3.) Millfair Road to Lake Erie

NOTE:  A new gauge has been installed on Walnut Creek itself!!!  Because of this and checking Elk's visual gauge simultaniously, it is now known that Walnut takes less water than Upper and Middle Elk. This run starts out easy and picks up significantly throughout the run. There are numerous play oppertunities throughout the run. As you approach the Route 20 bridge, the rapids begin to build. As the river makes a sharp bend to the right, a fun wave train develops on the river left. Beyond Route 20 property is posted on both sides, so you will want to stay off the shorelines. About 75 yards below Route 20, there is a rapid created by concrete slabs. The gradient then tapers off for a short distance until you come to the first railroad bridge and enters a beautiful gorge. Be careful here because strainers tend to build up on the bridge pillars. About 0.25 miles downstream, the river is divided into two tunnels with 3' drops at the end of them and catchy holes. You must take the left tunnel! The right tube ends with exposed metal! Just as Route 5 comes into view around a right hand bend, the river gets extremely wide, thus becomes quite shallow. The deepest route is right center. Just before Route 5, there are some nice surfing ledges and small drops and after passing under Route 5 a long stretch of several hundred yards of solid Class II with boulders and standing waves strewn about.  About 0.4 miles after Route 5 there is rapid called Michael Falls. It was named after the first dude known to flip here and swim. It is horse shoe shaped and not very high (about 4 feet), but do not underestimate this rapid! There is a nasty Class IV hole in the center of the river! It has also been named 50/50 Hole because of its record of flipping about half of those who hit the hole. Sneak routes are on both the river right and left and are quite easy. Just downstream is Devil's Advocate. This one is river wide, but not as bad. The next 100 yards are called The Slides and it is a narrow spot with a series of holes. If you swim at Michael Falls, you will probably have to swim The Slides. This area can be very nice even when the water is a little lower than the recomended level.  Instead of a fast, roaring sluice, the section breaks down into a few short rapids. Depth in these rapids is usually still three or more feet deep. This makes The Slides very good for enders and cartwheels. There are about five good waves to surf with plentiful eddies along the banks of the river. The first one is about 10 yards below Michael Falls. The others are after Devil's Advocate. Although Devil's Advocate can be surfed, it is very irregular, deep, and sticky. It is quite similar to the first hydaraulic of Double Hydraulics on the Lower Yough. At the bottom of the slides is a large pool. You then cross under Manchester Road and there are a couple of nice Class II surfing ledges. Be aware of trees that were placed in the river bed for fishing purposes. They are not strainers however, because there is no void space underneath them.  The trees are in a V shape pointing upstream. At low water it is a small tight drop down the center (the only deep route) and twisting waters at the bottom. At high water it washes out. Parking for the putin of this run is on the right side of the road, just before the bridge if you are going north on Millfair Road. There is room for a few cars here, but the land beyond the parking area is private property. You must walk down the road to the bridge and walk to the river on the downstream side of the Millfair bridge. Parking for the takeout is at a PA Fish and Boat Commision access area located on Manchester Road and on the river right. There are a few trails from the river to the parking area, but if it is a windy day you may want to consider going out in the lake to surf waves before taking out. You must have a PA registration on your boat to take out here, regaurdless of boat length or type of boat. Otherwise you can take out on the upstream side of Manchester Road on the river left.