Thorn/Whitethorn Creek, West Virginia, US |
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| Usual Difficulty | II-III(IV) (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 10.1 Miles |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER AT FRANKLIN, WV | ||||
| usgs-01605500 | 800 - 5000 cfs | II-III(IV) | 00h27m | 92 cfs (rc= -0.9 ) |
Based on a recommendation by Steve Ettinger. Since this gauge is on a nearby stream, it should be viewed as a rough guide only and is no substitute for assessing conditions at the stream.
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER AT FRANKLIN, WV | ||||||||||||||||
| usgs-01605500 | 800 - 5000 cfs | II-III(IV) | 00h27m | 92 cfs (rc= -0.9 ) | ||||||||||||
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7y342d17h55m | Thorn Creek [wv] |
Thorn Creek falls
|
3.2 Franklin | john duke |
No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. reach
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Moyers to South Branch of Potomac River confluence near CR 23, Thorn/Whitethorn Creek West Virginia, US (mobile)
User Comments
the confluence with Blackthorn Creek (at which point Thorn Creek is formed), and taking out a
quarter mile above the South Branch of the Potomac. There were a pair of barbed wire fences, above
and below the confluence, that were difficult to spot but easy to lift up. There are also 4
low-water bridges to portage, 3 of them early in the trip, that are nuisances but easy to spot and
portage. We encountered not a single tree strainer, although there was some wood in the creek.
Overall, it is an excellent 10-mile paddle, mostly class II in the first half and up to class III-
in the second half, except for 3 places that deserve special attention. The first, not clearly
visible from the road, is a 1/4-mile gorge, some 2 miles below the confluence. You can paddle down
to above the first of the three, class IV rapids, but then need to get out and scout. On the first
hard rapid, the main flow heads towards a dangerous undercut boulder, so most of us either portaged
or took a scrapey sneak route along the right bank. Everyone portaged the next rapid, as it had
some wood in it. The final hard rapid in the gorge is a long, tight chute with some ill-placed
rocks; it too can be easily portaged. Two miles later, and scoutable from the road, is a class III
ledge, just after a pair of easier lead-in rapids. We all ran a bouncy line on the right. Finally,
there is a class IV rapid right at the confluence with the South Branch. It had a lot of wood in
it, and the portage involves trespassing across a private lawn. We therefore took out alongside the
road above this drop. If you run this rapid, you have to paddle about 1.5 miles down the South
Branch (which is pretty flat there). I think the 800 cfs minimum at Franklin is reasonable (except
when levels are falling fast), but the 5000 cfs maximum is probably too high. Unless you know the
creek well, you should be very cautious at levels above about 2500 cfs, especially given the risk
of strainers.