Potomac, Laurel Fork of North Fork of South Branch

Summary:

This is a wilderness headwaters run in the Potomac River watershed that offers the chance to paddle through a near-pristine setting. Though the whitewater is continuous, there are no rapids that exceed Class III at a medium level. The primary risks are strainers - we portaged 12 times in October, 2003 - and low hanging rhodedendron along the banks and in some of the braided channels. Familiarity with small creek running will definitely make for a more enjoyable day, as this run borders on an advanced ranking despite the relative ease of the whitewater.

Access:

Located primarily in Highland County, Virginia, this creek confluences to form the North Fork in Pendleton County, West Virginia at the community of Hardscrabble. The takeout is at a bridge over the creek at CR 19. The northwest side of the bridge seems to be the best place to park. The putin is 40 minutes away in Virginia above the Laurel Fork Special Management Area. Putin just off CR 642 about 1/4 mile south of a bridge crossing the Laurel Fork at an unposted roadside campsite. For the shuttle route consult your West Virginia and Virginia Gazetteers.

The Run:

After you put in you will immediately be in fast Class II water, which is standard gear for the creek. It's fun floating, however, with lots of small slides and chutes. The morphology is open, like most of the streams in this area of the watershed. In the first few miles, the creek picks up to mild Class III only occasionally. There are a few braided channels. Generally, you will want to find the biggest channel and get into it, even if that means climbing over a tree. The rhodedendron along the creek are absolutely huge. Though beautiful, they can make a portage a hands-and-knees crawl under the bushes. Occasionally, the skill to grab said rhodedendron comes in handy when you can't find an eddy.

About halfway through the run you will encounter the first

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