Fike Run
Road crossing 5 mi. up from Gibbon Glade Run to Gibbon Glade Run(Fikes Creek)
| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 2.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 92 fpm |
| Gauge | Big Sandy Creek at Rockville, Wv |
| Flow Rate as of 31 minutes | 112 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 14, 2025 |
River Description
Note: most of this run is actually on Little Sandy Creek (PA); the putin is on Fike Run, though, and the Natl Atlas has the whole thing listed as Little Sandy Creek.
This is a popular steep and narrow creek run when everything's been inundated by rain.
Gordon Dalton points out:
It should be noted that there is one very dangerous ('unrunnable') drop on Fikes. (Ben Badger points out that this rapid is probably best known as 'Hubbard's Cupboard', but Kevin Williams calls it 'Chump's Choice.' It probably has other names.) The approach looks good but the final part ends in a chute with a skewering log in it. You can scrape down a high-water passage to the FAR left, around a rocky island and WAY away from the log or just carry it. (2001)
Kevin Williams 2003-06-09 shared:
'Chump's Choice' ('unrunnable') or whatever it's called, can be anticipated right after the first pool-flat water section. Look for a large flat boulder on RL in the flow and a triangle shaped boulder farther downstream. It looks like it would be easy to stumble into so be careful! The problem is a large clamshell rock blocking all but 5' of flow on the RR and all but 10' on RL- if you go down there at lower flows you will get pinned. I don't know what 'skewering log' the above guide is talking about, the rock will get you first, although there currently is wood below it if you happened to make it that far--Possibly passable at higher flow but you'd better look! I've scraped down the left passage even at low water but it takes a toll on plastic- there is an insidiously silly slot over there that catches people broached up-stream frequently, leaving them flailing until someone wades over and extricates them.
Dang fun run with one easy but really steep section (boof pool, boof pool for 200 meters). One of the prettiest runs I've seen.
River Features
Upstream putin
If you want a longer run with some easy warmup rapids--still pretty, and this is an easier putin.
Hubbard's Cupboard
This is the one that people typically walk or sneak. Gordon Dalton points out:
The approach looks good but the final part ends in a chute with a skewering log in it. You can scrape down a high-water passage to the FAR left, around a rocky island and WAY away from the log or just carry it.
Lat/long coords verified by GPS (thanks, Jeff Macklin!) Distance is approximate.
Parking for takeout
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportPopular put-in = N39.73813 W79.56246 ...
Hike upstream a few hundred yards for more warm-up ...
Parking for popular put-in = N39.73449 W79.56598 ...
Follow trail strait down the hill...///
Bridge near upper put-in = N39.72694 W79.54057 ...
Parking for upper put-in = N39.72784 W79.53866 ...
Beautiful pines and rhododendron, but much flat water & downed wood...///
Fike Run, take-out = N39.73862 W79.59236 ...
Parking for take-out = N39.73805 W79.59198 ... ///
Hubbard's Cupboard = N39.74160 W79.56670
Robert Farmer---Generally, you need at least 7.0 at Rockville on Big Sandy Creek, WV, although the other day it was 7.2 and Fikes was only 0.8 at Dinner Bell Road. Later, when the Sandy came up to 12.0, Fikes was around 3.5 at the time when I came by. It might have been higher earlier.
Paddled Fikes 12-10-2007 at one inch over the baseball rock. There is a log near the bottom of the first series, before the confluence with the Sandy. We were able to paddle over it but lower water could be different. Other than that the run was clean and lots of fun.
I wouldn't call this Class 3-5; I call it Class 4-5, with 2 rapids that are usually snuck or portaged. There is a gauge at Dinner Bell Road; 1.0 is approx. minimum, while 2.0 is cranking. At 2.0, it's non-stop action, solid Class 5. I like to put on at McCracken School Road, just upstream from the gauge; I find that I spend less time falling painfully on my ass and sliding down the muddy hill, that way. Plus, there are a few good rapids up there, although they might not be good enough for the truly manic paddlers. To avoid the first death slot, keep an eye out for a large, alpine-shaped rock on the left with a small semi-eddy at its top. It turns out that this rock separates two channels, and if you're not anticipating it fully, you are screwed. Once, I got washed backwards out of this eddy when I wasn't showing it the proper respect. Hoo-ee, that was embarrassing!
This is a (too low to paddle) view of the river left sieve, 25 feet upstream of the Room of Doom rapid. You are looking downstream into the sieve. The 'Boof' is about 20 feet to the right of this photo. This sieve is not in play at minimum and low-med levels (Baseball Rock not covered) because helpful of the guard rocks. At high flows, the rapid above sends flow directly toward the in-play sieve. It is easy to avoid with catching river right eddy above this feature.
Three views looking down river. In top left image Nathan Macklin gives perspective to the size of center pinning rock and the large rocks on either side. Looks like perfect spacing to pinch pin a boat. Bottom left image, note the gap in front of the upstream face of the undercut center rock. The right image (close view of river left), looks like a sieve/siphon to me. Yes, some paddlers run this drop. Usually it’s done when the water is rip-roaring high. At these high levels, Fike Run takes on a character of a mean runaway train. At what I call normal levels (baseball rock still visible), Hubbard’s Cupboard is a potentially deadly place.
Pyramid Rock is a couple of hundred yards below the confluence of Fike Run and (PA)Sandy Creek. This rock is a sign that you are entering Hubbard’s Cupboard. If you paddle past this rock on the right, there are few to no eddies (depending on water level) before you get the area where there is a real potential for pinning and entrapment.
To avoid the danger, start your portage at or above where the camera is positioned or paddle to the eddie behind the rock where Keith Pasquariello is standing. Behind Keith on river left is a boney, knuckle-dragging, barely boatable series of slots. If you are able to actually paddle back there, you are probably in for a screaming high water ride for the rest of the run.
After passing Hubbard's Cupboard, the Fike Boof, Room of Doom, a couple S-Turn drops ... you will arrive at Double Ledge. After the 1st ledge, people usually take the 2nd ledge 'right' (15ft downstream). If you eddy out between the ledges, you can choose the second ledge 'left' to take the left flow around an island.
What you are looking at is the start of line on the left of this island.
This is one of many ledges on Fike,,, at a fun level.
Know where this place is or go with someone who does. Don't stumble into it! There is a (very) scrapy sneak (at low to medium levels) on river left or portage on either side. The large log that was reference in the 2001 river report washed out in the summer of 2003. This boater is removing newly deposited wood.
Kurt is almost into a sticky side surf and manages to pull out. In this drop you paddle into approx. 8x12ft squirrelly water rock enclosed box with a 5-7 ft wide exit. At higher flows the box is much more turbulent and the exit becomes smaller. There is a 'V' notch sneak to river right of the 'Room'