Youghiogheny

I ran this on May 11, 2012. I put in from the road about 3 or 4 miles up from Swallow Falls road, approximately, maybe less. I left my car at a hiking trailhead on the other side of the road from the river. The put-in here requires bushwhacking. The first few river miles are totally flat. However, I did see some beaver here, and there were birds for nature lovers, and I didn't mind the flatwater, but it could be tough if there were a headwind. The section of rapids is only the last half-mile or so. You know where the rapids start because miles of flatwater end with a 3-4-foot vertical ledge that drops onto a twisting, sloping, jagged slide that drops about 10-15-feet at roughly 25-degrees overall that presents numerous ways to screw up. I could see about three different ways that one could easily pin a boat, not to mention several ways to flip and possibly drown, depending on water levels. I would not call this Class 3, by any means, unless it is very scrapy-low. The bottom of the slide has several pinning rocks that could be possibly fatal under the 'right' conditions, and the spaces between them are much less than the length of even a short play boat, making them perfect for pinning. One of these slots is at the downstream end of a recirculating eddy that I imagine gets quite violent with more water---a very bad juxtaposition! When I did it, I think Class 4 would be a fair rating, although I can see how it could easily go to Class 5 with enough water. The first drop is the hardest, and the others are probably no more than Class 4, and usually less. Very soon, you come to the bridge upstream of Swallow Falls. It's definitely worth exploring at least once, if you have the time and energy, and you're in a playful mood. As for comparing it to the top or upper Yough---it's all about the water level, man. 'The dose makes the poison.' Less is easier, more is harder.