Meadow Run

Jeff Macklin downstream from 7 Foot Falls

This is the last major rapid about 200 yards above the Slides. I call this one Undercut for the large looming undercut rock on river right. It is fairly easy to avoid the rock. Seven Foot Falls is about 100 yards upstream.

As of yesterday, 3/10/2010, there was a tree laying across the upper sections of the slides. About 6 inch thick and until moved they are not runnable. Hopefully state park or locals will move it out.

I ran the slide on a low water day, the meadow was far from running. The lower was at 3.0 and falling. The water line was not nearly above the edges of the little box the water flows through. It was straight forward, tough current in the notch of course, but the run was clean. Momentum coming down from the upper slide into the notch drove me right through and kept me off the walls. It can go at low water if you're bored and looking for some action.

This is Sam's 11th run of The Slide on this day. I saw him do # 12. He shuttled back to the put-in for another whole run & probably # 13 on the slide.

Responding to the picture about going under the seven foot falls rock. I did do that once at a medium-low flow actually. The catch is I was being stupid and cavalier and found myself to far right and hit the right rock with my bow, went cartwheeling backwards into the hole off the rock and surfed it upside down until I caught some deep greenwater off the fall and it pushed my low volume C-1 XXX right all the way under the rock. The bouency of my boat popped me out the other side in the eddy after rubbing up under the ceiling of the undercut. My friend sat there and watched it and said it was a pretty wild little trashing; it felt weird upside down too.

Put-in

Best put-in is right at the commercial rafting outfitters off Rt 381 about a mile up the hill from the slides. In reality, you can walk the shuttle along the road, it takes about 15 minutes at most. There is a trail alongside the river, but its hilly and winds around a little, the road is more direct.

Also, for the cascades. Our consensus was to start right of center, through the notch, and stay there until the end. Pretty simple slide. To avoid pitoning at the base, carry speed and go off with a side angle to the right, maybe 30 degrees. This keeps your bow from smacking down on the rocks, boofing is pretty hard when there is only an inch of water to use.

To gauge the river, its in the same drainage as the Big Sandy, the water falls from the same place, so most likely if the Sandy is rising towards 6.5 or more it is runnable.

The Cascade looks intimidating, but is relatively easy,,, and such a fun rapid (as long as you stay upright). It starts out river right-ish with about a 5-foot boof onto sloped, mostly smooth, rock lubricated with a thin layer of water. Once you start, it is hard to find enough water depth to get a paddle stroke in on this long slide. At the end of the slide is another drop of 6 ft or so.
The top panorama is two images 'stitched' together and really don't do justice to the impressive view when looking back upstream. In the top image Dan (green boat) is on target with the preferred line. The bottom left image Zach was a little right and was able to work back to the desired drop area.

The large flat rock just to Jon's right has a fairly large void under it, with an opening next to the hole. It has been said to me that if a paddler gets stuck in the hole, he/she could get surfed under that rock. I have heard of some pretty good thrashings at this hole, but not a word about anyone actually getting surfed under the rock. Does anyone have an under rock or near under rock experience from Meadow Run's 7 ft falls? If so, what water level?

E, about to get all of the BOOF!!

Cascades is quite impressive looking (more-so than the photos suggest) but not at all difficult, high flows want to slam you into R-wall and pins are possible at all flows at base of 6

After last narrow bit of the slide you get to play with this hole at higher levels- not a big deal but it could hold you for a few seconds.
This is at the second bend of the slide; to get here you've already traveled an easy 60m. The fun kicks up as you play with the twisted holes and ledges.
This ledge on the RL will try and shunt you into a piton on the RR rock wall and it will hurt, and you will most likely run the rest of the drop backwards... not that that happened to him ;)
Post Piton- you can see how narrow the slide is and how much flow punds down it. Below this there is one nearly nasty hole followed by a ledge with a hole that is legitimately nasty on the RR

This slot will break ribs, pin boats, or piton you hard. Advised to stay far left or right

In the bottom of the rapid just after 7ft falls is a mean pinning rock, well it's 2 rocks with about a 1ft gap in between them.