Russell Fork

Oct. 18, 2014. The Haysi gauge read 401 CFS. We put on behind the pharmacy in Haysi and had plenty of water down to the confluence with the Pound.

This gave us about 2 1/4 more river miles than putting on at Flannagan Dam. We missed the surf spot where the Pound takes that sharp left turn, but we gained two blind ledges and several Class II or II+ rapids, so it was a much more full river day that putting on at the dam, with a far, far shorter shuttle.

Below the Pound we had 1200 CFS and all the rapids were a little washed out, a little less technical, and a little less interesting than at the ~800 CFS release with nothing coming in from natural flow.

-Oci-One Kanubi

Decent play spot in the blown out part of the dam

In October, 2006, the RF in Haysi was running around 700-800 cfs, which put about 1200 cfs into the Gorge with the output from the Pound river (they reduced the normal flow). We putin outside of Haysi, and had a very nice run (class II-III with two 3-4+ ft ledges back-to-back that were a little bony). We took out at Garden Hole after running the usual section from Bartlick bridge on down. It made for a trip of about 8 miles or so that was very enjoyable and very much preferable to the Pound river.

don't go in that cave...
waiting for the racers...and carnage.

Here he goes...

Wide/ high shot from river left
showing the top 2/3rds of the most
significant rapid of the Upper Russell
Fork
It happens to the best of us. Not sure
who this is but he ended up
swimming the entire rapid and then
on down to the next small drop
before finally getting to shore.
A follow the leader kinda group. Don't
know who these folks are but they
were into major 'tailgating'.
Donny making the first moves in the
top part of 20 Stitches rapid.
Making it look easy in the bottom
wave of 20 Stitches.
Looking downstream from 20
Stitches rapid to the next small drop.