Lost

As of 3/2/2021, at 2.75 on the bridge gauge (650 on the AW page) there are no strainers and Landslide is clear. Only mandatory carry is the second low water bridge.

Paddled 5/21/18. Log at Landslide is gone everything was runnable. Visual guage was 2'. Correlation with Cootes store not very accurate this time.

The lower part of Landslide Rapid is very dangerous. There is a log extending 3/4 of the way across the river forcing the paddler to go to far river right. (See photo.) One eddy can easily be caught, but the course down the right side is very rocky pushing the paddler into more rocks. There may be a submerged log on the river right in this channel adding to the difficulty. Paddling through the meat of the rapid is the easy part.

Photo shows log across the lower part of Landslide Rapid

Low flow, 0' on bridge gauge

Low flow, 0' bridge gauge

We ran this at minimum flow, 0' at the put-in bridge, 3.1 Brandywine and 3.5 Great Cacapon. Enjoyable class II run, with maybe one easy III, without scraping too much, although there are a number of long pools. Our run was just a few days after the comment below; you can see a member of our group ducking under the strainer in the photos. Certainly a concern if the water is higher.

On the Lost 8 May @ 1 foot on the rt55 bridge gage. About 1.5 miles into the trip you enter a long rocky rapid that curves left. Not until you are well down into it can you see a log pinned between boulders at chest height, blocking ALL of the main channel. There is a small slot on extreme right that can be got thru. So long as this log remains, it presents a high hazard.
Tom McCloud

Paddled this on 12Mar2011 at 3.78ft (994cfs) on the Po-Brandywine gauge. Most rocks were covered, most of the rapids were bouncy wave trains with holes & pourovers interspersed for fun, some ledges here and there to mix it up. There were a few strainers lurking, and at this levels some midstream submerged trees. Most rapids were class II+/III at this level, until the rapid with the undercut (that runs on the right of an island). The undercut is definitely one to respect, a few of us ran the rapid without incidence, and a few of us portaged without incidence. This stream is definitely worth catching when it's up!

3.75ft at Brandywine. Scouting Landslide from river right. It is much better to get out upstream of this on river left to scout.

3.75ft at Brandywine

3.75ft at Brandywine. Scouting Landslide from river right. It is much better to get out upstream of this on river left to scout.

3.75ft at Brandywine. Looking back upstream from the bottom of Landslide.

3.75ft at Brandywine

3.75ft at Brandywine

3.75ft at Brandywine

3.75ft at Brandywine

3.75ft at Brandywine

3.75ft at Brandywine

3.75ft at Brandywine

3.75ft at Brandywine

We ran this section on 13Mar10. SF SB of the Potomac @ Brandywine gauge was at 5.6-5.96 Ft. Painted bridge gauge at 259/55 put-in read 6 Ft. High water from very large snowmelt and subsequent rain. Most rapids did not have visible rocks but rather large wave trains and rebounding waves off the banks -- the river was bankful. The first big rapid ('Ledges' by the AW page) looked quite difficult but a straight run down the main tongue got all through without incidence. The second big rapid ('Landslide') had huge waves and moderately sticky hydraulics; it was best run on center right. Three of us did not run the best line and got flipped bow to stern by the top giant wave/hole. One party member got sucked back in, flushed, and swam after several failed rolls in highly turbulent water. Another also swam after failing rolls in the midst of the rapid. All gear and people were recovered without major incidents. A huge log blocked the river about 3/4 down but we all passed over it as from upstream it just looked like a big wave; from downstream it was just above the water level. The low water bridges were all passable without portaging due to the immense amount of water flowing over them. Very fun overall but definitely class IV.