Insignificant

Insignificant is a big, long rapid and the first of the Gauley's big drops. The rapid gets its name from the fact that the party who completed the 1968 descent at slightly lower flows reported "no significant rapids" upstream of Pillow Rock. At fall releases of 2800 cfs, however, this is your first big challenge. The rapid is a series of ledges with undefined horizons, large waves, and irregular holes--often the site of long swims. The holes in this one are hard to spot until you're in them. If it's your first run down you will want to follow someone who knows the line. Scouting from the right is also an option.

Insignificant, when broken up into parts, isn't too bad. You will most likely start this rapid from the center of the river. You can't see it all from the tippy-top-top, so you'll have to negotiate some class-2 ledges and holes to get to a calm eddy just right of center, before the heavy stuff starts. Rafts do not generally catch this eddy, nor do all boaters. From this eddy, look downstream and you will see: what looks like your basic wave train down the center, and way below, A HUGE sloping rock on the river right shore that a lot of water is hitting, on which some video boaters might be sitting.

Behind one of those waves, and you can't really tell which one from there, is Hole #1 which is near the center of the river. Many unsuspecting paddlers end up in the hole because they didn't exactly know where it is. It's a pretty big hole capable of flipping 12-man rafts and holding more than one boater at a time, and it gets bigger as flows increase. If you do end up in the hole, you will eventually flush, but you will have to work for it and if you are unsuccessful you will be quickly separated from your boat--resulting in a long swim. You want to get left of that hole, but just barely because the next big hole is downstream on the left. In fact, it's helpful to use the wash from that first hole to start moving to the right, towards the sloping rock. Take a few big strokes, moving right, just after Hole #1, in what appears to be a bit of calm water in the middle of this storm. Another option is to sneak this first hole by taking the river right line around it.

As you pass the first hole, you want to move river right to avoid Hole #2, which sits about 15 feet from the river left shore. It's a really bad pourover and not a place you want to be. You will be headed towards the big sloping rock on river right. Don't hit it, or even get too close, because it is undercut. When you get a clear visual on Hole #2 on your left, you can then put the hammer down, heading left, away from the big sloping rock. You are now done for all practical purposes and you have a couple options to finish off the drop: Paddle down the middle through the big waves, dodge the dude surfing the wave, and catch the big eddy on the right, or paddle really hard through the waves, dodge the surfer, and catch the very turbulent river-left eddy to cue up for your turn at the best surf on the river.

There's usually a long line for the incredible surfing wave but you need to watch out for rafts coming at you at warp speed! There have been a number of collisions and swims resulting from this. When you stop to enjoy the surf, please remember that the oncoming boater has the right of way and that you have much more time than they do to get out of the way. Please also remember that many of these boaters, while ready enough to run this rapid, may not be ready enough to run it with someone in the way.

Below Insignificant: Watch for pinning rocks and undercuts if you're an explorer or find yourself off line in the next several rapids. One hair move in particular is an arcing slot move in the left bank where the turn should be made as tight as possible.

Iron Curtain: This rapid is named for the iron oxide stains that have formed on the sandstone wall along river right. This one is probably more devious than dangerous, but in the event of a long swim, watch for the house-sized undercut, Sperm Whale Rock, way down in the run out. Why would someone swim? Hit the bottom left eddy line wrong and you'll find out. It's a mean one.