Upper Yough

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    • #7169
      McChuck
      Participant
      • Total Posts: 557

      Had a great trip with John, Mike, Ed and Di. Some observations.

      1. Our population is expanding faster than the maintenance of, and creation of new, infrastructure.

      2. We went to Ohiopyle Sunday in hopes of doing the falls. Parking was a mile in either direction from the put-in. Whoever releases from the lake does so at a rate higher than 1.8, Sunday in 1.85, over the weekend. Th rule is you can’t run th falls over 1.8. On weekdays, they release at 1.7 making it legal to run the falls. Bizarre? It also stops you from running the loop.

      3. The upper yough releases are done mostly to please the rich yuppies that line the lake above. They demand a certain level for fishing and boat docks. That is why there is no release Sunday.

      4. Monday, the river rose at noon- just like Fri and Sat. The level was 2.0. We put on, and played our way down. We were at National Falls for 15 minutes. When we got to Hizerling I could not find the slot for the right chat, nor see water running down the right channel. We went left down the hero route, something I’ve done many times. It was a lot more rocky than I remember with a lot of tight slots. Di pinned, and had to swim. Rafts helped us get back on the water after about 1/2 hour. I was surprised to see the next rapid- the cleavers, and I didn’t remember seeing Hizerling at all. We finished out the river and at 4 pm we were on the flat section, right on time for a 5 pm exit….only…..there was no water? Bare river bed. This surprised us as well as about 100 boaters, the strider, Charlie, etc. and we basically just had to wait for the river to catch up to us. Paddle to warm water, stick on rocks, wait for the river to lift us off.  It was then I realized this was probably what happened to us at Hinzerling. I have done river finishes at 3 pm on Monday many times….but this Monday we didn’t get off until 5 pm.  No one knew why this happened.

      5. The drive home is harder and longer than the drive there.

      6. Probably my last time at UY, and maybe will do the Tallulah as my last cl-V-  a river that is, in my mind, much easier than the UY.

      • This topic was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by McChuck. Reason: "I go to seek the great perhaps."- Francois Rabelais on his deathbed bed
    • #7197
      John Tansil
      Participant
      • Total Posts: 206

      Yes, it was a good trip!

      I am mystified by the Monday experience with river level.  The daily hydrographs for Upper Yough at Friendsville for Friday, Saturday, Monday look virtually identical.  http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?cb_00010=on&cb_00060=on&cb_00065=on&format=gif_default&site_no=03076500&period=&begin_date=2016-09-02&end_date=2016-09-05

      If you put on at noon on Monday, you may have outrun the water.  We put on at 1pm on Friday and Saturday.

      Ed, Mike, and I went to Tygart waterfalls on Sunday.  I took some video of them running the first two drops.

      We had good pizza and beer at Pies and Pints in Charleston on the way home.  Camped at Kentucky Horse Park …. haven’t been there in a long time!

       

      • This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by John Tansil. Reason: time warp
    • #7205
      McChuck
      Participant
      • Total Posts: 557

      Cool JT. I wondered what you did.

      Yes, we did catch the release, along with the other mystified boaters, some of whom are very, very locals. We put on about 12:30, and as I said, I think we caught it first at Hinzerling.

      Wish we’d gone to Tygart on Sunday! We camped at the same place, better site, Saturday night.

      • This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by McChuck. Reason: If you find yourself stranded in the dessrt, check the spelling, it may be better than you think!
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