Oneonta question

The only time I actually hiked into the falls was pre-logjam (early 80's). Since then I've never been past the log jam. What's the best way over the logs and how high is the water in late July and august? I'm hoping to be able to make this trek before the summer is out.

I heard that access onto the logjam now requires full immersion and some swimming. I guess some boulders or logs may have washed out. I have heard this from a couple of sources, yet haven't checked it out myself.

In any case, once you are onto the log jam there is no defined route, everyone with their different flexibility/speed abilities seems to take their own way. It's not very hard at all, especially if you take your time. After the log jam the water never gets past the chest.

I wonder if the USFS would allow a volunteer crew to simply go in and cut up the logs into smaller pieces that could float out during high water? It seems kind of odd to allow the logs to pile up to a point where they could back up the stream and create a blow-out that threatens the bridge structures on the highway, not to mention the impact on visitors to the gorge.

Tom

I've got a 24" chain saw... That should take care of most of them!

We went this summer and the log jam seemed tougher to negotiate than it had been a few years ago. My wife wasn't willing to climb it but, I saw much less likely candidates who already had I carried both boys (7 and 2) through the waist deep water at near the end. Not a bad place to be on a hot summer day.

There was a narrow route around the left-side (East) of the logs through which many people were circumventing the most challenging climb at the start of the jam.

If you hug the left wall of the gorge, you can get up and over the logjam without getting your feet wet in a fairly easy manor, but you'll still likely have to deal with waist deep, or more, water on the other side. Last time I was there, there was a deer carcus lodged in the middle of it all that made the crossing a little spooky and smelly (I never got off the logs, so I couldn't confirm the depth of the creek).

A couple years ago, I worked my way atop one of the rocks to see what kind of shot I could get, and just about broke my neck it was so slick.

Well, thanks for the advice guys. I'll be trying it after my knee is a little stronger.

So do you guys carry your gear in a dry bag, or just hold it over your head like a rifle?

It would be nice to see those logs gone but I think they are there to stay for a long time.

A couple years ago, I worked my way atop one of the rocks to see what kind of shot I could get, and just about broke my neck it was so slick.

Well, thanks for the advice guys. I'll be trying it after my knee is a little stronger.

So do you guys carry your gear in a dry bag, or just hold it over your head like a rifle?

the logs provide good fish habitat and will probably not be moved by anyone but nature. i've seen salmonids under the logs and that's probably enough for the forest service to leave them. there would actually be a very complicated procedure to get them moved. endangered species take, all that...

anyway i have a pair of lacrosse extra-tuffs with 'caulks' (pronounced corks) on them, metal spikes - think golf shoes on steroids that make things like that quite easy to negotiate.

Well, that's an excellent point, Michael - after all, they've been bolting new logs into place on other streams, so I guess it goes without saying that these would be viewed first as a habitat plus. So maybe a hiker's style, like the kind that they used to build over livestock fences...?

Tom

Maybe we're looking at the logjam all wrong. Maybe we don't need to tear it down, we need to build it up a little more so that we can get over the deep section by walking across more logs on the far end. Hell, if we get one running parallel to the wall of the gorge that straddles that deep pool on the back side of the gorge, we could nail hand rails to the side of it to ease the traverse.