Gauley

Overlook upstream of Koontz's flume, accessible from parking lot for put in at Koontz's flume

If you go far right to start Rocky Top and then cut back hard to the right you can go over the pretty Angel Wing formation drop. Don't go over the drop too far to the left though

Top big hole on Koontz Flume rapide, Lower Gauley release level

Lower Gauley trip the Sunday of Gauley Fest weekend.

The Lower Gauley is a different experience at higher levels. Commercial raft trips put on (or used to anyway) at levels up to 15k or so. The river changes character above about 7000, and there was a fatality at high water sometime in the early 90s, but it's pretty awesome, not that hard, and lots of fun at higher levels. Rapids that are very different above 9k or so include Canyon Doors (chaos in its first drop), Lower Mash / Diagonal Ledges (all one awesome rapid; scout or follow someone who knows the route, and stay way the heck to the right!), Heaven Help you (scout!), Stairsteps (benign, but ten or so of the biggest pyramid waves east of Lava Falls), and PSH (the highwater hole is on the inside of the left turn).

Wide angle view of Pure Screaming Hell

Charlie makes his boat look like a rocket launching from water. You'd have to be there to believe it.

I've always used the Gauley at Belva reading to cover this section rather than adding the Summersville Release and Meadow together. Thjis takes into account other tributariies, most notably Peters Creek but innumerable smaller ones as well. For example, on 3/25/05; the Gauley at Belva was 17,772; the combined gauge 16,209.

Safety gurus Charlie Walbridge and Lee Belknap head for the Doors

Brian givin a big shout out to all of his peeps.
The start of one of the many fat helixes that day. For more pics and video go to wetvirginia.com
For more pics and video go to wetvirgina.com

For more pics and video go to wetvirginia.com

Penny stylin' through PSH...

Squirtin the old creeker.
Twisted Sister has some powerful currents.

Great Play Hole!
Backsurfers paradise!
Wheelin' away the day
Sweet!!
Don't get no better than this!!
4 hour drive to park and play? With a hole like this, we say 'Hell Yeah!'

I think the level was apx 4000cfs and rising, not sure..
The hole was pretty sticky in the beginning but I think the water came up because the hole started to wash out
:-(

Jason Foley Surfs on the Lower Gauley, Fall of 2002.

Dan in the pocket of the huge Mash
Hole in Lower Mash. That's my boy!

Dan ripping it up in 5 Boat Hole while
dodging the occasional raft and
boater.

Dan making his move into the the big
MashHole in Lower Mash for a surf.

Will pops in the top hole of 5boat

quicktime video of Will and Max
performing their special trick in the
Ledges Wave

Joey Anderson, my guide from last year on the Gauley, and who will be my guide for all future trips on the Gauley if I have any say in the matter, was determined to flip us at Hell Hole at Pure Screaming Hell (Class IV-V) on the Lower Gauley. Little did he know that unlike in most of his rafts with first timers, all of us were rather experienced instinctive high-siders. Hehehe.

Canyon Doors has some great surfing waves at 900-1200 cfs.

Map created by Ratt Boy based on data ported to Garmin GPS, with mad props to GPSVisualizer.

Check out all the Ratt Boy Maps by clicking here.

The currents at Twisted Sister are powerful. I can usually stand my Embudo straight up here.