Laurel Creek (Elk River tributary),

2. Erbacon to Centralia

Usual Difficulty	III-IV+ (may vary with level)
Length	9.4 Miles
Avg. Gradient	55 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
ELK RIVER BELOW WEBSTER SPRINGS, WV
usgs-03194700	6.00 - 8.00 ft	III-IV+	01h31m	6.33 ft (rc= 0.2 )

River Description

If it rains hard in the Gauley/Elk watersheds, this beauty is well worth checking out. It is a delightful mix of challenging Class IV and easier drops, such as a series of fun low angle slides near the end. The scenery is stunning. Although remote, there is a rail grade on river right for emergency exit. Don't be discouraged by the writeup in the Canoeing & Kayaking WVA guidebook. It has incomplete and inaccurate information about access at both ends of the run, making it sound harder to access than it really is. Still, the run is long and even with the shortcuts described here you can count on a full day of boating. The directions below, while accurate in 2004, might change because of the shifting nature of mining roads in the area. Bring good maps and, frankly, a GPS with a map overlay is a good idea here.

ACCESS & DIRECTIONS

The putin is located north of Erbacon (Err-Bacun) on CR 3/2, a right turn off Laurel Creek Road before crossing Laurel Creek at Erbacon. Turn left at a 3-way to stay near the creek. A good putin is at a small road pullout where the road closely follows the creek. The creek is flat here, so it's hard to judge the level. To see if the creek is running: Beyond this pullout is a left turn onto a small dirt road that runs along the creek. Drive down the dirt road a bit to a washed out ford at a smaller tributary and hike through the woods to look at the first slide rapid. If it is boatable, the rest of the creek will be.

The takeout is located where Laurel Creek runs into Sutton Lake. The guidebook mentions a campground involving 2 miles of lake paddling, but you can easily takeout river left by using a fishing access lot river left and just off Bakers Run Road and close to the Bakers Run/Centralia road intersection. You could also takeout right at the bridge, though the carry is steep and brushy. The fishing access is a small lot just off Bakers Run Rd. There is a trail that leads to the lakeshore. Hike down so you know what the takeout looks like.

To get from the putin to the takeout, you can follow the directions in the WVA book (45 minutes one way). Or, you can try this shortcut: Get back to Erbacon from the putin and head north on Laurel Creek Rd., which climbs steeply and turns to gravel. At a sharp bend in the road, take a small side road on the right that wasn't marked in 2004 but has a stop sign for traffic coming onto Laurel Creek Rd. Stay on the main road, ignoring side roads and veers that seem related to mining in the area. Eventually you will come to Centralia Road. Turn right and head for the lake (25 minutes).

THE RAPIDS:

The first rapid is a slide. Down the middle is easiest but might be scrapy. There is a slot move on the right guarded by a hole and undercut shelf. The next rapid is a bouldery, blind slide we ran on the right. After a couple more drops, you'll come to what the book calls Headache. This IV+ is the hardest rapid on the run. The entry is a slide with current pushing left to right. The easier line is to work left against the current and thread a slot on the left. Running down the right involves negotiation among sticky holes and between undercuts. Below here the river alternates between good III-IV action and easier stretches. There are several nice blind drops. At and below a low water bridge there is a series of long low-angle slides where the river runs fast over the bedrock. As with most small streams, be on the lookout for wood, but we only had a couple portages on our run. The gradient listed above is misleading. There are several steeper sections of the run, offset by some short flat stretches early on and a longer one near the end

Enjoy, Mark Anderson