C-Forum

Here's a fun winter question . . .

So, every summer when I lived in DC, my friends and I would run the Upper Yough almost every week. And every year we would manage to find new lines, new slots, new moves to do. I never got bored.

One of my friends, Scott Anderson, used to say that the Upper Yough has better "repeat value" than any other river around. By that, he meant that because it was so interesting, you could run it over and over and still have a lot of fun. There was always some new line or new move to try.

So my question to the cboating community is -- which river, in your opinion, has the most "repeat value"? And why??

(I need suggestions for my summer boating trip!)

Alden

I will throw out two of my own suggestions to kick things off, East Coast and West Coast.

1) The Green Narrows (NC): As many board (or bored) posters here know well, there are still so many moves for most of us to try on the Green. The right line boof at the bottom of Nies' and the right-side entrance to Hammerfactor are on my list! (The left line at Sunshine is too -- although the timeframe is less immediate!)

2) The Little White Salmon (WA): I have only had the pleasure of running this once, and was frankly more concerned about basic survival than improvisation. However, as I drove away, I was shaking my head to think about the many seasons' worth of experimentation this complicated creek would offer. Just the first rapid, Getting Busy, contains about a thousand moves.

Anyway, those would be my two choices (behind the Yough) for each coast.

Alden

East Coast - Deerfield Dryway

Interesting topic, because there are some rivers/creeks that really only have one line that I can get kind of get somewhat bored with over time.

1) Green Narrows

2) Gauley

3) Ocoee (some might disagree but this is a great run on a non-peak Saturday or Sunday when you can avoid the high raft traffic and it has an unbelievable amount of lines, eddys, boofs, rockspins, waves, play holes, ferries, attainments etc...)

Lower Yough at various levels. Several places to go including slots and boofs.

west coast. at this moment I vote south yuba 49-bridgeport. it's not roadside and the scenery is top notch. flows pretty regularly in the winter. it's the perfect length (7 miles) run and has got almost every style of rapid known to man. complex boulder drops, mank, super clean and meaty granite slides, big mid-air turn boof, slot boofs, a plug move that takes you to china. a portage or two..or not. and it's not too scary.

French Broad-

I know it's not the most challenging river to paddle, but it's large watershed, wide banks and, natural flow, contribute to many, many different lines. My all time favorite level is 1000 CFS paddling a FLY. Although +7000 nice and juicy.

I might be a bit bias since it's 45 minutes away from me to the "put out"

big sandy creek in WV is pretty good for repeats. I'm on trip #275 and still don't get tired of it. Every water level has something different, from ELF runs at 5 ft, to normal style creek boating at 6 ft, juicy river running feel at 7-8 ft, then stomping big waters runs from 8-10. Waterfalls, surf, boofs, slots, great eddy hopping boulder gardens, and overall a pretty safe run, with a shuttle that can be jogged or biked with no traffic.

Alden, you used my choice as your example in the initial post - Upper Yough.

John

Upper Yough. I've ran it 10+ times last summer, and there are so many lines... I don't even really remember all the 'main' / '1st-timer' lines.... I just read and run it, because the whole river can be ran that way...

My only wish about the UY is that, SwallowFalls and Swallowtail Falls were included in the run, and not just on the seldom run 'top yough'

Everytime I piss and moan, about not being down south, where it's warmer, more water, and more runs.... I remind myself of the complete and utter Gem that i have 2.5 hrs away in the UY.

In a kayak the UY was the repeat river of choice. In a canoe I am starting over and so will have to re-evaluate. Based on my experience level I therefore choose the LY.

The only problem with the Upper Yough is that of any town I've frequented as a boater, I believe Friendsville has the *lowest* "repeat value." Hades, I think even Aintree had less strained town-paddler relations.

Alden

aintree? this river don't go to aintree...

Having not done the UY yet, Kinda far for me, but I'll get there soon enough. I vote for the NH Swift and the Pemigewasset. Clear, clean, cold water and many lines change with the water level

Yeah, the Yough in general has a great feel to it.

I'd also add some of the great rivers in Northern Ontario. The Petawawa comes to mind. I've never been to the Missinaibi but I hear that's amazing as well. The Moise in Quebec too.

Lot's of great water out there. I hope I live long enough to see 10% of it.