The Upper Gunpowder at very low water -- about .7 feet on the Falls Road staff gauge (about 1.4 feet on the online gauge), on August 26, 2006. Pictures were taken from river right, starting at the first "interesting" drop below the long S-turn that marks the beginning of the "Gorge".

Those rocks in the center are the only thing showing at "normal" levels.

This is the ledge that normally has a pourover hole. The pool below looks like a pretty clean swim.

Closeup of the same ledge; most of the flow goes off the left side and pillows off the rock just below.

Beginning of the next drop.

Same spot from slightly further away.

Continuation of the same drop as above. This little ledge forms an irregular wave-hole at higher flow. At VERY flow it forms a sticky hole.

Same spot as above, just a little further away.

Still further away, shows the last two spots in relation to each other.

Just downstream. This feature forms a hole that lots of folks like to play in. The big flat rock that creates that hole (center of photo) slopes gently from upstream, i.e. it doesn't look undercut.

Same spot as previous, just taken from slightly upstream.

Same spot from previous, now looking downstream. The outflow goes into a rather deep pool, and the rocks on the right bank are somewhat undercut. I think anybody swimming here is best staying center/left.

How low can you limbo?

Same spot but from further downstream.

Same spot, looking still further downstream.

This is the drop that messes more people up than any other, I think; at low to medium flows, it's easy to ding a stray rock on the way down and get pasted into the rocks just showing at the right of the picture.

Same spot, looking downstream. The rocks at right are slightly undercut and at higher flows, a lot of the current goes into them.

Next little drop

Same spot, just a bit more downstream.

New (at least to me) strainer.

This normally forms a little surfing wave, just above the big round pool where the trail from the parking lot comes in.

This is the place that was changed somewhat by Isabel a few years ago; outflow from the little stream just upstream on river left changed this into a steeper drop.