Cheat Narrows?

[STRAKER]

I was thinking about trying to get a trip to the Narrows together sometime in the next month. It looks fun and it has water. Does anyone know a lot about the run. I have never done it but I have no trouble self guiding a trip in the class III range. Let me know if you are interested. Maybe we can get a trip together in the next couple weeks. Chris

[bambam]

The Cheat Narrows is indeed a fun class II / III run. It's somewhat like the sections of the New in WV above the gorge but with more action and less flat water. It's mostly roadside with pull offs here and there so you can dial your own trip length. Try not to wreck whilst road scouting.

I've only run it a couple of times. I found some old notes regarding water level. 1100 cfs at Rowlesburg was "a little low but plenty". Given how the river chokes down here (hence the term "narrows") I'd imagine it gets wild at high levels.

Wildwater West Virginia describes it pretty well.

The meanest drop, Calamity, provided me with the best intermediate carnage video ever. Very much not intending to sound evil with that comment. Easy to scout from the right bank, various lines are available but a bit narrow, and folks tend to drop into holes which tend to flip them, swirl them about for a bit, and spit them out unharmed into eddies.

The only downside I know of is it's far for me.

Ken

[Bob Dole]

Pretty much what Ken said.

If your into squirting or just screwing around on eddy lines, that stretch has some really nice spots for that not much other play and yes Calamity can cause some good entertainment.

You may want to think about adding the lower Yough or Casselman river in on the trip depending on skill level, the Narrows by itself IMO doesn't justify that far of a trip.



* Edited because I fail at typing

[YeOldeAndDecrepite]

I was thinking about trying to get a trip to the Narrows together sometime in the next month. It looks fun and it has water. Does anyone know a lot about the run. I have never done it but I have no trouble self guiding a trip in the class III range. Let me know if you are interested. Maybe we can get a trip together in the next couple weeks. Chris

Stacker
I have a trip planned for the Narrows I believe in late spring when there should be water. Look for the trip in the news letter or Coastal Trip section.

YOAD

[Dave K]

Very much not intending to sound evil with that comment.

carNAGE! carNAGE! carNAGE! carNAGE! carNAGE! carNAGE!
>>>>>>

I’ve never done the Narrows but have done the Dry Fork of the Cheat. The Dry Fork sounds like a little step up from the Narrows and definitely has some play on it. I have paddled the Dry Fork at medium flows and only think there was one or two rapids that could come close to the class IV rating that AW gives it.

The pro move would be the Narrows on the first day and, if everyone did well, step up to the Dry Fork the next day. There is free, primitive camping along the Dry Fork as well.

Given favorable circumstances, I’d be interested in that trip. Please keep me posted.


Narrows:
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... l_id_2346_

Dry Fork:
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... l_id_2352_

[YeOldeAndDecrepite]

Very much not intending to sound evil with that comment.

carNAGE! carNAGE! carNAGE! carNAGE! carNAGE! carNAGE!
>>>>>>

I’ve never done the Narrows but have done the Dry Fork of the Cheat. The Dry Fork sounds like a little step up from the Narrows and definitely has some play on it. I have paddled the Dry Fork at medium flows and only think there was one or two rapids that could come close to the class IV rating that AW gives it.

The pro move would be the Narrows on the first day and, if everyone did well, step up to the Dry Fork the next day. There is free, primitive camping along the Dry Fork as well.

Given favorable circumstances, I’d be interested in that trip. Please keep me posted.


Narrows:
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... l_id_2346_

Dry Fork:
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... l_id_2352_

I will lead the Narrows and you can lead the Dry Fork. Of course, that depends on having water in June!!

[STRAKER]

Thanks, for all the great advice. I'll def. be down for the trip in June. However I am trying to find some folks who want to hit it up sometime soon. I am going through paddling withdrawl with the lack of water and a new adventure on a diffrent river sounds good to me. Anyone interested. How about Dec 13,14 or both. I am open to suggestions but generally it takes an act of Congress to get me off work on a weekend.

[bambam]

Sounds like you need a "fix" badly. It's been some time since I blew off work to go boating.

Too long.

Very, very long shot but if there is water in WV as the time approaches then bump this thread back to the top. Truth be told, Cheat Narrows is too far for me for a one or two day trip unless something else gets stirred into the mix but Dry Fork is within reach as are Potomac highlands or for that matter Seneca Creek.

While we're at it, if it ever rains again, there are plenty of rivers on your side of the blue ridge [Charlottesville] which merit exploration.

Ken

[STRAKER]

Yeah if it ever rains again......... I just keep looking at the AW site and seeing a couple rivers in the "Green" in WVA (which is more than I can say for VA). After this long without water the 4 1/2 hr trip to the "Narrows" starts looking more and more like a day trip (which would have been crazy talk back in June)

[MichaelME]

Hey,

That's up near Davis. Karl or anyone, mtb heaven, ever riden on snowmobile trails? Got some 2" snow cat wheels haven't seen the white stuff for some time.


Or, Any tele skiers or single plankers? Timberline is right next door.

How bout a combo trip. One day liquid, next day solid.

Michael