The Upper Gauley is one of the original playgrounds of squirt boaters and it has several good places to play although they tend to be pretty powered up. There is an excellent mush move available from the top of the river left eddy at the "Parking Lot Waves". Drop in high and slow, being careful to avoid the big obtrusive rocks lurking on the eddy side of the eddyline. After you travel a little bit the currents power up and will gobble you readily. Remember to watch out for ignorant plastic boaters who will have no idea what you are doing and may try to leave the eddy to tap the waves- right into your path of course.

The First Mystery Spot

This is an un-named place downstream of Initiation Rapid about 100 yards. A large rock splits the main currents and creates an obvious eddy to try.  You break out bearing left and can go regular or backcut.  People rarely get decent downtime here though but it is a good place to work out early trip jitters and get tuned to your equipment. It's also a good place for screws- even in a rodeo boat. The best charc is a hard fast drop close to the top of the eddy and you might get a few spins before the currents urge you up. This isn't a bad place to sample but not a wise place to spend a lot of energy and get cold early in the trip.

The Spot Below Pillow

This is another un-named spot down a bit from- but in sight- of Pillow Rock Rapid. A modest sized rock splits currents obstinately near the river left shore. The small eddy is powerful and dynamic and there is often kayak and raft traffic passing by so you have to be on your toes to get your timing to jive with the traffic.  The charc is short sweet and powerful but quite worthwhile. Use some speed to pierce in close to the rock- bearing left.  Drop steep and fast with significant winging down in a near vertical mode. You'll get pulled under eagerly but then spit back up after just a turn.  Still it is dynamic and smooth and easy on the body. The eddy can't take many paddlers but this spot is always worth a stop on your way by. This is another cool place for big black attacks or light loops.

Sweet Cheeks

This is a little understood and used mystery spot which is a favorite of old schoolers. It was named by Eric Lindberg and Whitney Shields back in the ancient days of the sport because substantial mysteries result in a gentle spanking off the bottom of the river.  It lies around the corner from Pillow Rock and is a very obscure ripple in the currents below a riffle- pretty much in the center of the now sedated river. The most used charc is a slow dropping backcut. Come out of the attainer’s right eddy with a lot of speed to cross the 30' of currents you need to. Use this speed to transfer into a lateral dropping charc as you wing down with the left hip to tap into meager currents falling off an underwater ledge. Stay very flat and spin slowly and expect a second push of energy from the significant downstream currents you just crossed. People who get really big DT here (over 7 seconds) then tap into a juicy seam which starts right after the initiation zone and proceeds very far downstream.  You can turn slowly or just proceed downstream on a kind of straight mush move like charc. You can also use a regular charc- bearing your bow to the left in the initiation zone- but this is a complicated charc which is really a sophisticated form of mush move bearing left and looking downstream.  For this charc leave the eddy and cross the currents and enter

the initiation zone a bit more upstream than you otherwise would.  This place is definitely worth a good stay as it is plastic repellent and even easy to work around the significant raft traffic.

Sherlock

This is one of the most powerful and fickle mystery spots on the entire Gauley. It lies just to river right of Postage Due rock below Sweets Falls. It was named by Jim Snyder around 1989 because if you do it right you can "Sure Lock" into big DT as you "solve the mystery".   The best levels are 2,000- 2,500 cfs.  People rarely do it right.  This is firstly difficult because rafts often tie up in the eddy for long lunches and completely block the entrance charc. "HAHA! Tough Luck" they laugh.  If there are no rafts there it is still a difficult approach.  There are strong currents encroaching from the right as they exit the "Room of Doom".  Then you are pressed close to the undercut Postage Due rock - who's steep face often gets in the way of your right blade. because of this it is advisable to enter the approach eddy with some speed so you can coast through the tenuous final feet before you engage the slab. Enter the slab within two feet of the rock.  You don't need a steep dive but you would do well to wing down strongly. You will zoom into travel mode quickly and finally encounter support from the eddy about 10-15' downstream.  If you have been able to get deep by this point you are in for some real big DT- over 10 seconds.  You may travel a bit downstream and chances are you will be at least 4-6' deep.  Remember to exit breaking left to re- attain the eddy before you travel too far downstream or getting back will be very difficult. A cool aspect of this arena is that it usually features many hundreds of raft customer spectators who get their first look at mystery moves. This often results in loud rousing cheers from the peanut gallery (uh... if you do well-  otherwise it's possible to provoke confusion and laughter-  so this arena is not without risk).

Mastercard/Visa

This is a very powerful drop zone halfway down the last rapid of the Upper Gauley. It involves a 2' high pourover with a soft shoulder on attainer's right.  You eddy up behind the hole and break out bearing right. Pierce your bow into the slab and then proceed to quickly engage your left hip into the slab. Wing down and prepare for dynamic but short (3-4 seconds) DT. You will be traveling fast towards rocks immediately downstream so don't lurk or roam. Just blast down and back up and catch your breath because it is pretty exhilarating. This arena is so powerful you can even disappear rodeo boats here.

The Last Mystery Spot

This little obscure un-named spot is actually the home to a lot of fun! In recent years people have been destination boating here by driving into the take out at Panther Creek.  It lies at the river right bottom of the last rapid of the Upper Gauley.  It is a small low rock on attainer's left bordering some modest currents with a delicious shape. Come out high and drop your bow deeply but also count on significant winging down with your left hip.  Turn quickly underwater back into the eddy you left for some support but then proceed to turn slowly without traveling too far to attain fines DT's of 5 seconds or more.  This place proves it's the shape and not size of the currents which dictate how well you can drop. People often enjoy spending a half hour or more here-no matter how tired they are- because it is real easy on the body.