Potomac, S. Branch

Robert Farmer---This is a very pretty section of wild river. Okay, so 'the Trough' doesn't sound so spectacular, but it's a sarcastic term of endearment, I guess, like the way that some rock climbers refer to Yosemite valley as 'the Ditch.' I paddled it May 31-June 1, 2008 at a level of 2.5 at Moorefield. I highly recommend putting on from underneath the Route 220 bridge if you're putting in during a torrential rain storm, as I did. Otherwise, the first few miles have little scenic value, but perhaps some wildlife. It's popular with fishermen. There is an alternative put-in downstream on river right, which is more-or-less right at the top of the Trough. However, I put on at the 220 bridge, and my total time on the water was only 3 1/4 hours, so it's a short trip if you don't do the whole thing. I saw about 3 eagles, or one eagle 3 times, or some combination thereof. There were about 16 vultures soaring, a cardinal, a bat who flew directly over me and scared the insects away, a tourist train that watched me run some waves, and a very nice campsite. The water was a beautiful clear green until the rain washed some dirty brown farmers' fields into the river, and then the river stunk of manure and fertilizer. I think the erosion made it harder for the eagles to catch fish, due to the muddy water. They were calling repeatedly from the tree directly above my camp, and I sensed that they didn't appreciate the disgusting brown water and were expressing their displeasure. There were also several nice rock formations. There are no tributaries for filling one's water bottle, so bring plenty to drink. Apparently, the torrential rain for the first hour or so was a blessing, because otherwise the river might have been crowded on the weekend. The Trough General Store rents canoes and runs shuttles, so I guess it can get pretty crazy at times. People often drift it in rowboats, apparently. Despite the fact that this was the easiest river trip that I've done, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I recommend it highly.