Classic

Following a short pool an unnamed class II/III rapid is split by a river center rock. Both lines around the rock are clean and the eddy behind it slips out into a short green chute piling down into a strong but shallow hole. The horizon line ahead belongs to Classic (Cl III/IV), a very aptly named maelstrom. Most of the river's flow shifts left of center then pounds downhill into waves that seemingly break in every direction. Classic is one of those strange rapids that actually get easier as the volume increases. At low flows it's a tight and technical scramble around and/or over rocks humped up all over the place, class IV and no place for roll practice. At high flows it's actually less vertical and becomes a massive train of breaking waves, class III and good to go. This rapid is easily runnable at levels that turn the drops upstream into nightmares.  A couple words of caution for low-water runs: the left bank is undercut, though I've never seen anyone end up over there.  Right of the described line the river drops into a very mean hole bordered by downstream rock.  Far over on the right bank is what looks like an easy sneak chute which, naturally, holds the obligatory pinning rock just below the surface.  More than one boater has discovered how unsafe this "sneak" really is.  Whereas many of the rapids in this run offer various routes, Classic really offers only one. Just go with the flow and keep yer braces handy. Most boaters take out below Classic and avoid the next 2 miles of easy rapids and flat pools unless they are planning on doing the entire run to the Cove Run takeout on Tygart Lake.