Upper Gauley Rapids

Front 1

Entrance 3

Back 1

The put in at the dam currently has two boat launches, and if you choose to take the upstream one, you will get to run an extra little rapid. Immediately after flowing from the base of the dam, the stream bed constricts between the right shore and a jumble of large undercut boulders on the left, and forms a nice little wave train. The current that comes out of this constriction pushes directly towards a large slanted boulder just downstream with seemingly magnetic qualities. This rock is badly undercut and the tight slot to the right of it is commonly clogged with wood and debris. It can be easily avoided by simply catching the eddy on the left below the constriction or just staying to the left side of the wave train. Once past Magnetic Rock, you'll drop over a four foot ledge to finish out the rapid. The downstream put in is located below this on the right shore. This launch is accessible from the downstream end of the parking lot.

Front 2

Initiation 4

Back 2

Initiation is the first major rapid on the Upper Gauley. Just after Summersville Dam is out of sight, you will float past a small vegetated island in the middle of the river. Just below this you will notice the horizon line of the First Drop framed by large boulders on both sides. The rapid is composed of three main drops separated by swiftly moving water. Provided that you avoid placing yourself in some nasty areas, the lines are pretty simple and easy to complete.

After passing by some submerged rocks, t he First Drop has a smooth tongue of water going right down the middle. There are eddies on both the left and right below the first drop, but in general the water moves quickly towards the Second Drop.

The Gauley River has, over thousands of years, created a number of interesting death traps, and the first one of note is in Initiaiton's Second Drop. As you approach the horizon line you will see what looks like a friendly surfing wave at the top of the drop. The water that comes off of the right side of this funnels into a constricting crack between undercut rocks. The bottom of this slot is blocked by a chock stone. This slot has been the site of two drowningsin the past and numerous life-changing experiences. Know its location and be sure to stay away. Aside from the ugliness on the right side, the Second Drop has a well pronounced tongue going down into a frothy hole. At very low water levels the main part of this drop is not as straight forward and is really worth a scout.

Initiation's Third Drop is a broken ledge system with some play options in the bottom hole. There is a large undercut boulder guarding the right side at the bottom of the drop.

Front 3

Bud's Boner 4

Back 3

This is located just downstream of the Slant Rock rapid. The widest entrance is in the middle. As you are approcahing the drop, you'll be looking to drop just to the right of a pointy boulder. Be aware that water pulls pretty hard towards this rock if you happen to get too close, and if you're not careful, your boat may end up wrapped around it.

Immediately after going over this first drop, you'll have to back away from a sizable rounded boulder on the right. Once past it, the channel bends to the left and drops down a chute. The main current coming out of this drop will, depending on the water level, push towards either a boulder or a retentive hydraulic, which becomes a keeper above 4000 cfs

Front 4

Insignificant 5

Back 4

Once through Bud's Boner (IV), the river pools and bends sharply to the right, and a rocky horizon line will appear. You will be approaching the first of the Upper Gauley 's Big Five (Class V) Rapids. The rapid starts out very shallow and technical. Kayakers will find a number of different ways through the top, but there are far fewer options for rafters. You will see most of them entering on the left through the rapid's widest channel.

After the technical top section, the rapid quickly opens up and picks up speed. The most distinguishing feature in the upper half of the rapid is the meaty pour over in the middle of the river, which comes into play on all but the sneakiest of routes. It's also pretty tough to see from above. The hole can be missed at fall flow on both the left and the right.

Once past the pour-over the water picks up speed and constricts between the house-sized undercut on the right and the anvil rock on the left which sticks out into the current like a jagged finger. The majority of the current washes up onto and pillows off of the side face of the slanted undercut down into a series of beautiful fluffy wave/holes. Because of a nice return eddy on river left these make a popular play area for boaters. The rapid's exit is guarded by a large boulder on the right.

Front 5

Screaming S-Turn 4

Back 5

This rapid is named after the move that you'll have to make if you choose the left hand line. From the entrance you'll have to ferry far enough to the left to avoid a pinning rock and a nasty undercut slot. At higher flows the push of the water makes for a small margin of error. By fall flow, most rafters will opt for the line down the right side.

The right hand route is pretty straightforward. Just be sure to get far enough to the right to avoid the retentitive ledge hole.

Front 6

Pick a Slot 3

Back 6

This rapid presents the paddler with a number of options for lines through this jumble of boulders. There are some wide open slots on the left and some more interesting and difficult lines in the center and to the right.

Front 7

Iron Curtain 3

Back 7

This rapid was named after the adjacent right cliff face, which has a red pigment due to the iron content in the rock. This rapid is commonly taken right down the middle.

The thing that will require most of your attention regarding this drop is just downstream of the rapid. The tail waters push directly towards a round boulder with seemingly magnetic qualities. It is easy to avoid to both the left and the right, but indecision will most likely lead to a highside and flip. The large slanted boulder immediately below and to the left is undercut. It resembles a Sperm Whale coming out of the water.

Front 8

Pillow Rock 5

Back 8

After Iron Curtain (III), you will paddle down a number of unnamed rapids over the course of a half mile or so. The river will then pool up and bend to the left. You will notice the horizon line signaling the entrance to Pillow Rock Rapid at the end of this pool. If you've seen a picture of the Gauley or of one of your friends rafting it, chances are that you've seen them here. The thirty foot drop over the rapid's course, the extreme constriction of the river, and the piling of the aerated water onto the large boulder at the bottom left all make for a very unique and dramatic section of whitewater. Pillow Rock can be easily scouted from both the left and right shores. If you decide to scramble down the left bank in order to take a peek, you will find a great view of the rapid from the large boulders on the bank.

At least as far as rafts are concerned there are two main routes through this one. The first starts through a narrow slot on the right. At the top, there are some knuckle rocks that can mess up your line on the left side of this channel. From here the waterway quickly opens up and picks up speed. You'll want to be maneuvering your way to the left through this section for a couple of reasons. First of all, you'll want to stay clear of the right shore. The water over here sieves under and through the rocks on the bank. If you want to get a dramatic ride up on the pillow at the bottom of the rapid, you'll also want to get to the left to avoid the meat of the hole at the bottom of the right channel. It will kill the momentum that you needed to get over to the pillow at the bottom.

The left route, also known as the hero route, will require some definite moves to the right in order to avoid a visit to the Room of Doom to the left side of the pillow. The current, which pushes from right to left into the pillow, will fight you the whole way down. This line starts through a slot between some small rocks near the shore. You'll want to pay attention to the reactionary waves coming off of the left bank at the top. They will hit you at a funny angle. At low water levels, the left line becomes the easier of the two routes.

Front 9

Scales 3

Back 9

This is the first major rapid after Pillow Rock. An undercut boulder exists in the center of the channel towards the bottom of the rapid. It can be missed both to the left and the right. At fall levels, there is a surf hole in the middle of the river below the rapid with a nice return eddy on the right bank.

Front 10

Fountain (bubble) Rock 3

Back 10

This one is named after the smooth, round boulder on the right side of the river that is barely pouring over at Autumn release levels (2800 cfs). There is a four-foot drop directly behind it, and if you paddle real hard at it you can ramp your kayak off of the top and get some air time. The bubble rock can be accessed by entering on the right. It looks just like it sounds. There are also routes through the center of the rapid, or you can take your chances on the left in the Tunnel of Love however be careful not to pin in the entrance of the slot.

Front 11

Hungry Mother 3

Back 11

This one is named after the powerful hydraulic in the center of the channel, which makes for a great but retentive surf if you wish to test it. The hole can be easily missed to the right. Below Hungry Mother, the river washes around to both sides of a small rocky island. The water that washes to the right of the island pushes into a deeply undercut boulder with a sizable log jammed into it. This is very dangerous. Be sure to avoid it by staying to the left side of the island.

Front 12

Meadow View 4

Back 12

Below Hungry Mother, the river pools up for a bit and straightens its course. At this point, you will be able to see a good distance downstream to the Gauley's confluence with the Meadow River. Meadow View is located a short distance upstream of the confluence.

This rapid is also called Suckers Go Right by rafters because it is really easy to pin over there in a slot against the right bank. Most rafters will enter on the left, pick their way through the rocks, and drop over a ledge at the bottom.

Front 13

Lost Paddle 5

Back 13

Just below the Gauley's confluence with the Meadow River and the historic Carnifex Ferry site, the river bends sharply to the right and into Lost Paddle (V). It is the longest single rapid on the river and is broken up into four main drops, although above 4000 cfs, it all runs together into a huge continuous mess. Because of it's length and gradient, Lost Paddle is impossible to scout in its entirety from one location. The vegetation on the banks is also pretty thick throughout and there are lots of copperheads down there on the rocks. In other words, the shore can be more uninviting than the water, so be careful. It is a real good idea to check the river gauges before running the Gauley. The Meadow River can at times contribute considerable volume to the Gauley, and it doesn't take much water to make a significant change in the nature of the run.

The top of the rapid is rocky and shallow. There are only a few channels that are wide enough to accommodate rafts, all of which start in the center and funnel to the right. I like to key off of the pyrimid rock in the center of the river at the very top of the rapid. I like to enter just to the left of it. There are numerous possible entrances for kayakers. The current quickly converges over to the right and funnels down into a well defined wave train. It is good to stay to the left side of this wave train to avoid some undercut rocks on the right bank.

The main channel on the Second Drop is made up of of fast moving shallow, rocky water. The most notable feature here is the Hawaii 5-0 wave on the left side of the channel. It's a great hit followed by a steep drop and a quick acceleration. There are numerous undercuts on the far right side of the Second Drop that should be avoided. The water at the bottom of this section pushes directly towards Six Pack Rock in the center of the river. It can be avoided on both the right and the left. The house sized boulder below Six Pack on the right is extremely undercut.

The most notable feature in the Third Drop is the shallow and violent hole in the middle of the channel. It can be missed both to the left and the right. There is a bit of slack water at the bottom of the third drop, and a big eddy on the right. Copperheads can almost always be found in the ledges on the shore between the Third and Fourth Drops, so watch where you step if you're getting out to scout the last and most technical section of Lost Paddle.

The entrance to Tumble Home, Lost Paddle's Fourth Drop, is split by a large jagged boulder in the middle of the river. The right hand route, though more technical, avoids the chance of messing up and getting funneled into one of the death traps on the left side. You will enter to the right of this jagged boulder and immediately ferry to the left to avoid the slanted undercut on the bank. You should then be looking to drop down a left to right slot between boulders. Once through here, the current charges quickly for the exit which is broken into four slots by some large boulders. The two on the far left are wide and clean. The two foot wide Mail Slot is the next one to the right; and should be avoided like the plague. At high water (above 4000 cfs), it is possible to exit out the far right slot, to avoid ferrying in front of the mail slot.

The left line is a bit less technical than the right, however the consequences for error could be very severe. The left line starts near the shore with a slide over a sloping ledge into a weak hydraulic. Once through this you will immediately want to ferry over to the first wide channel on the right to reconnect with those who chose the right entrance.. Almost every rock in Tumble Home is undercut.

Front 14

Connestoga 4

Back 14

This one is named after the rock in the middle of the rapid that looks like an old connestoga wagon, which can be seen best from the entrance. It starts out over a sloping ledge and into a series of friendly wave holes. From here the current will direct you to a small section of calmer water on the right where you will have to decide how you are going to tackle the bottom section of the rapid.

The main area of concern is at the bottom of the center channel. It contains a nasty boiling hydraulic backed up by a rock. Escape from this hole would be difficult to impossible. Be sure that you are aware of where this is before running the rapid because the hole is not visible from the top of the drop. The widest path through the bottom of Connestoga Rapid is on the left. There are also some routes on the far right side over a shallow six foot ledge.

Front 15

Shipwreck 4

Back 15

This rapid is named after the large rock that blocks the entire center of the river at the bottom of the rapid. It is severely undercut across it's whole front face, and forms one of the most deadly hazards on the river. Lines exist around both sides depending on the water level. As a rule of thumb, it is best to be to the left of the undercut at levels below 2000 cfs because the right channel begins to close up and the water that doesn't make it through generally drains from right to left across Shipwreck's upstream face. Above 2000 cfs, the right channel opens up enough for rafts to pass through, and it tends to be a safer passage. At low water there is a guardian rock in front of the giant boulder that diverts a well defined channel of water to the left of the undercut, however at higher flows, water pushes over this with great force directly into the middle of the rock's upstream face. The line still exists to the left at higher water levels, but the move becomes substantially more difficult with an increase in volume and the consequences of error are very serious.

This rapid is located at a left hand bend in the river's course directly below Connestoga Rapid (IV). It can be scouted from both shores and has, depending on the water leve,l both a right and left entrance. The right is a bit more technical and is only runable in rafts at higher water levels, but it avoids the necessity of crossing the river in front of the undercut through the course of the rapid. The left line is a little wider at the top, but has some hazards of its own. A razorback rock is concealed directly behind an inviting wave just after the entrance. You will want to miss all of this mess to the left where you will hug the shore, weave between some boulders and either make a break for the right side of the river or set up for your move to the left at the bottom.

Front 16

Iron Ring 4

Back 16

After passing by Shipwreck (IV), you will encounter some slack water passing through a series of boulders. Iron Ring (V) is the first major horizon line that you will encounter as the river bends sharply to the right. There is a pool on the left at the top and a large shelfy ledge on the left bank. It's a great place to get out and take a look at the drop or portage. From the jagged boulders on the left shore, you can pick out every detail in the rapid.

Aside from walking, there's really only one line through this one, and either you're on it or you're going to wish that you were. That goes for about any water level though obstacles and river dynamics change drastically with volume. As you look at the top of the first drop, your attention should be directed to the large slanted mossy boulder on the right shore.

Water washes up onto this slanted undercut and then funnels down the first drop. Most rafts will enter very close to the left shore and drive straight for the downstream edge of the undercut. At fall flow as you enter here with a raft, you will notice two fluffy waves in the channel. If you put your left tube on both of these as you're driving to the right you're probably on line. At fall levels, provided that you are somewhat on line, the current will most likely push you through the second drop with no effort of your own.

It is at lower water levels that things begin to get more complicated and your margin of error gets extremely thin. The bottom of the First Drop changes from a sweeping tongue of water to a steep and trashy hole that offers upright passage to only perfectly placed boats, and the out wash of the hole directs not toward the Second Drop, but to the left and toward Woodstock Rock, quickly and with great force. Remember, Iron Ring was once coined a Class VI for a reason! There is a big eddy below the rapid to the left and undercuts on the right.

Front 17

Keegan's Falls 3

Back 17

This short rapid comes shortly after Iron Ring (V). It is formed as water pours over a broken ledge. Look for a pointy boulder just to the right of center and enter just to the right of it for some great haystack waves. Watch out for the ledge hole to the left of this rock however. It contains a strong backwash. At lower flows, water sieves through the rocks that form this ledge.

Front 18

Double Dilemma 4

Back 18

This technical rapid has the potential to cause you some big difficulties if you're not careful. For rafters, the widest entrance is a tight channel left of center. Once past the tricky entrance, you'll want to start working your way to the right in order to avoid a pinning rock on the left. Some folks like to enter this one on the right and drop over a chunky ledge. Be careful over there however. It's quite undercut and dangerous.

Front 19

Fingernail Rock 3

Back 19

The most notable feature of this little rapid is the large flat undercut rock on the left side of the river, which can be a major hazard for anyone who enters this rapid on the left and widest entrance. At Autum release levels, this rock should not come into play if you enter the rapid in the center of the river. This center entrance will become too shallow and narrow at low water levels for rafts, and at that time, a ferry from left to right in front of Fingernail Rock may become necessary.

Front 20

Sweets Falls 5

Back 20

The last of the Upper Gauley 's Big Five (Class V) Rapids is located about ten miles below the dam. The fourteen foot falls were named after John Sweet for his first descent of them in 1968. The broken ledge system that forms this powerful rapid provides some options regarding different lines and also numerous hazards.

The main entrance is on the right side just off of the shore where you will punch through a couple of foamy waves. From there, the current quickly carries you toward the horizon line. Stay away from the shelfy right bank. It is undercut from the entrance of the rapid all the way to the edge of the falls, and the water that washes over the right channel pours onto jagged rocks and sieves through the massive boulders at the bottom. Upon approaching the falls, you will first want to notice the rooster tail spouting mist on the left side of the drop at the bottom of the crease in the horizon line. The roostertail is formed by a rock projecting from the ledge about half way down the drop. It promises to bring a serious attitude adjustment to all who find it, so be wary and remember that the water pushes from right to left as it approaches the ledge.

To the right of the crease, the current builds up onto and over the ledge that forms the falls. At the bottom of this vertical drop is a powerful and shallow recirculating hydraulic. At higher flows (4000+ cfs.), this turns into a terrible pour-over as a great portion of the river water pounds over the ledge instead of pillowing off of it and left into the crease.

The water going over the main part of the drop generally falls from right to left as it pillows off of the higher section of the ledge on the right and into the crease. For the picture perfect line over the falls, you will be searching for the coveted green hump at the top right of the crease from where you will slide down the sloping green tongue and slam into the frothy aerated water at the bottom of the drop. There is a fifteen foot margin of error that separates a successful line from fireworks and flying bodies, so know thy line and execute. Good luck.

The ride's not over at the base of the falls as you'll immediately have to take some evasive action to avoid the large boulder blocking the left side of the river. The main current rushes directly towards it. It is aptly named Postage Due, because on a busy day it is not uncommon to see rafts stamped onto its upstream face. Those who wash to the left of Postage Due will find themselves in the Box Canyon.

Front 21

Thumper 3

Back 21

Below Sweet's Falls (V), the river lets up a bit as it meanders its way through some large boulders and breathtaking scenery. You will know that you are approaching Thumper when your view downstream becomes blocked by a sizable accumulation of boulders. Kayakers have the option of entering to the left or to the right; however rafts should choose the left entrance because it provides a much wider channel for navigation. The main flow of the rapid moves from left to right and over a shallow broken ledge system.

Front 22

Nemesis 3

Back 22

You'll come up on this drop not far downstream of Sweet's Falls. There are three available channels in this rapid. The left channel is the widest. There is also a ten foot wide channel flowing from the center to the right, and a kayak slot on the far right. The boulder that separates the center channel from the kayak slot is badly undercut. The stratified right bank below this rapid is also quite undercut.

Front 23

Driftwood 3

Back 23

Driftwood is a shallow, somewhat technical rapid that drains into a nice long pool. There are a number of different ways to enter and navigate this one. The only major obstacle, is a pour over on the right side. The water that goes over the boulder pours onto jagged rocks that protrude from the water. It only comes into play if you enter on the right. The bottom of the rapid contains many hardly visible shallow rocks that will likely hang you up if you aren't paying attention.

Mason Branch river access is located on the right side of the river just downstream of this rapid, and it is here that ACE Whitewater begins their Lower Gauley rafting adventures.