Four Mile Creek
Kane Hill Road to Cooper Road(Wintergreen Gorge)
| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 2.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 81 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | September 14, 2022 |
River Description
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River Features
Kane Hill Falls
Right at the put-in, the creek drops about 15 feet. A sloping slab of concrete leads into an 8 foot vertical falls into a chasm, roars through a sluice and terminates into a huge hole that can be a keeper when the water is high. Also when the water is high, a big rooster tail shoots up in the air where the water hits from the falls. It can be very disorienting because the rooster tail completely submerges boaters. If you get stuck in the hole, it won't keep swimmers or upside down boats. Even though the chasm is shallow at the base of the falls, no one ever seems to hit very hard. If this whole ordeal scares you, you can sneak the falls and chasm on the left side by running the rapid as a steep slide or portage by putting in on the right side of the creek in the pool below. The hole at the bottom isn't as bad on that side either. All in all, this is an honest, solid class IV rapid and is quite a bit tougher than Ohiopyle Falls.
Triple Drop
This rapid is a triple drop, almost identical to Double Dip, only it is little more vertical with a falls in the middle of it. Once again, the left line has most of the water and you have to be careful not to hit your elbows as you descend. Watch you don't get pinned at low water. The right side has less water, but doesn't have the pinning risks. Be sure to scout it on the right side when the creek goes around a left bend that looks just like the upstream Double Dip.
Frank's Fake-Out
A wide vertical drop looks a lot like Frank's Aspersion, but is not as high or nearly as difficult. Like Frank's Aspersion, most of the water is on the right side, but doesn't have the rocky aproach or nasty whirlepool at the bottom. The next place that looks like this will be where you want to get out and scout on the right side of the creek.
Frank's Aspersion
as·per·sion
/əˈspɜrʒən,-ʃən/ Show Spelled[uh-spur-zhuhn,-shuhn]
–noun
adamagingorderogatoryremarkorcriticism;slander:castingaspersionsonacampaignrival.
theactofslandering;vilification;defamation;calumniation;derogation:Suchvehementaspersionscannotbeignored.
theactofsprinkling,asinbaptism.
Archaic. ashowerorspray.
All these definitions describle Frank Frankovich's infamous experiences with this little falls! We never let him live it down because he broke a paddle here on one occasion and swam on another occasion!
A wide falls comes up which is easily visible by the drop below the horizon line and lots of noise. Scout it on the right. The approach is full of small boulders and most of the water is on the right side. What makes this small waterfall (4 feet or so) difficult is that it gradually becomes steeper before it becomes vertical, making a boof impossible. Everyone pencils in here! Watch you don't get pinned on the approach, paddle your ass off, and pray you don't pull a Frank! A good brace is essential here and then don't get sucked in. Make your way to the left side of the pool so you don't get pinned against the vertical right wall. At high water, the shallower left side is easy, but essential as a nasty whirlepool forms on the right side in the pool.
Wintergreen Falls
Scout this rapid on the right side just above a glug de' dug that slams water into the right bank (arguably as difficult as the falls itself). 50 yards downstream, a beautiful 6 foot waterfall plunges into a pool that is a little shallow. Most of the water is on the right side with a stairstep on the far right. The right side line however, is a a little bit bowl shaped instead of a lip, so the hole at the bottom can be a little sticky. Be sure to get a good boof, because you may hurt your ankles a little if you pencil in. Run it center to avoid the hole.
Dude Where's My Camera?
There is a nice surfing hole not far below the falls. You may get some spectators here because the Penn State hiking trail emerges here from up at the campus. Tim Ketchum lost a really nice helmet cam here that he had attached to his boat while surfing. You can surf two people here and do some nice doughnuts.
Cooper Road Take-out
Take out on the right side of the creek upstream of the bridge or continue downstream to Lower Four Mile. Don't continue downstream if the water was high for the upper section. The lower section can be very dangerous in high water near General Electric which has concrete waterfalls and many lethal holes throughout.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportLow water 4 Mile Creek
First wet exit 2014
Kane Hill is runnable when the creek is not and vice versa, the creek is runnable when Kane Hill is not. Similar to Concrete Falls at the takeout for little Elk in that regard. This is a good level for the falls but is about the lowest you would want to run wintergreen gorge. We only ran upper four mile this day, even though the lower section picks up more water it also widens out when you leave the gorge and becomes scrappier.
Had to put up some perspective for the next photo, check out the rope in both shots.
Five inches of rain in two hours on saturated ground is where this came from.
A 45 foot tree came hammering down the creek about 30 seconds after I took this picture so probably not an advised level. This is the ugliest thing I have ever seen on this creek.
At this level the rest of the creek is not even runnable, but it makes this feature as steep as you can get it. It becomes more of an actual waterfall and less of a slide when its this low. Great park and huck, 2 minute walk to the car.
The hole is quite munchy at this level and although it is deep there I doubt you would have to momentum to punch it without riding the rooster tail, which may or may not want to flip you head over heels by the looks of it. Hasn't been tried at anywhere near this level. Roosters between 3 and 4 ft in the air. The trib in the background is a great slide that goes up a bit further. Been wanting to run it for years but a trib of a micro is an elusive mistress, one day.
Tim Ketchum running Meat and Potatoes at low water. This is a good rapid at low levels with nice features. It is the last rapid in the Wintergreen Gorge.