New
14. Cunard to Fayette Station(New River Gorge)
September 15, 2004
Trip Report
| Reporter | John Petretich |
This is the first rapid below Double Z. Note the sieve that I pointed out in the photo. It's drainhole style and is adjacent to where I and many others commonly make runs through this rapid. The large finger rock left of center is also undercut.
In this photo you can easily see three distinct parts of this rapid. Whale rock is pretty aparent in this photo on the left side of Upper Keeney. Note that the main current comming out of Middle Keeney (the whiteist whitewater in the photo) points straight towards a dangerous grouping of boulders (the Meat Grinder).
Note the grouping of boulders below the rapid on the right. Above 5' (10,000 cfs) they form a keeper hole known as the Teachers Pet.
As the water gets to this level and higher, you can see that Upper, Middle and Lower Keeney mesh together and form one class V rapid. The main current comming out of Middle Keeney goes straight into the Meat Grinder (in the photo, Middle Keeney is located at the wide spot of the river where it bends to the left going downstream and the Meat Grinder is obscured by trees). It's pretty freakin dangerous and sieved out and the current at higher water levels will put you there in a hurry. If you find yourself swimming here don't just float into it, swim for your life.