View Full Version : Ten Mile River
If anyone has experience with Ten Mile River in CT/NY I would love to hear from you. I have no car and would like to do a trip using Metro North to float down to the Ten Mile River lean-to on the AT. Then hike to Pawling NY the next day for the train back to Brooklyn. The put in would be the Ten Mile River Station, or Dover Plains. If this is possible I am planning on using a Sevylor Trail Boat, which I don't own yet and my usual backpacking set up plus some extra waterproof precautions.
You should just hike it. The housatonic isn't at incredibly high levels and you run a very likely risk of destroying the inflatable boat on some hidden rocks. You'll also have to hop out of the water when you get to the Bulls Bridge Dam. Beyond that, there's some rapids that'll rip it to shreds.
Tenmile River Station is a 7mi roadwalk to the AT itself. Arrange for a shuttle. Hitching aint too bad around there, either. As much rap as kent gets, it's full of great people.
I'm in the area once a month. When are you going for it?
The hike up Algo / Schagticoke Mountain, down to the bulls bridge area and along the housatonic to the Ten Mile River shelter is a tame hike. Pretty much the same out to pawling.
The AT Trainstation only picks up / drops off on Weekends and Holidays.
Thanks for the advice, but I go "just" hiking in the area all the time. The point is to change things up a little. Also I wasn't planning on paddling the housatonic I wanted to use Ten Mile River.
Oh, well then yeah there is that. To each his own.
sasquatch2014
03-21-2010, 07:32
Saw some folk floating it yesterday fair water levels right now. You may want to give Mack Rand a call he is the shelter maintainer for the Wiley Shelter but for his real job he runs an outfitters call Great Blue Outfitters. He does mostly Canoe and kayak trips and the like I know he also does some shuttle for the same type of thing. Pretty sure he has done this trip.
Sasquatch this is exactly the info I was looking for thanks
sasquatch2014
03-21-2010, 21:36
Thank god now that i have been helpful for the year i can now go back to being an annoying pest in all the other threads. If they say I am never of any help i will refer them back to your post. ;)
To expand on what sasquatch posted.....
I just stopped in to Great Blue Outfitters today to inquire about a Housatonic trip. They mentioned doing more local paddle and hiking trips like the Great Swamp and the lower portion of Ten Mile river. What apparently has been a problem recently is windfalls (trees crossing the river preventing passage).
GBO mentions on their website that they will gladly pick you up at the Patterson or Pawling train station. Rentals include shuttle to/from the store to anywhere within 10 miles. The Ten Mile River area is doable for $5 extra round trip and they have regular put-ins and take-outs that they use.
For you trip I might suggest the following:
Take the Harlem line to Patterson or Pawling and have them pick you up (if you're really up to it, the Patterson train station is about a 3 mile walk on level roads). Rent a kayak and take the shuttle to the Ten Mile River put-in. Paddle the river to the bend in the river near Webatuck where the take-out is. (There is a restaurant there if you wanted to grab some lunch - or pack one). GBO can then take the kayak back and shuttle you to somewhere along the AT where you can hike from one section to the other. (You can't take their kayaks all the way to Bull's Bridge, the white water is too rough - Class III or better in areas). I'm sure they could drop you off at say, the Ten Mile River Shelter where you can hike to the AT stop on the Harlem Line for the trip back (as noted before, weekends/holidays only with limited service). GBO could probably also pick you up for the return trip to the station.
I'm sure they've done custom trips before, just hit them up and see what they can do for you. Chris was nice and very informative.
Here's a link:
http://www.greatblueoutfitters.com/
They also rent bikes via Pawling Cycle and Sports - the area has some excellent bicycling roadways and trails:
http://www.pawlingcycle.com/
Hit us up here if you want any more information or help with local sites. Best of all, enjoy your trip.
sasquatch2014
04-18-2010, 07:49
If you do as PSI said tell Mac that you want to be dropped off at his shelter. He also besides GBO to be the care taker for the Wiley Shelter a 1.5 miles from the CT state line.