Molly and I were probing the usually easy but sometimes complicated class 1 creek in our canoe while Pop and our friend Wade trailed. It was still mid-March, so 65 degrees is unseasonable, and to have a bankfull of water on Sugar was even lower in probability. But, when we pulled up to the Rt. 427 bridge on Friday with gear and boats at the ready, we saw that we had gotten lucky. Sugar Creek had water.
It was a short ride, about 5 miles or so, to the confluence with French Creek, and the twisting bends of the creek made for a few exciting moments. In mid-March in Northwest PA, the water's cold. Ice cold. But, the canoe race the four of us intend to enter is next week, and so we need to train and Sugar Creek was the only viable gym.
Sugar Creek is a great prototype for class 1 canoeing. Wave trains didn't get too high to threaten a swamp, but without a good line the threat of a tip was there. Islands channelize the creek, providing several options to choose. Every bend in the creek has the possibility of a strainer (we saw many), but the shallow water and low flow are unintimidating. The strainer shown here caused a canoe to spill, but the paddlers were quick to retrieve their gear and didn't even get all that wet.
There is no gauge for Sugar Creek, but when we paddled it this past Friday, French was up at about 7 ft at Utica and falling very slightly. We put-in on the river left side of the creek where 427 crosses it near the Sleepy Hollow Golf Course, though it can probably be run from a point much higher, in Cooperstown I believe. The first possible take out is in the town of Sugar Creek, where two bridges cross the creek about 20 feet apart. The second possible take out is on the left bank of French Creek, just after the confluence. Or, if you're in for a longer haul, you can paddle French Creek to the Allegheny and take out at Franklin's Wiegel Bros Marina. If you do that, be sure to let them know in advance, and give them some business. Their paddle shop is well worth keeping around.
