Cheat, Dry Fork
4. Jenningston to Hendricks
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportAt 4 feet on the gauge, some of the lower rapids below Otter Creek are solid class 4. Very large holes to be avoided, and solid moves in large waves.
The takeout is at the swinging bridge access in Hendricks. It is not clearly marked as the AW takeout, just as a boat launch. There is a grassy lot at the end of 2nd street and Poplar ave next to the swinging bridge access for parking and river access.
Ready to launch at the Dry Fork
Surfing at Hole Brothers @ 4.5'
The Cheat Dry Fork can be run down to 2.8 (Hendricks Gauge) if the lower 'Gladwin' put-in is used (in the description above 'Gladwin' is referred to as the 'head of river road').
We were there on May 2, 2009. The tree is still at the rock but was little to no problem for those with good boat control.
FWIW
Mike Sawyer
see link fo a video of this run.........
Put in for the more typical 8 mile run on the Jenningston to Hendricks section of the Cheat, Dry Fork.
3.5' is nice for play and working on skills. Mostly Class 2 to Class 2+ with perhaps a couple of easy Class 3's in second half.
Sit on Top (Torrent) and OC-1 surfing Hole Brothers on the Dry Fork. Good clean fun and a great plan to learn.
A few paddlers coming down a typical rapid on this section of the Dry Fork, Cheat a few miles above Hendricks take-out. 3.5' is a nice level for a relaxed intermediate run with lots and lots of class 2 - 2+ play spots. A few easy class 3's are also sprinkled in the second half of this section.
There is a new campground in Parsons called Five River Campground owned by John & Joyce Bowers.They are great folks and very boater friendly. The sites have electricity, water and cable hookups if you want. There are flush toilets and HOT showers. The first time we showed up there it was 2 am and raining and the first thing we saw was two double car ports which are available at no extra charge. The campground sits on the banks of the Cheat River. To reach the campground turn north onto Walnut street between the courthouse and the old bank building and follow this street right into the campground. Their website is www.fiverivercampground.com and e-mail at joycebowers@frontiernet.net. Phone # is 304-478-3515. Check them out.
There are quite a few ledges like this down here...
Some buds and I named this rapid around 1982(before the big flood).this picture is the exit of this 150+- yard long rapid..I seem to remember it being bigger before the flood..
Anyway,this is the biggest rapid below otter creek and would be a strong class 3 at this level..
From Boygenius on Boatertalk:
Dry Fork Hole: (good above 2,000 cfs--Dry Fork at Hendricks)
Woke up and played the Dry Fork hole for about 45 minutes. The level had dropped significantly, but it was still really good for throwing ends both ways and splits both ways. It was fun, controllable, and powerful enough that it was unnecessary to push very hard to make the ends go through. The second hole was REALLY shallow, so I avoided it like grandma's armpit stink. There was no one else around...I LOVE WV!!!
How to get there:
From Hendricks, WV (Lower Blackwater take-out town) head south on 72 (river will be on your right) After passing 2 Otter Creek wilderness trailheads, split off onto a much smaller road on the right--72 will leave the river at this point, and the smaller road drops down to almost river level and continues to follow it. Drive the smaller road for 2-3 miles. Eventually, this road will cross a small trib, then leave the river uphill to the left. I've been told that at 5,000 cfs and higher, an AMAZING wave forms right there at the put-in. To play the lower water spots that I played, head back downstream to the next pull-off at the side of the river. This is right near the next rapid below the put-in rapid. In that rapid, the stream wraps to the river left around a small island and has 2 good holes and sometimes a wave.
What a great day in WV
What a beautiful place to play
Check out the full-sized version of this picture by clicking here.