Stream or Brook?

[eddie]

I don't think there is any difference. What's the difference between a street and an avenue...
Maybe brooks run north-south and streams run east-west.

 

[SteveHiker]

Near where I grew up, is Twenty Mile Stream. However, everyone around refers to it as the brook. In fact the section of Route 131 that runs along the Black River near where Twenty Mile Stream merges is referred to by nearly everyone I know as the "brook road".

I think this another of those things like what do you call a sandwich made on foot-long slices of bread with lots of meat and cheese and lettuce and tomatos, etc. in it? I always called it a grinder, when I went to college in New York, no one knew what I was talking about.

 

[Neil]

So, how does one differentiate between a hill and a mountain? Or a hike and a climb for that matter?
And yes Ripple I was at that party. Splendid, wasn't it?

 

[snowshoe]

Now it seems to me that the Kinderhook Creek would be called a river in Mass. Same with the Battenkill, to me, that's a river. Can I also surmise that streams are nameless? I've never heard of John's Stream, or Allagash Stream. That tells me that streams are smaller than brooks.

There is a lake by me called Steenykill Lake. Now remember Kill is dutch for river. That means we have the steenyriver lake. What sence does that make. Then there is the Cedar swamp, which is really a bog. I think most of these name come from a long time ago, before anyone new what the real term for each was.

 

[carole]

So why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?

 

[hillman1]

Back to the stream and creek question--I know people go creeking in whitewater kayaks. I have never heard of someone going "streaming". Some brave souls have paddled johns brook. I think that is considered creeking, but you could probably call it brooking. Actually, if you can run that one, you can call it whatever you want. Still lots of 1st descents to be had in the adirondacks for the kayaker section of vftt if anyone is interested next spring.