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Rapid AR Class III+

Bloody Keyhole

Buffalo - 1) Dixon Ford to Boxley Bridge (15 Miles) (AR)

Gauge Conditions
Runnable: 4.5 – 8.0 FT
Photo
Bloody Keyhole
Photo courtesy of American Whitewater
Description

Largest single drop on the Hailstone. Large boulders congest the middle of the river, causing a pool and a nice 5' drop into a strong hole. 2 main ways to run it... 1st: just come in with the river flow, have a slight left angle, get on the tounge and a strong delayed boof to push you over the hole (Be careful not to lean too far right) or 2nd: Catch the eddy directly above the drop on river left, line up, and boof hard left to right. Either way, just go in with some speed to clear the hole, or you WILL get endered and worked. You can also purposely dry out on the large rock directly in the middle of the river and scout and/or set safety directly above the drop. As of Spring 2025 there is also now a well defined 'raft line' to the far right of the rocks that didn't used to exist before the November '24 flood. The right raft line requires navigating around 2 large semi-submerged rocks mid-flow in strong current, but doesn't have the sheer 'drop' factor of the keyhole itself to the left. Additionally there is one more line (that I've never seen run) that is a notch between the two large boulders. In theory at flows >1500 I would guess it would become viable, but at flows lower than that it's just asking for a piton, as the drop is choke full of rocks.

Location
Type
Rapid
Difficulty
Class III+
Mile Marker
9.5 mi
Directions
View Full Run
1) Dixon Ford to Boxley Bridge (15 Miles)
Buffalo
II-III+ 15.0 mi
Current Conditions
5-Day Forecast
Whitewater data from
American Whitewater