For a low water video of Red Creek featuring the ZoneDogg and most of the named rapids, check out this link.
Red Creek is one of the prettiest and most remote runs in West Virginia. The gradient is very steep and there are several slides, cascades, and falls. The riverbed is unstable and loose so the run changes often after high water. There have been several changes since the hurricane of 2003, most for the better. However, a lot of new trees have fallen due to the storms of 2012 as well. Be on the lookout, there are strainers everywhere! The 2 mile hike at the start and the length of the run causes endurance to come into play. Those who are in shape and possess the skills to do the run are going to have a spectacular time!
There are two ways to access the creek via the Blackbird Knob Trail. The most popular is from Red Creek campground in the Dolly Sods. This puts you on Alder Run, a small tributary. Hike along this creek for a mile or so (paddling through the forest can be fun but generally more trouble than its worth). Eventually you reach the confluence with the main branch of Red Creek. This is when you get an idea of the flow. Local judge the level based off some of the rocks on the beach here. The first 2 miles of Red Creek are relatively easy, flowing over continuous small rapids and slides, but it is junky and there are some surprises, including the 'Pincushin' rapid. As you approach the steep section, the slides will get longer and then you will see a major tributary come in on the right. This is the Left Fork, and if you hiked in from Timberline this is where you join the main fork of the creek. This is also where the good stuff starts.
1st big Slide- Not far below the confluence, after a warm up slide you come to a large horizon line. Here the creek cascades 20-30 feet over a smooth slide lasting about 100 yards. Be prepared to get some major speed coming down this one!
The Clapper- around the corner after the 1st big slide, there is a 12-15 foot falls onto a shelf with two lines. The right line is popular but its very scrapy and lots of people miss their boof and piton. Running the clapper line on the left is fun but also jarring. set up in the main current left of center and make sure you take a boof stroke. I recommend pointing a little towards the left wall. The impact is going to be major and it is better to take it on the hull rather than the nose of your boat!
Double Clapper- Immediately after the Clapper, there is a 15 foot cascade onto a slide. The best line is to run down the middle or slightly right of center and try to boof onto the slide. too far either direction can be a jarring hit. boat scout from the left. There is an undercut wall on the left that collects wood and needs to be avoided. below here is a maze like bouldery section that needs to be run with caution due to wood.
Red Creek Falls- After some boat scoutable boulder drops, and you'll come to a horizon line above an easy 12 foot waterfall. There is not much of an eddy above, but most people don't scout anyways. This should be run left of center into a fairly shallow pool. The scrapy approach makes it difficult to get speed but its good to go.
SuperSlide - immediately below the falls is an -8 foot falls onto a 200+ yard banking superslide that probably should be scouted as there are few eddies and several blind corners. This is the classic rapid on the creek, and it dovelops some big holes at higher water. At the bottom, you'll come to the pool above what used to be The Sieve. The creek used to neck down to the left with a boulder is perched right over top of the flow, creating a nasty sieve. However, the high water brought about by the hurricane in the fall of 2003 washed away all of the boulders.
The NEW Boulder Rapids - The boulders have dammed up the creek below the slide. The flow is split into several channels. The far left is an easy slide into a 6 foot boof. don't try any other lines, they are nasty. If you had a swim upstream, this is probably where your equiptment will wind up
Sieve #2 NO MORE! - About 100 yards downstream, there used to be another bad sieve that needed to be portaged. The flow has been rerouted to the left where it lines up for a sweet 6-8 foot Mini- big Splat boof with a boulder right below. This leads into a slide that ends in a 5 foot ledge that is best run on the right and has a large hole at high water.
The Limbo NO MORE! - After some junky rapids, you will come to a slide that used to run down the left, causing you to need to duck a tree. However, the water has been rerouted to the right down an easy slide.
That Hammer Factor Drop- More boulder drops and slides take you to the top of this rapid, which is remarkably similar to Hammer Factor on the Green Narrows. Watch out for an undercut wall on the left at the top of the rapid. Start in the middle and point left. Turn back to the right slightly to punch the hole formed by a sloping, diagonal 8 foot ledge. Be careful to not drive too hard through the hole because there is an ugly undercut boulder at the bottom right.
A long slide ending in a steep diagonal double drop ledge of about 10 feet is next. At the present, there is an ugly tree below the drop with some nasty branches hanging into the water. Be careful. This puts you above the bouldery approach to Mood Ring
Mood Ring- This is probably the biggest rapid on the creek. The optional entrance drop is a boulder slot on river right that collects wood. Get out on the right here and scout. Below, is a 75 yard long twisty slide into a 15 foot falls with a shallow shelf and nasty hole at the bottom. Go off the falls right of center and make sure you take a good left boof stroke to jump the hole. There is also a far left line. Portage on the right if in doubt.
Not too far below is another double drop ledge that gets meaty at high flow
Finale Falls- Below Mood Ring, the run slowly starts to mellow out for about a mile. Just when you think that all the good stuff is behind you, you reach the Finale. This is a 12 foot falls that is best run down the middle of the right channel at low and moderate flows, but a lot of folks opt for the 'Wet Willy' sneak slide on the far left at higher flows. Immediately after, there are two 6 foot ledges run in the middle. A super way to end a spectacular run! The remaining 2-3 miles to the takeout are made up of continuous Class 2-3, where you can finally look around and enjoy the scenery. This section has widened since the hurricane and is more scrapy and junky than before. There have been several nasty strainers in this section so take it slow and scout blind corners.