upper yough

[open boater]

Looking for some imput on when you're ready to run the Upper Yough. I paddle a Probe 14, comfortable on the Lower Gauley, capable of leading down the Savage, work the lower Yough hard. Most of my paddling companions are in kayaks so hard to get a canoe perspective

[Jim Michaud]

Find an open boater that knows the UY really well to lead you down and go during the summer when the Sang Run gauge is between 1.9 and 2.2 feet. Pick a boater that's more concerned about you having a good run than showing you how good they are.

[PAC]

Agree with Jim.

Having someone willing to take some time to get you down and show you the good lines is key. An open boater is better than a kayker because its a different perspective but a good lead boater should be good either way.

It also helps to have a solid crew with you to back you up too. Just don't over think it or let it play with your head. The fact you are asking about sounds like you have the confidence to make it happen.

Suggest you alos look at the Cheat Canyon and Lower Big Sandy for more stick time as well - with the same advice noted above.

Keep it real, keep it safe and keep it fun!!!

UPDATED: Scheduled Sat releases (over for this year), although a bit crazier, will get you a leader easier. Not to say Friday and Mondays don't have a crew running it. If your on FB post on PA creekers (or here as well) to line something up.

[Cheeks]

What Jim said. There's plenty of good open boaters doing the upper yough, PAC, bob hale, mark zak, etc who can show you down when your ready.

What's great about the uy is that while it's class iv, there are classic and class iii+ lines around most rapids. If you can lead down the savage and you can boof you'll be in good shape

[Bruce Farrenkopf]

Agree with Jim. Well said.
P.S. Cheeks: The Upper Yough is Class 4+. Let's not downgrade it to Class 3+. Although I don't think that was your intention. This gets us into a very tough subject - rating rivers. Maybe we should try and re-address this hot topic once again .

[hazardharry]

roman numerals make it look scary. i like digital.

[the great gonzo]

Bruce, don't know whether or not you are on crackbook, but a well known and always vocal open boater from the South East who does not have a festival named after him recently stated in one of the groups there that the UY was no more than class 3. So Cheeks is merely quoting there

TGG!

[Jim Michaud]

Yup. Twenty years ago the UY was a class 5 and now it's only a class 3. In another five years it will only be a class 2 and therefore suitable for boy scout troops to paddle it.

The rocks must really be getting softer. Either that or someone considers themself to be such a great paddler that the UY is far below their capability.

[Bruce Farrenkopf]

The rating system is too subjective, the rating guidelines are indefinite and overly dependent on personal interpretation. I suppose that is just the way it must be. However, it takes some historical perspective, a lot of experience and a controlled ego to reasonably judge the difficulty of a river. You need to try and look at the river as if seeing it for the first, second or third time - one's perspective about a river changes after the 20th practiced run and knowing all the lines.

The downward slip of river ratings needs to be curtailed or the system will have little value. What happened to the open system of 5.0, 5.1, 5.2........... similar to the climbing system? Climb ratings are much more stable than river ratings because they are open ended.

Keep in mind that an important purpose of the rating system is to give an accurate picture of the river's difficulty to a boater who is UNFAMILIAR with the run. A boater who has made the run 20 times does not need a river rating at that point.

P.S. I have heard the Grand Canyon difficulty described as a 'gigantic class 3'.

It seems this topic has been hijacked . Apologies.

[FullGnarlzOC]

the uy actually just class II-III boogie. if u can run the savage. we can get u down the uy.... i almost gaurantee u wont break the swim record (12 held by Ed Powers and Myself)


joking about the 2-3 boogie. its a solid III-IV

[open boater]

thanks for all the info-I'll be there in 2014!

[Rand C1]

Apparently the UY has just been down rated again. So Slippery Rock is now class I guess. Thread fully hijacked.
Rand

Who does this serve?

[Rand C1]

You see my motive for preserving the rating system is that I suck at boating, and want people to think Im a better boater than I really am.
Rand

[the great gonzo]

12 swims on one run of the UY !?!?! It may just be me, but if I swim this much on a river in one day, I don't consider myself really ready for it!

TGG!

[PAC]

Depends on the level... 1" can make a pretty big difference.


Have to agree... the rating system is fine. Its just a rough estimate for those who are not familiar with a run. If you're a solid III boater you should do fine on a III and you know generally what to expect. If your a solid IV boater and its a I you know what to expect. If your a II boater and its a solid IV you better darn understand what to expect.

Swims also depend on level and line!