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Potomac, Laurel Fork of North Fork of South Branch - Route 642 to confluence with Straight Fork
Potomac, Laurel Fork of North Fork of South Branch, Virginia, US/West Virginia, US |
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Route 642 to confluence with Straight Fork (Laurel Fork)
| Usual Difficulty | II-III+ (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 9.5 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 80 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 80 fpm |
Laurel Fork of The Potomac
Laurel Fork of The Potomac
Photo of Ron Molinas by Mark Anderson taken 11/03
Gauge Information
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER AT FRANKLIN, WV | ||||
| usgs-01605500 | 3.75 - 6.50 ft | II-III+ | 00h16m | 2.55 ft (too low) |
River Description
Summary:
This is a wilderness headwaters run in the Potomac River watershed that offers the chance to
paddle through a near-pristine setting. Though the whitewater is continuous, there are no rapids
that exceed Class III at a medium level. The primary risks are strainers - we portaged 12 times
in October, 2003 - and low hanging rhodedendron along the banks and in some of the braided
channels. Familiarity with small creek running will definitely make for a more enjoyable day, as
this run borders on an advanced ranking despite the relative ease of the whitewater.
Access:
Located primarily in Highland County, Virginia, this creek confluences to form the North Fork in
Pendleton County, West Virginia at the community of Hardscrabble. The takeout is at a bridge over
the creek at CR 19. The northwest side of the bridge seems to be the best place to park. The
putin is 40 minutes away in Virginia above the Laurel Fork Special Management Area. Putin just
off CR 642 about 1/4 mile south of a bridge crossing the Laurel Fork at an unposted roadside
campsite. For the shuttle route consult your West Virginia and Virginia Gazetteers.
The Run:
After you put in you will immediately be in fast Class II water, which is standard gear for the
creek. It's fun floating, however, with lots of small slides and chutes. The morphology is open,
like most of the streams in this area of the watershed. In the first few miles, the creek picks
up to mild Class III only occasionally. There are a few braided channels. Generally, you will
want to find the biggest channel and get into it, even if that means climbing over a tree. The
rhodedendron along the creek are absolutely huge. Though beautiful, they can make a portage a
hands-and-knees crawl under the bushes. Occasionally, the skill to grab said rhodedendron comes
in handy when you can't find an eddy.
About halfway through the run you will encounter the first solid Class III rapid near where
Christian Run spills in on river right. This ledge drop with a hard right turn marks the
beginning of a mile or so of good fun Class III river running. The last drop is a III+ with a
mean hole that requires some boof-skills. After this section, it's back to Class II with the
occasionally III. Near the end of the run, we encountered a sketchy channelized section. Pay
careful attention here, as we scrambled to stop above one set of strainers in very fast water.
Editors
Rapid Descriptions
No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. Run take out. There are several strainers before the Bearwallow Trail intersection a couple miles
in, most of which can be seen from far enough away to have time to stop. Below the Bearwallow trail
intersection (you'll see a small wooden signpost on the left bank of the stream where the first
tributary enters from the left), strainers are infrequent until the final mile or so of river.
There are three strainers to watch for after Bearwallow: First, there is a hemlock across the
stream immediately after a sharp left hand turn. At runnable levels one can paddle over this
strainer on the right, but the landing is in shallow water. Do not get sucked under on the left.
Approximately 2-3 miles downstream (it will go fast) you'll pass a curved tree crossing the river
which can be paddled under on the left or over on the right, no problem. Shortly after that, but
out of sight, is a huge log jam. Pull out above the log jam on river right on a small gravel bar
that may be submerged at higher water levels. There is a narrow, sketchy passage on the right where
I cleared some wood. About two miles below this strainer the woods open up to a big meadow shortly
after a nice cliff on the left. There is a long gravel bar descent ending in a hard right hand
turn. There is a tree in the channel at the bottom of the final drop, which is not visible until
you're in the gravel bar approach. It is not too hard to paddle through the branches. but don't run
it if there's any chance of flipping. Finally, in the last mile Laurel Fork braids like crazy and
there are a bunch of frustrating and dangerous strainers. This part would be particularly dangerous
at higher water levels--we ran it near the minimum so taking out at the last second wasn't as hard.
*REMOVING WOOD FROM STREAMS IS CONSIDERED HABITAT DESTRUCTION - NATIVE FISH IN THIS AREA RELY
HEAVILY ON WOODY DEBRIS IN THE STREAM*
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Route 642 to confluence with Straight Fork, Potomac, Laurel Fork of North Fork of South Branch Virginia, US/West Virginia, US (mobile)
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