Which mountain do you climb after you've climbed Everest? Which river do you run after you've run the Upper Gauely? When you've climbed to the top (or swum to the bottom), what do you do for an encore? Our friends up north, Gary "Buford" Davis and Dave Martin might have your answer...the Upper Youghiogheny.

The Upper Yough (pronounced "YOCK") is about 3-1/2 hours north of the ACE Adventure Center near the town of Friendsville, Maryland. The Youghiogheny runs down the western side of the Eastern Continental Divide...which means that any river to the east of the Yough runs into the Atlantic, while the Yough joins the Allegheny and Ohio rivers and then the Mississippi and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Although the Yough is best known for the mild Class III section in Ohiopyle, PA, the river's upper sections are far from mild. In fact, with a per-mile drop almost twice that of the Gauley river, the Yough is one of the steepest rivers that is run commercially.

Dave and "Buford" operate Upper Yough Expeditions, the first and best outfitter to run commercial trips on that mighty creek. In addition to the Upper Yough, they also run the Cheat and the Tygart in West Virginia. But it's the Upper Yough that's the main attraction.

Like the Gauley, the Upper Yough is dam-controlled and can only be run when water is being released...except in the springtime when natural high flows most often occur. In the case of the Upper Yough, releases only occur on Mondays, Fridays, and the first Saturday of every month. Also, the state of Maryland imposes some very strict quotas and Upper Yough companies are not allowed to run very many rafters on any given day. If you're going to raft the Upper Yough, you've got to plan your trip well ahead of time. Upper Yough Expeditions uses small 5-person rafts...like ACE's 12-foot "Gung-Ho" boats...and crew/guide teamwork is an essential ingredient of a successful run on a steep creek like this one.

Upper Yough Expeditions has some of the country's most highly-skilled guides...most are "graduates" of the Gauley River School of Hard Knocks. The trip is only 11 miles long and takes about 4 hours. Since the Yough's dam releases are so short (only about 2 hours), there's no time to stop for lunch on the river. An additional complication is that, while we know there will be releases on Mondays, Fridays, and the first Saturday of the month, we don't know exactly what time of day the water will be turned on. On the morning of your trip, give Upper Yough Expeditions' office a call around 9 AM and they'll tell you when the trip will start.

If you're staying in a motel, accommodations are plentiful in the Friendsville area. Upper Yough Expeditions also offers post-trip steak cookouts and free primitive camping at their base camp. As you might expect, this is a much smaller and more flexible operation than the large New/Gauley outfitters like ACE, so you have to be flexible in your thinking to really enjoy a trip on the Upper Yough. But, you WILL enjoy it! The rapids on the Upper Yough are steep, technical and, above all, continuous. In fact, for no fewer than 7 miles, the river is virtually one single rapid! This is considered to be the longest continuous stretch of Class V whitewater in the country!

The Upper Yough is one of the toughest, fastest, rockiest, nastiest and prettiest runs in the country, and it's something that every whitewater enthusiast simply must do. Like the Upper Gauley, you should expect a demanding adventure. You'll be paddling hard for four straight hours and nasty swims are all too frequent...even with the country's most highly skilled guides running the boat. If you're obese and/or out-of-shape, stick to something less demanding. If you're up the challenge and consider yourself to be a "team player," the Upper Yough is the adventure of a lifetime.

Campgrounds, Motels and B&B's

Campgrounds:

PineHill
R.D. 3 Box 233-AA
Bruceton Mills, WV 26525
304-379-4612

Swallow Falls State Park
Swallow Falls Road
Oakland, MD 21550
301-387-6938

Motels:

Yough Valley Motel
First Ave & Walnut Sts.
Friendsville, MD 21531
301-746-5836

Red Run Lodge
Mayhew Inn Road
McHenry, MD 21541
301-387-2626

Wisp Resort Lodge
Deep Creek Drive
McHenry, MD 21541
301-387-5581

Will O'Wisp
20160 Garrett Hwy.
Oakland, MD 21550
301-387-5503

Comfort Inn
Deep Creek Drive
McHenry, MD 21541
301-387-4200

Innlet Motor Lodge
Deep Creek Drive
McHenry, MD 21541
301-387-5596

Alpine Villiage
Rt. 219
McHenry, MD 21541
301-387-5534

Holiday Inn
I-68 & Rt. 495
Grantsville, MD 21536
301-895-5993

Comfort Inn
I-68 & University Ave.
Morgantown, WV 26505
304-296-9364

Bed & Breakfast

Country Inn
2794 Deep Creek Drive
McHenry, MD 21541
301-387-6694

Ha Ley Farm
16766 Garrett Highway
Oakland, MD 21550
301-387-9050