Lost
4-5-03 to 4-6-03
259 Bridge North of the town Lost River to 55/259 Bridge above Wardensville
Approximately 15 miles
Class 1-2
Gauge: The South Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River near Moorefield (Moorefield River) Gauge can be used as a good approximation. (Min. = 2.2 ft.) Also, there are gauges on the bridge piers at the put-in and take-out. We started the trip with the put-in gauge reading 2.5 and the take-out gauge reading 0.5. The next day the take-out gauge was at the minimum (0.0). This corresponds to approximately 2.4 - 2.2 on the SF SB Potomac NR Moorefield gauge. At these levels the river is very technical and scrapy in spots.
First of all, don't spend too much time in Morgantown the night before. After setting up shuttle, we planned to put in at the town of Lost River (as per "Wildwater West Virginia") However, there was no access there due to barbed wire along the banks. We then proceeded north approximately a mile to the 259 bridge. On river right, there was a steep hill blocked by a board and parking looked sketchy. We were beginning to think that paddlers weren't welcome. This feeling changed after farmers gave us permission to park on their land.
Click photo to enlarge
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| 3 Boats | Put-in |
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| Rapid above put-in |
The beginning of this run passed by beautiful farmland on the left. Along the right were steep hills. About 2 miles above Baker, A good rapid took place in a 90 degree right turn. This was followed by a construction sight and recently built bridge piers. It was upsetting to see such a pristine area being altered for a new highway. After passing the piers, we set up camp on the left across form a rock wall.
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| River left | River right |
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| Bridge piers | Rock wall |
That night, the wind picked up and the weather got cold. Gusts may have reached 35 mph. Andy and I built a fire that had to be contained due to the dry conditions. We caught some catfish. Ate a great dinner of deer steaks. After partying by the campfire, some sidestepping occurred.
The next day, Nick and Andy did some fishing. Different types of fish were caught, including small mouth and fall fish. However, the prize goes to Nick for a nice rainbow. After loading the boats, we paddled flatwater for awhile. The day was cold and the wind was a factor. Passing Baker, rapids started appearing again. Watch out for the "Hat Snatching" rose bush on river left. Next, McCauley was reached. Since this is a stocked area, a few people were fishing here. High on the left were some great rock formations.
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| Rock formation 1 | Rock formation 2 |
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| Rock formation 3 |
No more photos were taken beyond this point. Due to the fact that it was late in the day and class 2 rapids became frequent. Keep your eyes open for a horizon line about a mile below McCauley. This is a low water bridge that can easily be missed. You may want to scout or run far right through a breach. Although scraping may occur.