New River Gorge: The Dries
:the dries:
At the very north end of New River Gorge National Park, just outside the official park boundary, there is a section of the river with exposed riverbed. The reason this place exists is that much of the flow was diverted away from the river channel at Hawk’s Nest for power generation, and so the volume of water drops dramatically and you can see the exposed bedrock beneath. It’s a fascinating place - equal parts upsetting and intriguing. I was there on a dry, partly cloudy day, and found gorgeous striations and pools in the smooth, sinuously curved rocks. It is a place that requires caution, since there is a dam upstream and water levels can rise unexpectedly, so consider this if you visit. It’s also treacherous due to mud and slime on the rocks, and yes, I wiped out more than once! But I think it was worth it for these images which are quite a departure from my normal subject matter.
