Calawah, S. Fork

We got an early start the day after Thanksgiving and were able to get an early start from the Rugged Ridge Trailhead. The group included Thomas O'Keefe, Omar Jepperson, and Mike Rausch. The hike in, which mostly involved dragging boats downhill, was longer than anticipated due to the trail being unmainted and in poor condition. We had to cross several drainages and there were downed trees across the trail. As our progress was slow Mike elected to hike back out given concern as to when we would reach the put-in. We continued on and ultimately reached the river. The first sequence of whitewater at West Virginia was a lot of fun. The whitewater tapered off after that but we enjoyed a trip through dramatic stands of old growth. We were efficient on the water and made it to the take-out with daylight to spare. It was a good water level with the Calwah gage dropping slightly over the course of the day.

Photos are video frame grabs.