Wet Virginia: Clay n Owen venture North

By Clay Wright

Southeast Spring continued …

After watching the rains and hearing the tales we finally got out of Rock Island for the 7 hour trip to Fayetteville WV. We’re on the tail end of the water, but who can argue with Mill creek at 2” and 6900 cfs at Koontz Flume? While Kirk and Brian Jennings were jaded, Jackson Staff Justin Owen and I were in ‘Almost Heaven’ for sure.

Mill packs some great roadside waterfalls.. we bypassed ‘Fk Up Falls’ (2 low) but ran down to ‘the Portage’ getting in a couple laps on the Falls, Headless Horseman, Dryline Falls, and Powderhouse falls with just a mile of boating – good stuff! Then off to Koontz..

We surfed in a light rain and watched the moon pop through occasionally. Koontz is just such a perfect wave: a 6′ high pyramid with a great surfer’s right shoulder for spins and pop, tight surfer’s left pocket to hold you on the wave after landings, and easy eddy service. . . We stayed till we just couldn’t see well enough to blunt, then popped loops and more blunts at Canyon doors before hiking back to the truck in absolute dark. While we missed Pies and Pints closing time, as well as ‘Dessert-a-palooza” at the New River Gorge Climber’s Festival. We hit multiple helix’s, airscrews, pan-ams, and flashbacks – pretty darned filling in a way no restaurant can match!

Off for another day of Wet-Virginia playboating – New at 10,000cfs or Gauley at 5500 cfs … such tough decisions 🙂

Clay Wright

All Photos by Bryan "Kleen-master" Kirkulese (aka: Sir-loopsalot)