Youghiogheny

A beautiful fall day on the Lower Yough.

I joined Park and DNR representatives for a site visit to discuss helping with some low-key improvements to the eroding steps at the Loop Trail, and checked out all the access signs and new infrastructure. It was a good visit, and I paddled the Loop for the first time in many years.

If you're looking for a prontable guide the PA park service released one avalible at: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr\_003520.pdf

Happy Paddlin!

Photo of Railroad Rapid at 1.8' 2009

rob

Now thats running a river!!!!

The “normal” line at Cucumber has been narrowed by about 2 ft. with the deposit of a new rock from beginning of the 2005 season. This new rock interferes with the eddy catch behind Table Rock and protrudes about 1.5 ft. into the current at low to normal flows (1.5 to 2.5 ft.). At higher flows (3 ft. +), the new rock may not be an issue.

Yes, I know all of you hardcore guys are laughing at me in my inflatable, I am buying a real kayak later this year. However, all of us noobs were trying to find a good shot of dimple rock and can never find any. This is looking back at the infamous undercut dimple rock circled in yellow. Doesnt look that dangerous, but I have to respect a ROCK that has killed more people than me :)

From Boygenius on Boatertalk:

Bridge Hole on the Lower Yough: (6.5-higher on the Ohiopyle gauge???)

After that awesomely fun spot, I drove up through Friendsville up to Ohiopyle. I arrived at 5:00 or so and some friendly, but seemingly burn-out local raft guides turned me on to a hole on the Lower Yough just under the bridge above the falls. After checking it out, I hopped in for a great time. The hole is very wide, fairly shallow, kind of scary in a way, but great for hole-moves. It's a pour-over hole with a very uniform ledge, which might even be man-made. the surfer's right side is very shallow, but it's not too hard to surf over to the left side where it's deeper and has a small wave for a shoulder. This spot is REALLY renentive--in fact the only real eddy is in the backwash of the hole, which you just paddle up in to from directly behind! It's easy to surf your way out either corner, though. When the hole's good (it was a hair higher on Saturday), you can link endless (and I mean endless 20+ points) ends to the left, clean and super clean to the right, split both way, hit small loops, and I even was hitting lefty tricky-wu's in it--which I've never done before! You can blunt and backstab right off the surfer's left shoulder wave, and rides can last just about as long as you want them to. Moves are smooth and in-control here. What a great time!!! I appreciated finally having a few other boaters around here...playboating is just more fun with others!

How to get there:

In Ohiopyle, either park at the take-out for the loop or simply walk there with your boat. You can see the hole from the road's bridge across the river upstream of the falls. It's the largest of the holes in the area and is more or less in the middle of the river almost directly under the bridge. Put-in on the river right side in a BIG eddy and surf your way across to the big, turbulent eddy/backwash of the hole. This backwash/eddy is large enough for 3 or 4 boaters to wait in while a paddler plays. Because of it's proximity to Ohiopyle falls, this is not a safe place to play for any playboater who might potentially swim. Also the hole can be very grabby in the middle and if you're not comfortable moving your boat around side-to-side in a large hole, this might not be a good place to play.

Entrance Wave on the Lower Yough (6.9 and under...best at 6.3ish on the Ohiopyle gauge)

After playing the hole under the bridge for about an hour, I walked across the bridge down the the put-in for the lower Yough to surf entrance. The river was totally empty of other boaters, giving me the wave all to myself! It's on the river-right at the top of entrance rapid. This wave is AWESOME!!! It breaks consistantly on the surfer's left and hole moves are possible here, then turns into this STEEP, BIG, GLASSY wave on the surfer's right side. When it winds up to it's highest, it's probably every bit of 4 or 5 feet high! It was rising and starting to green out on me friday night, but that didn't keep me from hitting my first ever Helix to the right there! This spot seriously rules. On Saturday, I threw ends both ways, split at least once, clean spun, big air-looped, blunted left, flip-turned, and helixed all in one ride!!! The eddy on river right is smaller and more turbulent, but right next to the wave. There is a HUGE eddy river left, but it's farther accross the river. I had more fun at this spot than any of the others on Friday: it just gave up huge bounces and awesome air-moves. Who would have known that something like this was on the lower Yough!!?? There was no one else around...I LOVE WV...er, PA!

How to get there:

Put in at Ohiopyle at the standard put-in below the falls, paddle downstream about 200 yards, in the first wave-train on the river right, you will see the breaking, happy wave with an eddy to it's river right side. You can easily carry back up to your car at the put-in by heading up the river left eddy and walking back up the short gravel access road to the put-in. It's only a 4-minute walk!

Saturday was so much fun paddling the lower yough with my good friends Brian and Kristin. What a great weekend. Back in time for church on Sunday. Enjoy these spots!!!

Stephen Wright

Team Prijon

Trying to cartwheel at the low, low levels!

To see the full-sized version of this photo, click here.

Panoramic taken from river right scout area.

Dave introduces new school moves
to the staid sport of wildwater racing

Kelly Guerrero of the Monocacy Canoe Club sets up for the spin at Swimmer's Rapid on a short-line day at the Lower Yough

Dropping into Bryson's Hole.

Camel and Walrus rapid with both namesake rocks labeled

Dartmouth Rapid at 1.93 Feet

Halfway down Eddy Turn

Noname/The Sisters rapid

Schoolhouse Rock Rapid

Entrance to Bottle Of Wine Rapid

The usual result of paddling Killer Falls

Stairstep rapid on the Lower Yough

Aerial photo map of the Lower Yough
Aerial photo map of the Yough
Shaded relief map of the Lower Yough

Steve showing how to run Cucumber in a Torrent Sit-
On-Top.

Above 3' Cucumber becomes real entertainment! It does eventually flood out, but watch out for the nasty pourover that forms around 6'.

Kobak tries a popup at Railroad

Scott's first sidesurf!
Settin up camp at swimmers.......

Loop Takeout right upstream of the railroad bridge

Delbert comin down entrance.

One of the larger holes on Entrance

Swimmers at this level is much harder to attain into, but is super fun when it gets beefy like this!
I'd always wanted to try boogie boarding in Swimmers. At this level it was kinda difficult to get in the hole, but if you did, it was great! The rodeo left shoulder was pretty great for the board - I could get over on it and just carve away!
I'd always wanted to try boogie boarding in Swimmers. At this level it was kinda difficult to get in the hole, but if you did, it was great! The rodeo left shoulder was pretty great for the board - I could get over on it and just carve away!
I got a little to far forward on the nose of my board and -fwoop!- wipeout!

Portrait of the artist as a young man.
Don Morin styling at Swimmers in 1974. Note the tongue is fully dialed in.

The Lower Yough takeout

Jeff Snyder strides into the sunset

Close up of Dimple Rock

Dimple Rock (the dangerous one) is downstream, river left, of David; river right of him is Vulture Rock.

Matt Urdan looks on as Tom Lord swims Cucumber. Again!

Dimple Rock profile shot

Putting in at 1.86 feet

Coming up to Piddly

A shot of Dimple Rock rapid from the left bank, with the namesake rock front and center

Dimple Rock from the front

How not to run Double Hydraulic

The Whitewater Lawyer takes on River's End