Upper Gauley
Hungry Mother
INFORMATION
RAPID NAME: Hungry Mother
RAPID RATING: Class III
RIVER SECTION: Upper Gauley
The Hungry Mother is a powerful hydraulic in the center of the river, which makes for a great but retentive surf if you wish to test it. The hole can be easily missed to the right.
Below Hungry Mother, the river washes around to both sides of a small rocky island. The water that washes to the right of the island pushes into a deeply undercut boulder with a sizable log jammed into it. This is very dangerous. Be sure to avoid it by staying to the left side of the island.
View Aerial Images of Hungry Mother Rapid
Video - Hungry Mother at 2800 cfs
Great surfing footage at the Hungry Mother Surf Hydraulic. Surfing by both kayaks and rafts.
Video - Dangerous Undercut Downstream of Surf
Special public service bulletin: avoid the right channel if you happen to float into the rapid downstream of Hungry Mother.
SELECT A RAPID BELOW
- Entrance
- Initiation
- Little Z
- Upper Collison Creek
- Lower Collison Creek
- Geek Wave
- Slant Rock
- Bud’s Boner
- Insignificant
- Screaming S-Turn
- Pick a Slot
- Iron Curtain
- Pillow Rock (V)
- Scales
- Bubble Rock
- Hungry Mother
- Meadow View
- First Drop of Lost Paddle
- Second Drop of Lost Paddle (V)
- Fourth Drop (AKA Tumblehome)
- Conestoga
- Shipwreck Rock
- Iron Ring
- Keegan’s Falls
- Double Dilemma
- Fingernail Rock
- Sweet’s Falls
- Thumper
- Nemesis
- Gillespie’s Hole
- Chicken Ender