The River Gypsies Guide of North America, written August 2009
Publish date: April, 2010
Images of actual text coming soon.
Lower Yough Description:
Most Mid-Atlantic boaters attribute their passion—and obsession—with kayaking to the Lower Youghiogheny. Here, many feel the first taste air off a boof, the first flawless connection of technical moves or the first continuous surf session. While friendly enough for beginners, intermediate paddlers frequent this stretch to build and maintain their skills for the countless creeks in the area. Stop by the river on a weekday evening and you’ll find the local legends in the midst of a painful yet gratifying attainment session of Entrance, the first and longest rapid.
Yet the most unique aspect of the Lower Yough is the shuttle-free Loop section. The first, and steepest, mile and a half of the river bends around Ferncliff Peninsula making for a painless 1/4 mile hike back to the put-in. Many boaters come to town with no intention of setting shuttle, prepared to do several laps on this short, fun section. Put-in at the normal launch site just below the falls. Be ready for Cucumber rapid, the second on the loop stretch and often the most troublesome. Although only composed of one drop, the rapid notoriously surprises the novice boater with shallow rocks amist the waves and holes. So try to stay upright. Run just right of the large flat rock on river left and you should be fine. The loop take-out is easily recognized on river right just after Railroad rapid, identified by the towering railroad bridge turned bike path crossing the river.
Continuing downstream you will come to Dimple rock, an undercut on river left with a must make right move above. Thanks to Ohiopyle State Park, signs on the riverside will warn you when it is near, if you chose to scout or portage. Immediately after is Swimmers surf wave, a dreamy but shallow river-wide hole that’s so smooth you could take a nap while surfing on a hot summer day. Bottle of Wine comes next boasting one of the biggest boofs on the river. Enter from river right and boof center. Several more fun rapids follow before you see Brunner Run take-out on river left, again noted by a sign. Keep in mind during your day that most locals boof, splat or spin on every rock down this classic stretch of the Youghiogheny.
Perhaps you are wondering why the beautifully clean 20-footer just upstream from the put-in hasn’t been mentioned yet. That’s because its almost always illegal to run. Ohiopyle State Park has deemed the drop too dangerous for the amount of private boater traffic the area sees. While negotiations continue, there are a couple ways you can still try it out. The first is Falls Fest weekend in August where safety is set, races are held and everyone comes out to run the falls. Another loophole is going through one of the local outfitters for an instruction clinic, since they possess the necessary paperwork and licenses. Either way, the drop is as smooth and fun as it looks so do whatever you can to make it happen.
Logistics and Directions:
If your Lower Yough day falls on a busy summer weekend be sure to call the state park in advance for launch permits (724-329-8591). Most other days just grab a permit when you arrive at the boat launch area ($4). Not getting out there till the crack-of-one? Might as well wait until 3pm and launch without a permit or fee. Do be sure to sign in though, even if just going for loop run.
Brunner Run take-out can be reached by turning right just after passing through town going south on 381. Brown state park signs will remind you. Follow this road to the end and park in Old Mitchell Lot. A shuttle will bring you up the two mile hill from the river to the lot, but not if you’ve forgotten to get a shuttle token at the launch booth ($3.50).
Ohiopyle State Park, housing the small town of Ohiopyle, can be reached from the south from the Bruceton Mills exit, Rt. 26, off of I-68. This becomes PA 281 north where you’ll turn left onto PA 40 west toward Farmington. Turn right onto PA 381 before the Pizza Hut to take you into Ohiopyle.
If approaching from the north take exit 91 at Donegal off the PA Turnpike and turn left onto PA 31 east. After a couple miles turn right onto PA 711/PA 381 south. Normalville will appear after ten miles when you’ll follow PA 381 south by turning left. Another eleven miles and you’re in Ohiopyle!
Gauges and Levels:
Summer heat and drought hold no power in Ohiopyle. The Youghiogheny Dam ten miles upstream releases enough water to maintain recreational levels in the river all summer long. Expect good surf and mellower moves under 3ft. At higher levels, specifically from 4-6ft, big water play features can be found down the entire stretch. Check out the waves under the 381 bridge above the falls at these levels for easy park and play. Above 10ft expect holes that could trash your VW van in a blink, sucking whirlpools and wave trains to the moon. Kayakers might be absent from the Lower Yough at these higher levels as all of the local creeks in the area are more than likely going off. If you want more info stop by Wilderness Voyageurs, owned and operated by kayakers all year long.
Cheat River Description:
Think that deep canyons lined with unique rock formations and raging with big class IV rapids can only be found out west? Think again. Welcome to Cheat Canyon, an 11-mile wilderness run nestled in the mountains of northeastern West Virginia.
The scattered holes and large waves of Beech Run, the only major rapid before the river drops into the canyon, provide a taste of the river's character on a smaller scale. Most run on the right but other lines can be explored. Downstream the river seemingly calms, bending to the right. The flow is preparing to drop into Big Nasty, a river-wide, sporadic big surf wave below 1600 CFS, a river-wide boat thrashing hole at higher flows. Starting center due to smaller holes on the far left at the top of the rapid, work toward river left to just miss the hole. The higher the water, the harder you work. A trail on river right serves as the last chance to walk out of the canyon, in case you've gotten in over your head.
At the end of the large pool below Big Nasty, Typewriter awaits, one of the river's two best surf spots. A large, dynamic feature with great river right eddy access might entice you to spend all day here, but remember that you still have about 9 miles of great whitewater ahead.
The next three miles provide more meaty class III rapids with various lines and play. The main current will then flow to the left revealing the second greatest play spot, Cue Ball. Lap it using the river right eddy access and grab a snack at this mid-point spot on the run.
Teardrop rapid comes next as the main current flows toward the right side of the riverbed. Get as close as possible to the large rock the rapid is named for--shaped like a large tear-drop. Follow this current for a smooth, but aggressive ride.
A broad rock wall on river left emerges in the next half mile that will help you identify High Falls rapid just below. Scouting on the left helps greatly here as well as allows you to appreciate the quarter-mile, river-wide white chaos you are about to navigate. The most common line is just left of center through the some big waves and holes, but by no means is it the only viable line. Beware of shallow rocks here and the surprise peton.
After another fun class III rapid, think about heading to river right shoreline to take a look at Coliseum, the next big rapid. The main flow takes the right channel in the river bed and immediately forms a nearly channel-wide hole, Recyclatron, on the right. Similar to Big Nasty, this spot can be great play at lower flows, but a nightmare with more water. Run to the left of the hole, working back to the center of the channel to miss the next hole in the second drop. After Coliseum be sure to check out the canyon's distinctive rock formations, where the rapid gets its name.
Don't expect a break from the action after you're past these two drops. The river flows to the left where you will encounter more big holes and waves for your punching pleasure. At the end of this continuous stretch lies the last big rapid, Pete Morgans. Run down the center channel with a fierce determination.
Come discover the adventure of kayaking through Ohiopyle’s premier instructional program. With sections of river ranging from Class I to Class V on our very own Youghiogheny River we personally tailor each clinic to meet your individual needs, from the beginner to the advanced paddler.
Our Instructors Wilderness Voyageurs’ instructional staff
We help you to build a solid foundation of proper technique, confidence and control while enjoying the scenic river valley of the Laurel Highlands. Our guaranteed novice programs start from the very beginning with a smooth and supportive introduction to this amazing sport, making learning easier than ever!
Beginner kayak group instruction BOOK YOUR SPOT FOR THE NEXT WEEKEND while there is still space! This is a great way to start. It will be a group session, which will save you some money while still being a great intro to the sport. The cost is $185 per person and includes:
Private Instruction Don't be distracted by others - get your instructors full attention.
What will I learn? A typical clinic might go like this… Day one will begin by introducing you to the kayak and all your gear. Moving onto the water either on nearby Youghiogheny Lake or right in our backyard on the Middle Yough, we will go over safety procedures like the wet exit and breakdown the different strokes needed to make your boat go where you want. With edge control exercises and lots of paddling practice your comfort level in the kayak will soar. Later in the day you will get to paddle through gentle currents learning techniques such as ferrying, eddy turns, peel-outs and basic river reading.
Day two will reinforce the new skills you’ve just learned. If water levels cooperate, this day is spent running the scenic Middle Youghiogheny, navigating through class I and II whitewater. We also introduce to the bow rescue and bracing techniques, both of which we’ll then use to teach the Eskimo Roll. From here, days three, four and five will find you building upon your skills by running sections of rivers such as the Loop or even the whole Lower Yough. Additional rolling practice will also be included. The longer your clinic, the more comfortable you will be to venture out on your own!
What then? Upon the completion of your clinic, your instructor will be happy to discuss options for continuing your pursuit of whitewater kayaking from obtaining your own gear to getting you out on the river.
Friday night Loop runs! Practice pays off! Once your skills progress and you are comfortable on the Lower Yough - join us for Friday night Loop runs. Meet at 6:30 at our store in Ohiopyle.
Creeking Clinic on the Upper Yough Getting to be a star on the Lower Yough and want to step it up a notch? Thinking you are ready to take on the Upper Yough? You might be interested in this advanced kayak instruction.
Our Instructors Wilderness Voyageurs’ instructional staff can frequently be spotted on local rivers such as Meadow, Fikes, Top and Upper Yough because kayaking is what we love to do best! Many of our instructors have over 10 years of kayaking experience on rivers all over the world. As former US Kayak Team members, owners Eric and Lynne Martin have set the standards high and continue to promote the development of their employees within the sport. We live and breathe kayaking and can’t wait to share this unique and highly addicting sport with you!
Advanced clinics: Creeking on the Upper Yough, Playboating. You've been paddling class III, are feeling more and more comfortable and think it's time to step it up a notch. Paddling in this area offers great opportunities - there are numerous creeks and of course, the east coast gem of creeking: the Upper Yough. With releases every Monday, Friday and Saturday, it is guaranteed paddling! Of course, you might not quite be ready for the Upper Yough, but would really like to bombproof your roll, work on your boof, refine your strokes and generally just start preparing for the next step. That is where we come into the picture. Wilderness Voyageur's instructors are passionate about teaching and helping paddlers develop their skills. Or...do you just want to run waterfalls?? Take part in our Running Waterfalls Clinic on Valley Falls, WV Paddling up to the lip of a waterfall might be one of the coolest things you can do in your kayak as well as one of the scariest. Join our instruction staff for a day clinic on running waterfalls on nearby Valley Falls. You’ll learn how to approach, take-off and land over different types of waterfalls as well as log in as many runs as you can possibly manage in one day due to the convenience the site offers. Practice makes perfect so you can be confident on that 20-footer drop you’ve wanted to style.
