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As of 4/23/2011, Stony is free of wood from Rt 50 down to the North Branch of the Potomac.

Robert Farmer---I paddled this 6/6/09 with some other people. The level was higher and better than
the other 2 times that I ran it, although the gauge was reading 360-390 (below the official
minimum). This was a very good level. In reference to the 2 strainers, the first log is obvious;
the second one is at the lower end of an island where we went down the right side, the left side
being much smaller. A small tributary waterfall is on the right, opposite the island. When you see
this waterfall, the next rapid has the hidden log. I was boat-scouting very carefully and did not
see the log until I was committed. I warned the group to stop, but one boater ran it anyway and got
pinned. For a brief while, we thought he was dead---very scary! We will try to post pictures of the
strainers on this site. I did manage to slide under the first strainer by flipping on river right,
but portaging is the safer choice. At the second log, I slid over it tight to the right side. A
group behind us said that some of them ran over the log deliberately, but that would be an
unusually bad idea, although with more water, that would seem less stupid. It was a delightful run,
other than this log. We started to cut it out, and worked on it until the saw broke. Maybe someone
could bring a bigger saw and finish the cut that we started. Have fun, be careful. Edit

This is a great creek for boat-scouting. I had to shore-scout only one drop--the last big ledge
before the Potomac. Speaking of which, if the Stony is running, the Potomac will be cranking! Be
prepared. Also, FYI, the takeout at Laurel Run is never really an option in winter, due to extreme
icing of the north-facing road.

Ran this stretch several times over the course of 2003 at several different water levels. This run
is one of my favorites, providing a nice training ground for class 4 paddlers to work on their
creeking skills. While very similar in nature to an easy Upper Yough, the Lower Stony has alot of
variety in its rapids, including several high ledges and slides to break up the boulder garden
action. The first 4 miles of the run is continuous class 3, consisting of boat-scoutable boulder
drops and ledges reminiscent of the "warmups" on the Yough. One of these drops is
particularly vigorous, beginning with a lefthand turn over a ledge that leads into a series of
constricted 2-4 foot drops. Soon the gradient will pick up, and the Stony enters a long stretch of
class 4 boulder rapids which make up the most exciting and difficult part of the run. While these
rapids are all boat-scoutable, there are a number of undercut rocks and pinning spots to tangle
with if you get off line; also, there aren't many eddies, so leave plenty of space between
paddlers. About a mile above the confluence with the North Branch, paddlers will encounter a fun
three-tiered slide containing several ledge holes and some powerful lateral waves. This last mile
of the Stony is tougher than the sections above, consisting of technical boulder gardens and large
ledge drops. Upon reaching a small pool and a very distinct horizon line, paddlers will know they
have arrived at the single largest drop on the run, a roughly 8-10 foot ledge. This ledge is solid
class 4 at all flows and bumps up in difficulty as the flow increases. The best line is down the
left, where the ledge is broken into 3 drops. The first drop is a funnel-shaped 2-3 foot drop into
a hole, just slightly to the left of an ugly sieve/crack. The second drop runs directly into the
first, a 3-4 foot slide over a cheesegrater rock into a pourover. After avoiding the pourover, the
paddler is immediately launched over the final drop, a 4 foot ledge into a powerful hole. The
runout from this ledge slams into a large, box-shaped undercut boulder about 15 feet down from the
final hole; make sure you get over to the right when you finish! In high water the drops run
together, creating a mess of lateral waves which funnel the boater into a trashy hole at the
bottom. Below here, the run continues over a nother nice slide- which can be mean at high flows due
to some large holes in the approach- before dumping into the meat of the North Branch.<br>
GAUGE: There is a gauge on the Stony which monitors the outflow from the VEPCO dam at Mt. Storm
lake. While 250 cfs is listed as a minimum, this should be taken as being a "bare
minimum"- we made a run at 280 cfs one day and barely made it down with our Shredders; lucky
for us the run gets pretty channelized towards the end. A level of 400-600 cfs on this gauge is
optimal for a class 3-4 "creeking" experience on the Stony; this run is also done in the
600-1200 cfs range as well, but the run changes significantly in character, developing fast
currents, large waves, and powerful holes- call it 4-4+. A gauge at Rt. 50 also exists,
unfortunately it does not get posted anywhere as far as I can tell. This gauge, however, does
provide a nice visual indicator; from the put-in the gauge house can be seen on river left about 15
feet down from the bridge- if the 2x4's extending from this silo out into the river are at or below
water level, the run is good to go. Unfortunately, the Stony rarely runs; a MAJOR (i.e. hurricane)
rain event is necessary to get the wonderful people of VEPCO to put water into this gem (another
note: I've heard rumors of the dam operators purposely shutting off the water on people running the
Upper Stony, so be VERY discrete when putting on at the dam or else you might be hiking out in an
hour). Basically, if the North Branch at Kitzmiller is at 5.5ft and rising, the Savage below the
dam is flowing above 1000 cfs, or the Blackwater is outrageously too high, the Stony *might* have
water in it.<br>
SHUTTLE: One aspect of this run is that if you don't know where to take out, you must run 10 miles
of the Kitzmiller section of the North Branch to reach your shuttle car. However, there is an
obscure takeout for the Stony at its confluence, provided you know how to get there. This access is
on river left at Laurel Run, near the "town" of Schell:<br>
- From the Rt 50 bridge over the Stony, head west to Gormania and turn right onto 560.<br>
- Turn right onto White Church - Steyer Road (sign for Laurel Run/Wallman recreation area).<br>
- Veer left onto Audley Riley Road. Road turns to gravel and you enter the state forest.<br>
- Veer left at split and follow gravel road to deadend turnaround next to Laurel Run. You are about
2/10ths of a mile from the North Branch Potomac. To get to the river, ford the creek at the fiber
optic cable right of way and walk down the river. There you'll see old bridge abutments and the
cable right of way posts as indicators of the takeout, which is shown as Schell on the map. *NOTE*:
It is advisable to walk down to the river and take serious note of where the trail to the takeout
is in relation to the Stony confluence- this is NOT a good area to get hopelessly lost in.<br>
ONE FINAL NOTE: This run is notorious for picking up strainers and has killed due to this factor. I
ran this stretch the day after Hurricane Isabel came through and found no strainers, but I have run
into some riverwide blockages in the past. Be careful out there.

Ran this stretch again today (9/18/2004) at a level of 900 cfs at Mt. Storm- what a rush! The run
was definitely solid class 4-4+ the entire way, with the largest ledge- Sawmill Ledge- being a
major 4+ rapid. Overall, the lines and the rapids were the same as at lower levels; however, the
currents, waves, and holes were much more substantial. Below one of the larger ledges in the middle
of the run, we did come across a riverwide strainer; at today's water level we were able to scoot
over the trunk, but at lower levels it could present a real problem.