Blackwater

catching my breath after the first mile

cleared for takeoff

View of the main drop of Flatliner at 220 cfs . The correct line is off the furthest point of the ledge, in the center.
Pinning pocket is on the river left side of the ledge. The rock tilts left and you are coming around a corner fighting gravity and the flow of water to get out to the boof point.

Don ran without catching the 'first eddy'.

what a way to start the day.

Jason firing up the bottom drop of Tomiko Falls on a chilly day in March.

This rapid is the steepest and one of the tightest on the run. What a great river!!
This rapid is the steepest and one of the tightest on the run. Note the undercut bill is paddling in front of and towards the exit of this rapid which ends in a 10' must make boof..
GREAT RAPID>>>
The exit is on extreem river left of the picture not the wide slot that LANDS on rock but the narrow slot to the river left of it. The picture has nothing to show scale but it is apx a 10'drop that lands on rock of the boat angle isn't right and you must boof this drop..

Shock to the system (2 photos spliced together) Starting from the peel out eddy, driving from river right towards river left.

Attention Upper Blackwater Paddlers New

Forum: BoaterTalk

Date: May 24 2004, 19:25 GMT

From: wu_wei

All paddlers utilizing the Upper Blackwater River in West Virginia should make sure to register with the Blackwater Falls State Park before each trip into the gorge. Currently boaters should register at the Lodge, however the Park has offered to place a self-registration facility at the typical put-in for the Upper B (at the Handicap overlook) in the near future. Please take the few minutes it takes to register so that the Park has a record of river users and can better respond to emergencies.

In addition, paddlers should alert the Park staff to any situations that they witness or take part in on the river that could cause concern among park staff or visitors. Examples include significant accidents, lost boats, injuries, and paddlers hiking out of the gorge. Recently, a pinned boat was abandoned so that it could be recovered during safer low-water conditions. The boat was dislodged and was reported to the Park by visitors who saw the upside down boat floating down the river far below. These reports triggered a needless rescue squad response. Please help prevent similar situations in the future.

Blackwater Falls State Park is very supportive of whitewater recreationists using the Blackwater River, and paddlers certainly appreciate it. Lets show our appreciation by meeting these very reasonable requests from the park.

If you have any questions, please call Mike Moore @ 304-283-7792

Thanks, Kevin Colburn, AW

Important. Upper Blackwater Boaters Read This!!! Avoid access problems in park!

Date: May 24 2004, Posted to Boater Talk

From: bobgedekoh

Recently a kayak was left pinned in a rapid on the Upper Blackwater. The boater apparently walked out... uninjured. (I dont know any of the specific details of this.)

Apparently the kayak was spotted by the park staff from Pendleton Point (possibly several days later). They park authorities became concerned and sent staff into the gorge to retrieve the boat and make sure that no one was in trouble. Because the river gorge is so deep and difficult to access, this was a major undertaking.

One of the head rangers at the park is reportedly fairly unhappy about this situation. Apparently the issue was that no one had stopped at the park office and told them what was going on. Had they known that everyone was okay,they would have been spared a lot of work and worry.

As you all know the only way to access the Upper Blackwater is through the park. With that in mind, if you walk off the river and leave anything behind that might raise a concern, please notify the park authorities.

The staff at the park have been very accomodating over the years and we need to cooperate with them fully to keep the river open to kayaking.

As I said, I do not know the specifics of this incident and I am not pointing any fingers. Just asking everyone to do their best to maintain good relations with the State Park staff. SYOTR.

sweet class 4-5.

franko hittin the line with a few bumps and scrapes.

Two rapids above 100 yard dash.

Dan ran this without catching the first eddy, which involves a left angle down the first sloping drop.

The rapid at the put-in. Known as 'Phil's' or 100-Yard Dash. He is in the eddy between the 1st and 2nd ledges of the rapid.

Whoops, last pic is Blind Falls on Overflow