Youghiogheny - 4. Middle


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Youghiogheny,

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4. Middle (Confluence to Ohiopyle)

Usual Difficulty II (may vary with level)
Length 10.4 Miles
Avg. Gradient 11 fpm
Max Gradient 20 fpm

Middle Yough


Middle Yough
Photo of Roger Dennerll and T. Austin Markoff on one of the many flatwater stretches by Terry Markoff (KHCC)

Gauge Information

Name Range Difficulty Updated Level
Youghiogheny River below Confluence, PA
usgs-03081000 1.50 - 11.00 ft II 03h47m 2.49 ft (rc= 0.1 )


River Description

For more information, see Keystone Canoeing by Gertler.

This is a run for beginning whitewater paddlers, maybe a bit challenging for open canoes (the old kind, not the ones you see Paddleman running in all the videos). It begins with Ramcat Rapids, which is a good training ground, and ends with Elephant Rock, which can mess up a novice. The law requires that you take out before the bridge in Ohiopyle, so you don't risk inadvertantly going over Ohiopyle Falls.

Other related or nearby streams:
Lower Yough (Class III)
Casselman (Class I-III)
Meadow Run (Class V)
Upper Yough (Class IV-V)
Top Yough (Class IV-V)


StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2009-05-30 02:34:25

Father and son

Detail Trip Report Edit  Father and son  Middle Yough, PA(1.41MB .jpeg)

Patchito

Detail Trip Report Edit  Patchito  Middle Yough, PA(1.40MB .jpeg)

Middle Yough

Detail Trip Report Edit  Middle Yough  Middle Youghiogheny, PA(33.15KB .jpeg)

Michelle (Mac) Surfing Fast & Clean

Detail Trip Report Edit  Michelle (Mac) Surfing Fast & Clean  Youghiogheny, PA(684.61KB .jpeg)

Fast and Clean Rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  Fast and Clean Rapid  Middle Yough, PA(62.27KB .jpeg)

Elephant Rock Rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  Elephant Rock Rapid  Middle Yough, PA(111.03KB .jpeg)

Mark Loeffler, Horizon Line, Ohiopyle Falls

Detail Trip Report Edit  Mark Loeffler, Horizon Line, Ohiopyle Falls  Youghigheny, PA(759.17KB .jpeg)

Flipper hole 2

Detail Trip Report Edit  Flipper hole 2  Youghiogheny, pa(234.55KB .jpeg)

Flipper hole

Detail Trip Report Edit  Flipper hole  Youghiogheny, pa(3.06MB .jpeg)


Gauge Information

Gauge Description:

Probably gets perty fast about 6 feet or so.

Gauge Information

Name Range Difficulty Updated Level
Youghiogheny River below Confluence, PA
usgs-03081000 1.50 - 11.00 ft II 03h47m 2.49 ft (rc= 0.1 )

RangeWater LevelDifficultyComment
1.50 -11.00 ft barely runnable-high runnable II

Report - Reports of Youghiogheny 4. Middle and related gauges

Reports give the public a chance to report on river conditions throughout the country as well as log the history of a river.

Reports

When River/Gauge Subject Level Reporter
Youghiogheny [pa] Flipper hole 2 1.5+ Michael Maloney
Middle Yough [PA] Fast and Clean Rapid 2.3ft Steve Kreim
Middle Youghiogheny [PA] Middle Yough n/a Matt Muir
1y134d23h47m Middle Yough [PA] Father and son 3.3' John Alden
3y200d07h47m Youghiogheny [PA] Michelle (Mac) Surfing Fast & Clean 2.4 @ Confluence Steve Kreim
4y99d07h47m Youghigheny [PA] Mark Loeffler, Horizon Line, Ohiopyle Falls ~1.8 ft. Brett Mayer-Aschhoff

WXPort

News





Guidebooks



World Whitewater: A Global Guide for River Runners
$16.07


Wildwater West Virginia, 4th ed.
$13.95


A Canoeing and Kayaking Guide to West Virginia, 5th ed.
$11.87

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Rapid Summary

Mile Rapid Name Class Features (Legend)
0.1RamcatHazard Playspot
0.5FlipperHazard Waterfall
0.8Drakes RapidHazard Playspot
5.5The HaystacksHazard Waterfall Playspot
7.5Elephant RockTakeout Hazard Playspot Photo

Rapid Descriptions

Ramcat
The first rapid in the river. Usually run down the middle or right side at lower water to avoid rocks. At high water, a wicked hydraulic forms on the river left at the bottom. Not a great place to be.

Flipper
Mainly a ledge covering the left 2/3 of the river. Easily run right over the middle, if you keep the boat straight. Something has shifted in that hole, as at 2 feet it was surfing a raft and a canoe at the same time, so try to have some speed. The sneak is on the river left near the bank.

Drakes Rapid
You will see several large boulders on the river left. That is drakes run, a good class 5 creek. The rapid is run right down the middle, avoiding the 2 pinning rocks on the left. Had a canoe taco around one of them once and it took about an hour to get it off. At high water, some good 6+' surfing waves.

The Haystacks
After a lot of flatwater, and a couple shallow rapids, comes the Haystacks. There are several medium sized boulders on the right. The sneak line is along the left side, with the main line right through the waves in the middle.

Elephant Rock

Elephant Rock Rapid

Elephant Rock Rapid
Photo of Todd Mitchell by N/A taken June 26, 2000 @ 2.3ft

A very large rock right in the middle of the river. Normally run on the right side, through the smaller waves. An interesting route at around 2 feet is to run about 10 feet left of the elephant. At higher levels, you can even right through a little slot about a foot to the left of the Elephant. Good surfing to the left of the rock. The Take-out is about a 1/4 mile downstream on the left. Look for the white sign



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