Yough’ing
| River: | Yough |
| Skill: | All |
| Trip Date: | 08/18/2022 |
John MacDonald and I decided to make a week-long trip up to the lower section of the Youghiogheny River, joined by Jim Keihn. We also paddled with other groups for a couple of days.
The Youghiogheny River (Yough for short, pronounced “Yak”) is a classic run that hasn’t gotten a lot of CCC attention in recent years. It’s about a 7-hour drive from the Triangle, depending on route. Really depending on route, as we had some navigational adventures on the drive up and back. Roads can be steep and wind a bit, although the views through the mountain routes are spectacular.
The Yough is dam-release with several sections. The Top and Upper sections are Class IV-V, the the Middle Class II, and the Lower a lightweight Class III. The Yough also features The Loop and Ohiopyle Falls. Ohiopyle Falls is an 18-foot kayakable waterfall that you can kayak to the base from the put-in for the Lower. The Yough loops back on itself, making it possible to run the first few rapids on the Lower Yough, and then hike back up (and over) to the put-in for The Loop. The default release is in the neighborhood of 1.8′, although that level is less consistent than other Southeast dam releases. Water temps while were there were in the low 60s — cool but not traumatic. The big rapid of consequence is Dimple, but the move required isn’t complicated, and there are several alternatives. Dimple is clearly sign-posted, as well as a sign for the easy portage.
The Lower is known for being easier than the Ocoee, although I was uncertain whether that would hold true for me, as I’m … overly familiar … with the Ocoee. For the first run I followed the lines suggested by Jim. But after that, I felt comfortable wandering. At 1.8′-1.9′, the Lower is amazingly read-and-run. The water wasn’t overly pushy, and I could always find a nearby eddy (or 30) to pause, decide where next, and either proceed or adjust my earlier decisions. Unlike the Ocoee, there are extended calm sections between the rapids should recovery be required. By my third run we merrily wandered aimlessly, exploring various nooks and crannies. After the first run I felt like I was in for a boring week, but by the end I’d managed find options to adjust the level of challenge for all the rapids as my mood struck.
We camped at the Ohiopyle State Park Kentuck Campground. The campground is conveniently located roughly between the put-in and the takeout. Sites are large and well-separated. The bathhouse includes hot showers and a place to wash your dishes. Saturday the campground was packed, but the rest of the week we mostly had the campground to ourselves. During that time, the few others camping were often people cycling the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) , a 150-mile bicycle rail trail between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, Maryland. Combined with the C&O Canal towpath, the GAP is part of a 335-mile dedicated cycle route between Pittsburgh and DC. I biked the C&O in 2019, and had camped at the Kentuck Campground when cycling home from Albany in 2021. I had fun chatting with some of the cyclists. There’s a (steep) trail connecting the campground to the GAP and the town of Ohiopyle.
Every day we arranged shuttle at the campground, drove to the takeout to drop a vehicle before driving to the put-in. During the week you can park directly at the takeout, and the (newly renovated) put-in in Ohiopyle. On Saturday and Sunday you park well above the takeout, and catch a regular bus shuttle (with trailer) back to your vehicle. Walking back up is both not permitted, and a terrible, terrible idea once you see the road. A $10 “permit” for the river and bus shuttle is required on the weekend; other days you simply register at the newly-renovated Visitors’ Center (you also need a permit and at least three people should you choose to run the Falls when the river is below 1’9″). Each run of the Lower took approximately 3 hours. I never managed to talk anyone into a second run, but that would be easy to do.
The weather was spectacular. Rain clearly falls regularly; mushrooms abound throughout the campground. Yet for our days of rain, rainfall fell with darkness, and finished by morning. Only one day did we had rain while kayaking; the rain began after we launched, and ended just as we pulled off! Temperatures were in the mid- to high-70s during the day, dropping to the low 60s at night–perfect!
The adjacent small town of Ohiopyle is clearly seasonal. I was told there are only 38 permanent residents! There are several restaurants in town, but during the week most of the town shuts down, so you might have to travel a bit to find somewhere to eat. There’s no gas in town (the closest is about 8 miles away).
The Yough is spectacular, only marginally farther than the Ocoee from the Triangle, and includes something for everyone. For those not kayaking, there’s rafting, plentiful hiking, cycling (including nearby rentals), water falls, and river slides. There are a number of other whitewater rivers in the area (such as the Cheat and other rivers of “The Fruit Basket”) available should they be running. For someone comfortable in Class III, the river is mostly read-and-run (you can also buy a map with lines for the rapids in stores in town). For a boater looking to step up their game in Class III, the Lower Yough provides every opportunity to explore and advance your abilities. John and I both felt we ended the trip with significant improvements to our paddling skills. A great trip all around.