Youghiogheny, Maryland, US |
|
| Usual Difficulty | IV-V (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 3 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 83 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 110 fpm |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YOUGHIOGHENY RIVER NEAR OAKLAND, MD | ||||
| usgs-03075500 | 180 - 1000 cfs | IV-V | 01h04m | 184 cfs (rc= 0.0 ) |
Photo: Richard Hopley runs Swallow Falls, by Pete Martin. Photo courtesy of the Monocacy Canoe Club.
For a helmet-cam view of the run, check out this video from the Top Yough Race in April of 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3uD704nj5U&feature=related
American Whitewater editor Bob Gedekoh writes:
I just learned that several days ago a boater swam above the siphon on Suck Hole on the Top
Yough and his boat went down it. Fortunately the boater managed to avoid going down the siphon
too. (I was not there when it happened, but heard about it from those who were.) The boat
disappeared completely. It was down in there for a couple of days, but has since been recovered.
At any rate, the logs, etc that had been blocking the siphon for the past few years have
shifted... and the siphon is once again open for business. I think a lot of younger boaters dont
even know where the Suck Hole siphon is, or how dangerous it can be, since it has been blocked by
debris for so long. Be careful and spread the word. Bob G (FYI the siphon drains the eddy that
most people catch at the top of the rapid on the right. This is the eddy just above the huge
midstream rock. Look behind you next time you are in that eddy and you will see it.)
Alternate takeout: paddle an extra 4 miles of flatwater and run the Upper Yough!
This one's maybe a little smaller and tighter than the Upper Yough. On balance, it's a bit
easier, because the continuous rapids aren't quite so big. Nonetheless, it deserves respect and
it's a lot of fun.
Gradient, from putin to takeout: 110, 110, 30. In other words, you have two very busy miles
before it flattens.
Rapids of note:
Swallow Falls. This is the first rapid, a long slide into a hole. You don't want to go
upside-down here, or your paddling clothing and/or skin might suffer. In addition, the hole can
be a keeper at higher levels (~3.5'?). Though it looks intimidating, it's not that tough. Call it
a Class IV.
Swallow Tail. This 6-foot riverwide ledge comes right after a large pool following Swallow
Falls. A good read of the tongue and a few strong strokes should help you avoid some
unintentional cartwheeling action. Call this a IV at low levels (less than 3.0?), because it's
really a one-move pony; IV+ at higher water, because a successful run requires some
precision.
Suckhole. This one is a fairly long, very technical rapid with holes and a sieve at the
bottom of the big inviting eddy on the right. It's mostly a read-and-run rapid. Call it a 5.0 at
3.0+, because it's complex and there is that sieve.
Directions: To the putin: From I-68, get off at the Friendsville exit. Head South on Rte.
42 about 7 miles.
Head South on Rte. 219 for about 7 miles.
Turn Right on Mayhew Inn Rd.
After about 4 miles, turn right onto Oakland Sang Run Rd. Go about a mile, and park on the left,
just before the bridge across the river.
To the Takeout (from the highway):
From I-68, get off at the Friendsville exit. Head South on Rte. 42 about 5 miles.
Head Right onto Gap Run Rd.
After about 0.7 miles, make a Left onto Bishoff Rd.
Head Right onto Sang Run Rd.
After a mile, turn Right onto Crabtree Bottom Rd.
After a mile, turn Right onto Hoyes Run Rd.
Make a Right onto Oakland Sang Run Rd.
The takeout is an easy walk from where you see the road (River View Terrace) from the river. If
you see Gap Falls, you've paddled too far.
To get from the putin to the takeout, or vice versa, check the linked MapBlast map.
A nice description of this run can be found at GORP.
Other related or nearby streams:
Lower Yough (Class
III)
Bear Creek (Class
IV)
Upper Yough (Class
IV-V)
Middle Yough (Class
II)
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YOUGHIOGHENY RIVER NEAR OAKLAND, MD | ||||||||||||
| usgs-03075500 | 180 - 1000 cfs | IV-V | 01h04m | 184 cfs (rc= 0.0 ) | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | Put in |  | |
| 0.2 | Swallow Falls. | IV |    |
| 0.3 | Swallowtail Falls | IV | |
| 0.9 | Suck hole | IV | |
Swallow Falls, MD
Swallow Tail Falls
Suck Hole
reach
state
reachlink
2. Top, Youghiogheny Maryland, US (mobile)
User Comments
somewhere below 3800 and 5.5 ft on the gauge. A few winters ago I had a successful trip down all
the rapids at 5.5, looking for more water as we were running in slalom boats. Earlier this week I
figured more water the better and we walked both the falls and swallow tail due to massive holes
and then we were run off the river just before suck hole in part because of the some 1000 cfs
addition after Muddy crk. It was just to much to run blind or scout because the holes were to
massive and rapids to long. Edit
cleared out from high flows but has been replaced again. Edit
will take you to the take out. You want to take a left at (google says to "continue") Oakland Sang
Run, a right at Swallow Falls Rd, and then park on the left after a mile or so. Below are
directions from Friendsville to the put in. Note that Swallow Falls is clearly visible in the
satellite map so this definitely the put in.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Friendsville,+MD&daddr=Swallow+Falls+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FU04XQId-15E-ykxlIKOYE01iDGaRR55sPz4gg%3BFdeiWgIdPDRE-w&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=20&sll=39.494323,-79.415979&sspn=0.000711,0.001206&ie=UTF8&ll=39.507749,-79.406068&spn=0.011307,0.01929&t=h&z=16
concerning the proper line at Suckhole. I tried the most obvious line, with a vague feeling of some
partially-lost memory that there might be some hidden midstream rocks, but thinking that at this
higher water level (250 cfs/2.8) than my 2 last times, maybe it would go. Well, I pitoned into some
unseen, covered midstream rock(s), ricocheted over to broach on a rock on the right, and had an
all-too-interesting recovery, blah, blah, blah, ferrying river left 5 feet above Certain Death,
blah, blah, blah, etc. So on my second trip, while I was waiting for my partners who had somehow
gotten left behind, and after throwing a rope to a girl who turned out not to need it (nice
recovery, Flea), I spied a solo boater who seemed to know the True Line, and who paddled it
confidently and with nice momentum, and I, not being an idiot, immediately decided to emulate him,
'cause I know a good thing when I see it! Consequently, I'm here going to describe the ideal line
for you, in case you just have to run the hero route despite the presence of a perfectly good sneak
route tight to the left. First, a digression: The first mistake that I made on my first run was to
start right. This puts one at a bad angle upon entering the constriction at the main ledge.
Everything after that is just trying to recover. So, then, the friendliest approach to the hero
route starts tight left, drops over the small approach ledge, and then angles rightward across the
main ledge drop at the constriction. From here, stay right of the unseen, submerged midstream rocks
in the foamy, choppy water, and just left of the intermittently-covered flat rock on the right
(where Flea messed up), and then cut a smooth arc back to the left above the ugly pillowed rock
just above Suckhole, the left side of which is mildly undercut at this level, so try not to contact
it. Your line should describe a backwards C, or a parabola (I think) for you engineering types.
It's elegant and uncomplicated, and I hope that this will aid you so we can prevent the pile-up of
boats and corpses at Suckhole. Yeah, I always hate it when I have to paddle past a big pile of
smelly river-soaked corpses, so let's be safe out there.
boat and it was jammed. It took us three hrs to remove it. Many thanks to the Harrington Manor for
their assistance,Chris, Jeremy, and Tim you guys are awesome Edit
<br>
Forum: BoaterTalk<br>
Re: Top Yough know it alls please read: bankfull1 New<br>
Date: May 25 2005, 15:15 GMT<br>
From: rloughne<br>
<br>
180 is minimum<br>
450 is medium<br>
600 is juicy<br>
1000 is one heck of a ride<br>
<br>
its at 450 right now, should hold in the mid 200's for the weekend, which means lots of sweet
boofs<br>
<br>
mindset, check out this section too.