Predictable summer releases make this one of the main playgrounds for Eastern Class-IV and Class-V boaters. The rapids are continuous, technical, beautiful, and intoxicating. The intense crowding brought on by rafters and kayakers during a Saturday release only serves to increase the challenge, and add to the aura connected with this gem of a river.
The putin is at Sang Run (see map), at a public MD State access (parking fee) field. Don’t be undressing in public or leaving your dog at the parking area, or you could pay a legal cost. Worse, you could be angering the neighbors--and history shows that we need bad publicity like we need a hole in the bottom of our boats.
The following describes the rapids at the typical summer release level of 1.9-2.1’ (on the Sang Run gauge; Sang Run = Friendsville - 1.3). Some lines will vary at other levels. The reader is of course cautioned that this description is no substitute for judgment, knowing who’s leading you down, and etc. (Read the disclaimer!)
The trip begins with about two miles of flattish water. If you begin at the start of the release, you’re liable to "outrun the bubble," i.e., to get ahead of the water. It’s fun to head down and wait at Wait Rock. When Wait Rock is getting covered by water, it’s a good idea to put your uneaten cookies back into the drybag and get into your boat while you can. After a short pool is Gap Falls.
Gap Falls (Mile 2.6) is one of the easier rapids: a (roughly) ten-foot slide into a hole. Start left of center, and work your way right into the big eddy at the bottom. The hole is playable, but it’s trashy and shallow. An alternate line is to catch the Eddy of Death on river left, halfway down the slide. If you miss the Eddy of Death, there’s a nasty rock ready to mess with your head; even if you catch the Eddy, you’ll have a devil of a time ferrying across the river above the shallow hole. Just upstream of the slide are some very fun play holes.
After Gap Falls, there’s a mile or so of Class-II/III boogiewater before the next major rapid.
Bastard (Mile 3.8) can be recognized by a small tree growing out of a rock island in the middle of the river. Head left and get set, because the Upper Yough is beginning!
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The normal line at Bastard is to boof right into an eddy just behind a (mostly) dry rock. It’s a fun and easy boof. Then work far left, avoiding the ledge holes, before working toward a big eddy at the bottom on river right. Going right from the boof eddy is even easier. |
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A short stretch of Class II sets you up for Charlie’s Choice (Mile 4.0), which has several lines. The "normal" line begins on river left, with a ferry just above a hole toward an eddy in the middle, and then the paddler heads left again. Running Charlie’s on river right all the way is the highly technical "Slots" line, which leads the most intrepid paddlers into Mel’s Toilet Bowl, an undercut that you don’t want to mess up. Persons of a moderately adventuresome bent (me) can begin on the left, head for a 6-foot hole on the right, Mushroom Cloud, avoid the rock by aiming right with a left brace, and then finish the rapid either way described above. |
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Triple Drop (Mile 4.1) follows immediately after Charlie's Choice. The first drop head far left to avoid the sieve/siphon (Toilet Bowl) on river right with the vertical log. Then head into an eddy on river right or left for the alternate route. (Alternate route: a very narrow fifteen-foot-long slot [see photo]; if you run this, commit carefully but forcefully to avoid pinning on the upstream face.) Hold your paddle parallel to your boat or it will pin. |
Head to a setup eddy in the center, the next drop is a steep drop through squirrelly water into a hole. The most sensible line is to work toward river right, coming within a couple of feet of the rock at the bottom right and into the eddy below it. This sets you up for National Falls (Mile 4.2).
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National has two main lines: river left has a fairly straightforward "S" turn, catching a tongue just left of a truly impressive hole. (right photo) River right is the Boof Line, which is one reason that spectators congregate. Miss that boof, and the hole’s gonna make you its girlfriend. Though the hole does let go of the inverted boater, many good boaters lose their cool and go for a swim here. (Lucky for them, it’s one of the few places on the Upper Yough where a swim is short and inconsequential.) The rock on river right below the drop is a congregating place for play-dogs to get their fix of rock splats. |
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After the pool following National Falls comes Tommy’s Hole (Mile 4.3). The fun here is in the "Slot Move." Described by some as "Dimple with an Attitude," it requires a right turn through a hole just above a nasty-looking undercut rock. There is a sneak route on far river right which will allow you to get back into the set-up eddy on the left above a steep ledge (Little Niagara).
There are several different ways to run the ledge. My favorite is to paddle down the left side and boof over the slight hump into a tiny pool then head right to get to the center of the river. The rest is boogie water down to a river right eddy.
Soon thereafter is Zinger (Mile 4.5). The whole rapid is down the left side of the river. There are at least two routes to avoid the two offset holes. Far left is the most trouble-free; if you choose to go right of the first hole, beware the big, bad undercut rock in the middle of the river.
There is an easier line starting in the same eddy at the top on river left. You head right and drop over a 4' ledge and pick your way down the left side of this right hand route.
There’s a fine flatspinning hole in the middle left, near a waterfall (Trap Run Falls) on the left bank. When it kicks you out, don't try too hard to get right of the big rock below. You risk being pinned, so you might as well go with the flow, which is left of the rock.
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The next of the biggies is Heinzerling (Mile 5.0). The "normal" line here is to slip through a gap in the rocks toward far river right. That sets you up for the Gun Barrel, followed by the Heinzerling Move. The Gun Barrel is a four-foot ledge drop; just stay right and ride the V to an eddy and view Heinzerling imedietly downstream.
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For the Heinzerling Move, head for the huge rock directly in the center of the river. Aim left as you ride up on the pillow, and drop down just downstream of the hole. It’s a unique ride, and among the most fun rapids around. |
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After Heinzerling, you can relax for half a mile of Class III before Meat Cleaver Mile 5.2. The left route requires a lot of rock dodging, while the right route, "The Cascades" is steeper but more straight forward. The "Cleaver Brothers" are two pointy rocks which are inconveniently placed at or just above water level amid some very fast water in a blind drop. The ferry move (far right to left) requires some precise positioning to run well, or just paddle just to the right of the large rock heading left, then go left of the center rock; the ledge drop, an easier line, risks a working in the pourover. Start center left and boof right. In either case, now line up between the cleavers or to the left of the left cleaver. Try not to be running this one upside-down. |
At this point, if you’re getting weary, be assured that you’re more than halfway home. It starts getting easier, though there are places to keep on your toes.
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After some more boogiewater, called "The Rockies" comes Powerful Popper (Mile 5.6). The normal move here is an S-turn between two boulders. The hole is an ender spot, but be warned: 1) it’s a little bit trashy, especially if you get kicked into the river-right eddy line; and b) it’s kind of blind from upstream, so extreme care is required if you want to avoid an unfortunate collision. An alternative line at Powerful Popper is the "Death Slot" to the left of the big rock. It’s probably not as dangerous as its name implies, but it requires an exacting line of those who want to run it cleanly. |
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After a couple of flatspinning holes, followed by a small pool, comes the rapid that the guidebooks call "Lost and Found (Mile 5.7)." Nobody knows it by that name; the common name is most politely referred to as "F-Up Falls." This rapid includes the notorious Tombstone Rock, an extremely undercut slab. Fortunately, the line to avoid this death trap is pretty easy: go between the rocks, and make sure you finish right of center. After that, F-Up Hole looms in the middle of the river. It’s as trashy as its name implies, perhaps especially so at higher levels like 2.2’ or better. Avoid it to the left or right. |
Okay, now you’ve cleared the meat of the Upper Yough. The final three "name" rapids are Cheeseburger Falls, Wright’s Hole, and Double Pencil Sharpener.
Cheeseburger Falls (Mile 6.2) is a small (10-foot) waterfall. Safest is probably to go a couple of boat lengths away from river right. More fun is to come in close to the right bank, have a boofing angle (to avoid a rock at the bottom--this one can vertically pin an unsuspecting boater, so watch out), and grin like a demon for the photographer.
Soon thereafter is Backender (Mile 6.3), which begins with a cartwheeling hole on river left. If the water’s above 2.1’, or if your boat’s below 9.0’, this one is worth waiting in line for. Local experts like Jess Whittemore, in long, light glass boats, wow the crowd by attaining this puppy, doubtless an impossible feat in any plastic boat. Just after the hole is the heart of the fun little Class III S-curving rapid. Run down the left past 5 offset holes. Watch for the bottom hole, lean forward or find out how the rapid got its name.
Next is Wright’s Hole (Mile 6.7). This one is easy to avoid, most easily on the far left or right, it’s probably playable but is very shallow and sticky (not recommended).
The finale is Double Pencil Sharpener (Mile 6.8). It’s pretty easy to read’n’run. Most fun is to clip the right edge of the first hole, which (if you do it just right) sets you up to clip the left edge of the second hole. If you do it just right, you practically go airborne.
That’s about it, boyz’n’gurls! Except for one flatspinnin hole which we Ohio Boaters call Luke’s Final Insult (Mile 7.1). At some levels, it will be grabby in its most vicious maw (ask Luke); but you should be able to get out just fine. After that it's nothing but 2 1/2 miles of Class I-II drudgery. Or consider this a chance to get some aerobic exercise. Take out on river left, after the bridge in town, onto Wilderness Voyager's property. Please follow the rules: no public consumption of beer, go inside their change rooms to change clothing, no raucous music--please respect the local residents, and they’ll respect you.
(Thanks to John Kobak for many helpful comments, editing the pictures and suggestions re. this description.)
Now here is a Video showing most of the lines.