Alenda and I drove to West Virginia last weekend to check out Morgantown. My impeccable timing delivered us on their only dry day this month. Instead of paddling, I ran a section of the
Decker's Creek Trail. Decker's flows into the Monongahela river. It features a short, class V+ section of whitewater.
This is the entrance drop of the gorge (I think). Decker's is reminiscent of the Cullasaja in NC. It is always good to have some easily accessible roadside gnar for that after work fix.
Think about this next time you flip a light switch: nationwide, 57% of electricity comes from coal fired power plants. The number is higher in the South. Most of that coal comes from WV. This operation sits on top of Decker's Creek. Running out of the woods and into this was a surreal shock. Morgantown is the epicenter of WV creek boating. However, due to the environmental decimation that has occurred there, I give it a 7 out of 10 for outdoor living.
I did a couple of trail runs/picture taking trips in the Laurel Fork area last month. The creek is only 20 minutes from Johnson City. The watershed is
currently threatened by a logging proposal. The Upper Laurel Fork Trail starts in Dennis Cove about a mile past the AT crossing. The run involves 15 or 20 stream crossings in the first 5 miles. Don't even try to keep your feet dry on this one. The Upper Laurel Fork would make an interesting whitewater run. A double drop starts the action 1 1/2 miles upstream of the trail head. It is not very steep, but it features continuous boulder gardens.
Laurel Falls is on the lower gorge on the Laurel Fork. The Falls have never been dropped, but they are runnable. This is the crux move. The mess leads directly into a 20 footer with a nasty shelf half way down it. Flipping here would be disastrous.
The middle line is disgusting. There are rumors of an inflatable descent years ago. The falls are 40 to 50 feet tall.
Groove Tube (above) is the last major rapid above the falls. The Laurel Fork is steep, tight, and scary as shit when it has good water. Darwin's Hole is in the heart of the gorge. It is a serious class V rapid that is difficult to scout and even tougher to portage.
The gorge from high up.
The fall colors were still going strong.
This is the entrance drop of the gorge (I think). Decker's is reminiscent of the Cullasaja in NC. It is always good to have some easily accessible roadside gnar for that after work fix.
Think about this next time you flip a light switch: nationwide, 57% of electricity comes from coal fired power plants. The number is higher in the South. Most of that coal comes from WV. This operation sits on top of Decker's Creek. Running out of the woods and into this was a surreal shock. Morgantown is the epicenter of WV creek boating. However, due to the environmental decimation that has occurred there, I give it a 7 out of 10 for outdoor living.
I did a couple of trail runs/picture taking trips in the Laurel Fork area last month. The creek is only 20 minutes from Johnson City. The watershed is currently threatened by a logging proposal. The Upper Laurel Fork Trail starts in Dennis Cove about a mile past the AT crossing. The run involves 15 or 20 stream crossings in the first 5 miles. Don't even try to keep your feet dry on this one. The Upper Laurel Fork would make an interesting whitewater run. A double drop starts the action 1 1/2 miles upstream of the trail head. It is not very steep, but it features continuous boulder gardens.
Laurel Falls is on the lower gorge on the Laurel Fork. The Falls have never been dropped, but they are runnable. This is the crux move. The mess leads directly into a 20 footer with a nasty shelf half way down it. Flipping here would be disastrous.
The middle line is disgusting. There are rumors of an inflatable descent years ago. The falls are 40 to 50 feet tall. 
Groove Tube (above) is the last major rapid above the falls. The Laurel Fork is steep, tight, and scary as shit when it has good water. Darwin's Hole is in the heart of the gorge. It is a serious class V rapid that is difficult to scout and even tougher to portage.
The gorge from high up.
The fall colors were still going strong. 
0 comments:
Post a Comment