SUPing on the Champlain Canal

By John Berninger

Wind and horse powered canal schooners once brought lumber and grain from Canada to New York harbor and returned north with Pennsylvania coal loaded at Kingston. Trade in these and many other commodities skyrocketed with the completion of the manmade section of the Champlain Canal from Fort Edward to Whitehall in 1823. Recreational paddlers and boaters now have these 24 quiet and scenic miles for our enjoyment.

On three recent one-day trips I paddled my standup paddleboard in both directions from Lock 9 in Smith’s Basin to Lock 12 in Whitehall. Champlain Canal trivia question: What’s the number of the lock that was never built? Standup paddleboards are not allowed in the locks, but with the use of the New York State Canalway Water Trail Guidebook and Map Set you can go anywhere on the canal by the paddling method of your choice. The free book with four maps is available at Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor: eriecanalway.org/watertrail.

On day one, I paddled from Lock 12 in Whitehall to Lock 11 in Comstock, a round-trip of 12 miles. I launched my paddleboard at the lovely Riverside Park in Whitehall. Riverside Park is the home of Skenesborough Museum that’s open Friday-Sunday. After paddling south for about a mile, I turned left and headed east up the Mettawee River for a short distance. The Mettawee has its origin in the Green Mountains of Dorset, Vt., and is known far and wide for its trout fishing and whitewater paddling. Here on the Champlain Canal, the Mettawee River calmly meets its destiny, having spent the wild energy of its youth in the highlands to the east.

I crossed paths with a few motor boats on this trip and they were all very courteous, slowing way down so as to not create a wake. One of the boats had three 400 horsepower engines, power which would have been inconceivable to Captain Theodore Bartley. Capt. Bartley owned and operated several canal boats on the rivers and canals between New York Harbor, Canada and Buffalo. He left behind 1,500 pages of daily accounts spanning 30 years, which is like a time machine containing all the details of the daily life of an ordinary person in an extraordinary time. They have been condensed and published as Life on a Canal Boat, the Journals of Theodore D. Bartley 1861-1889. Like most people of his time, Capt. Bartley’s life was a constant struggle to provide the necessities of life for his family, who often lived on the boat with him.

On July 4, 1876, 145 years and one day before my paddling excursion, he wrote, “The one hundredth year of our Independence. I feel bad to think I cannot afford to lay still and celebrate the day, but don’t feel that I ought to lose even a single day because I owe considerable.”

There are many small streams and remnants of older canals to explore off to the side of the main canal if you are feeling adventurous. I reached Lock 11 and its spillway at Comstock and it was time to turnaround and have the gentle current and light breeze in my favor for a change.

The second day of my trip took me from Fort Ann to Lock 9. Paddling the main channel of the Champlain Canal is like cruising along a smooth, wide boulevard, so a side trip off the main drag makes for a nice change of pace. Halfway Creek is just the ticket; it’s like a narrow, winding country road with something new around every corner. The creek got its name because it marks the halfway point on the old overland trail, which connected Lake Champlain to the Hudson River, before the completion of the Canal.

There are quite a few trees that have fallen into Halfway Creek with more lurking below the surface, just waiting to upset the balance of an unsuspecting standup paddleboarder. The fin at the rear of the paddleboard extends down nine inches so if it hits a submerged log or rock the paddleboard will stop and the pilot will remain in motion… Always paddle slowly and carefully when there are submerged objects, or else you can turn around and bring a kayak next time. After 1.4 miles of paddling upstream I reached Kane Falls, which has a mighty roar but is mostly obscured by trees. 

It was now time to head south to Lock 9 and Big Creek. I couldn’t tell how big the Big Creek was because there’s a big concrete dam holding it back. I guess it’s a pretty big deal. Like many of New York’s canals, there’s a bike path close by, so cyclists and walkers can enjoy the beauty of the canal, too.

Day three also began at Fort Ann, but this time I headed north to Lock 11 in Comstock. The water was a bit high and muddy from the recent rain, and the current was a little stronger than usual. As I paddled near the shore, I saw a short chain anchored in a rock and that got me wondering how old it was and what it was used for. I tied my paddleboard there and imagined how busy the Canal was back in the day, with up to 1,800 canal boats working in Lake Champlain and the Champlain Canal. Later, I was delighted to find some cattle relaxing on the shore and they seemed to be curious about the human floating around on the water. They soon wandered off when they realized that I wasn’t going to share my Clif Bar with them. 

Often, when I’m bicycling, hiking or running in the summer, I think “If only I could go for a swim right now.” When you’re paddling your SUP on a warm day, taking a dip in the refreshing water is as easy as rolling off a log. Getting back on isn’t quite so easy, so you might want to practice where you can touch the bottom. Learning the basics of paddling technique is worthwhile if you plan to travel more than a short distance. The idea is to use your core and shoulder muscles instead of your arms, which will quickly tire if they have to do all the work. To get you started, REI has a couple of videos on SUP basics and paddle strokes: youtube.com.

Whether you have experience on the water or are just getting your feet wet in paddlesports, these manmade parts of the Champlain Canal will provide you with a calm, safe, and scenic experience rich in history. The NYS Canalway Water Trail Guidebook and Map Set is a great resource to our state’s amazing canals. 

Finally, the answer to the trivia question is Lock 10, which was never built. In 1906, canal engineers were able to eliminate a lock by increasing the lifts of Lock 9 and 11. 

John Berninger (jwilbern3333@gmail.com) is a retired chemist and a member of the Slingerlands Fire Dept. He enjoys cycling and XC skiing, and has been known to dabble in other outdoor activities. He is a native of Ghent, was educated at RPI, and lives in Slingerlands with his wife Nancy.