Keeney's Creek

Scott Wooten and I ran this on May 19,2005 with help from a host of others. We putin atleast half a mile above the huge slide, Demon Speed. Trees weren't too bad in this section, and it's a good warmup. There was some ducking and scrambling but nothing serious in terms of wood. There is a huge log on the bottom right of Demon Speed, but it can still be run.

At Accept Reality, there is a submerged rock in the right side of the pool at the bottom. This creek changed significantly from the July 8, 2001 flood that decimated Laurel Creek. Fortunately, most everything can still be run as long as there's no wood, and you're up to it. On my run, I walked as many clean rapids as wood choked ones. However, when I hiked this in fall of 2005, there was more wood in it than when we ran it in May.

At Silver Creek Supper, a large angular rock has tumbled into the entrance. On my run, at a somewhat low level, going over it was sketchy but doable. Even with more water, it still could be a big deal. There was a lot more wood in the rapids below Silver Creek than above it.

While the road follows the creek all the way to the New River. Once below Demon Speed, the creek is far below the road and the banks are super steep. This one is hard to catch up (it's generally the last thing to run in this area), and when it is running it can be hard to find a capable group to go with. But it is a must do for serious Class V boaters. A love for scouting and portaging, and a fondness for taking hits are good qualities for those contemplating this creek. At the end of the day, Scott had bruised ribs and I had a caved in bow, but we both had huge smiles.

Please note the name of the rapid in the first photo is Demon Speed, not Speed Demon. Either way, it's still fast.