Covington

What a great run! I ran this yesterday when the Battle Run gauge was at about 450 CFS and the painted gauge on the Thornton (at Rock Mills) was 2.9 feet. This seemed like a perfect level. I didn't hit any rocks and I could still make the micro eddies to avoid downed trees. THERE IS ONE TREE TO WATCH OUT FOR. It is early in the run, not too far after the first decent rapid. There is a sharp blind turn to the right and there's a pine tree with multiple branches all the way across. Luckily there are a few micro eddies on the left. There was also a log in the chute at VW rock rapid and a big tree across the river at the top of what I thought was the best rapid, a slide below the bridge. This rapid can still be run if you walk around the first of two trees.

The run is 4.5 miles long (Grove 1992). The directions and title on this page are unclear. I didn't see the Rappahannock School, 622 crosses the river twice, and the point on the map for the putin seems to be in the wrong place. The putin is at 38.672875, -78.170387.

Run 06/05/09 - 6' on bridge gauge -
Multiple strainers (7) including at the put in, one across the top of VW rapid and one 100 yards further down at the Boof Slide rapid. Higher levels will push you into these, both are around blind corners. I will try to get in at low water and remove these ASAP. One strainer will not be cleared for years, massive Oak below the first drop, 200 yards from the put-in.

Upper Section Run March 2, 2008 1 ' at bridge marker- Shade Road to Hunters Road - 3 mile section
*One strainer in eddy 200 yards below Red Shed rapid
*One strainer river left at Japanese House rapid - between 2nd and 3rd ledge- runnable river right or center -left equals pin -