, with few houses along it. A train track runs near the section we paddled. One train carrying coal clattered past us. Otherwise, our paddle was peaceful and pretty.

A trip down the entire length of the Conewango will eventually lead to the Allegheny, and in time, to the Mississippi, and to New Orleans. Future trip perhaps? ;-) French explorers navigated the Conewango in the 1700s and claimed the area for France, using lead tablet markers that are still occasionally found along the creek to this day.

On the return trip to the launch site, just before the bridge at Goodwin's Landing, where the Dredge and the original Conewango Creek meet, four of us paddled upstream as far as we could. The Conewango is twisty and interesting here. Many downed trees that had fallen across the creek had been cut to allow passage, but a few required a bit of negotiation.

We saw herons, a mink, lots of fish, turtles, frogs, sandpipers, and many other birds along the banks. Majestic, huge old oak trees lined one section of the creek. Since the creek borders a state wildlife management area, civilization seemed far away. We paddled upstream until the water was too shallow, then returned to the launch.

-- Ness

Conewango Creek Tuesday, August 20, 2001

Put-in: Frewsburg

Take-out: NY-PA state line

Time: 2 hr not including a rest stop at Riverside Rd.

Water Gauge: 1.9 ft

Even at this low water level, the Conewango was a lot of fun. I took 7 beginner paddlers on a tour, and they had a great time.

There are a couple of spots that warrant special attention. The first is shortly after the put-in at Frewsburg. As you go downstream, you'll see a large rock bank ahead. Get out here and portage a short distance to calmer water. Do this because the creek makes a sharp right turn, pushes through low hanging branches and slams into the creek bank. At higher water levels, the creek widens and these obstacles can be avoided.

The second area of concern is after the Riverside Bridge. Some trees have fallen down, and it appears from a distance that the way may be impassable. However, stay river right avoiding the shallow water on the left. Once you pass by an overhanging branch, paddle right through the center of the creek to calmer waters. I portaged the nine-year-old paddler around this spot, but the six beginner adults got through it easily.

The rest of the trip was slow and easy. I'm sure that everyone slept well that night. Thank you to the Werbles and Halls for a great day.

Conewango Creek Sunday May 27, 2001

Put-in: Leach Rd

Take-out: Kennedy Center

Time: 1 1/2 hr

Water Gauge: 3.4 ft

This is a section of the Conewango that you should NOT paddle. It was a difficult trip right from the start. We put in at a bridge at Leach Rd. Getting the boats into the water was not easy, and it was an omen of what was to come. The 10 ft creek bank dropped very sharply. I used a rope to lower the boats on to a very tiny flat area to launch.

The scenery was very enjoyable. We paddled through lovely woodlands listening to a symphony of birds. The banks were not as steep as those further down the creek. The water level was satisfactory and we only hit 2 low spots.

Unfortunately, this section is not well maintained by the County. We ran into strainers too numerous to mention. I would not recommend this paddle to novices. It required a lot of scouting and at higher water levels it could be very dangerous. We were able to paddle by or under most of the obstacles. However, one strainer presented a real threat.

The creek made an extremely sharp and narrow right turn. One of our paddlers dumped his kayak in this very difficult spot. A tree was down and a narrow walkway was submerged. What the tree didn't block, the walkway did. When he flipped, the current was strong and it tried to carry our swimmer under these obstacles. It was scary. The water was chest high. He held onto his boat and was able to get onto shore unassisted.

I will contact the County about this danger in their water trail.

Conewango Creek Sunday April 30, 2001

Put-in: Ackley PA

Take-out: at a Warren School before the dam

Time: 2 1/2 hr

It was a glorious day to paddle. So I packed up our gear and went to the creek with John (my husband), John (a new paddling friend) and Jay (who's real name is John). Is there a pattern here?

We put in at Ackley, PA at the launch along Route 60. The water was surprising low. Although we never got stuck, we did bounce off a few rocks. Anticipating more of a current, John & I paddled whitewater kayaks. This was a mistake! Jay and my husband were in rec/touring boats and worked a lot less than we did. 2 1/2 hrs of paddling a whitewater boat in a slow current requires a lot of energy. There were a few riffles here and there that eased some of our pain.

Once you enter Warren proper, you will pass under an old iron bridge and then a new bridge. Stay river left and get out at the parking lot at the school. The spillway is soon after that and you don't want to go there.

This is an enjoyable paddle in a rec/touring boat. Bring a lunch or snack and stretch out at one of the many little islands along the way.

A Conewango Creek Story told on Thursday, Oct 19, 2000

An experienced canoeist put in on Conewango Creek in Frewsburg NY. He is a flatwater canoeist and like many people, he puts his PFD in the boat instead of where it should be. The water was flowing a little more than he expected, but he continued on his solo journey. I think that you can guess what happened next. He came across a partial strainer where the current was swift, lost control of the boat and went swimming. The water was chest high and he had a hard time hanging onto the craft. The canoe almost bent around a tree. He finally was able to get it under control and up the slippery bank. Now he had to get back to his truck. A long trek through the woods made him pine for a cell phone to call for a pick-up. He finally got back to his truck, exhausted after the long trek, humbled because he had been careless, upset that he had lost 2 of his best paddles, but happy that he still had his canoe and that he could tell the tale.