its been about four years since i have run this sect. but if you haven't run it it is a very beautiful paddle with views around every bend. I would highly suggest paddling this sect and and it is a very easy paddle by the way. Edit

More on the strainer alert: <br /> <br /> The strainer that Mike Mullins referred to is still there. We were on the run for the first time and did not know how soon the Three Falls section was coming up. As mentioned, the strainer looks completely passable on the left side. But what looks like water going over the top of the strainer, actually seems to be water pillowing up on a root ball where it looks passable. Three very competent paddlers in our group wound up going under this strainer because they thought the route was open, and two of them wound up swimming. It was possible at that water level (1150cfs Elk R below Webster Springs) to limbo under the far right side of the strainer, but if the water had been any higher, that option would not have been there. As mentioned, the portage is easy. <br /> <br /> Also- if you put on at Sugar Creek, there is another strainer to contend with shortly after the 8-10 foot ledge on the creek. There is a fallen tree extending across the river from the river right bank, and another fallen tree just behind it, extending from the river left bank. At the level listed above, it is possible to eddy out to the left of the first strainer and ferry between the two, but it is a tight move. Might be a good idea to portage this, too, if the level is any higher.

Copied from WVWA Message Board <br /> <br /> Strainer alert--Backfork of Elk <br /> Posted by Mike Mullins on 3/10/2003 <br /> <br /> Approximately 200 yards b/4 first drop on &quot;Three Falls Section of Back Fork&quot; there is a river wide strainer. It looks like it has been there for a while, but the river left side appears to have picked up several limbs in the recent storms. Because river left side is just at water surface, at higher water, river left may be hidden and/or look passable. Its not, and probably won't be anytime soon. <br /> <br /> There is an easy portage on river left. <br /> <br /> <br />

A group of 6 of us ran this on May 1 2002. GAUGE INFO We ran it at 5.8 and falling slowly on the Webster Springs gauge. The book says 5.8 is minimum and we agree. We did it at that level and had a lot of fun. But I would NOT do it at 5.7 or 5.8 and falling fast. I also ran it in the past at 6.1 and found that level to be a lot of fun also. So the guidebook suggestion of 5.8 to 6.2 I agree with on the low side...on the upper end...well that's up to you. <br /> PUTIN. If Sugar Creek is high enough...put in on Sugar Creek. Otherwise turn around on CR 22 and go back up the hill a short distance until you quickly come to the SECOND dirt road heading downstream in reference to Sugar Creek. The first dirt road is at creek level and only goes a short distance down Sugar Creek. The second dirt road will have A BLACK MAILBOX on it. It is not a driveway. You can even see it on any WV Atlas and Gazetteer. Take it and after about 1/2-3/4 mile, you will come to the Back Fork. We drove downstream about 100-200 yards and parked in a wide spot on the road just before a church. No sweat!! <br /> THE RIVER. Delightful to the max!! The guidebook talks about three falls (indeed the section is known as the &quot;three falls&quot; section. Well, they are all runnable and we ran all 8 of the 3 that we found!! We won't tell you more than that because part of our delight was coming to them and figuring out how to run them. We took at at the the Big Sycamore on river right after parking in the parking area by the footbridge to the Big Sycamore. Unfortunately as of May 2002, the Big Sycamore looks Big Sickandmore.