WV Whitewater

[Don P]

We went on a raft trip last weekend on the Gauley River in WV. The Gauley joins the New River to become the Kanawha then joins the Ohio heading to the Mississippi. The old timers here will remember a previous thread where we learned that Ron Scott had paddled this section of river. I had kayaked the lower Gauley about 20 years ago but never thought I would get to see the upper, it is considerably rougher. There are 50 class 3 or larger rapids including 4 class 5's in a 13 mile run, it isn't boring!

The rafting company, in some smart marketing, sends a kayak along to video and places a photographer on the shore by one of the larger class 5 rapids. I scanned one of the photos of our raft in pillow rock rapid. One of the better pics was of our flip in a hydraulic called hungry mother. I can't seem to save a DVD screen capture so I photo'ed the computer screen. Greg, in the front of the raft was dumped first. The guide, in the rear was the next out. Michelle hollared at me asking what to do, I grabbed her and said it would either spit us out or eat us...we lasted about 2 more seconds.
We all dumped one more time near the end surfing another hole, as we went over my memory jogged. It was one of the upper rapids from my trip before. The riverbed looked familiar.
The Gauley is an advanced run, normally done by experienced boaters in 9 man rafts, we ran with 3 of these rafts and 2 parties in 5 man boats. Everyone in our boat was right experienced, the other small raft was a little less skilled, they dumped one guy 6 times and he was a bit worse for wear. Most folks start on the New River, going to school on the upper and lower sections, then doing the lower Gauley before trying this section. It is some beautiful country and a fun way to spend a few days.

[Tom]

Neat, DonP. I wish you could get the pictures off of the DVD.  You must have some real doozies.  

New River...  hmmmmmm.    I passed over he New River Gorge on the way to Penn. a couple of times.  Rounded  curve in the road not suspecting a thing, found myself on a bridge and there was nothing to the side but air.  :D  I guess it's the same piece of water you were on.  

The Raft looks like fun.  I don't think I would want to be in that mess with a Kayak. :D

[Den Socling]

If you're competent with a kayak, the wilder the better. A whole lot more fun than on a raft. But four class 5's!  :P

Oh! That means that I come out of my boat at least 4 times.

[Don P]

Den, the boats these kids now are using are something else. Most of them were in little surf boats, very low volume, maybe 7 feet long. They run below water as often as above. My old fiberglass kayaks are 13' long and are much more fragile compared to their poly boats. The last class 5 is Sweet's Falls, a 14' drop into some of the most turbulent water I've ever been in, the raft disappeared for a second or two. These guys dropped into it...and played. I saw one kayaker make 5 rolls in a row. As soon as he popped up, it ate his lunch again. I've run a few 5's in a kayak but haven't played in them. It would be a blast to try in a little boat, swimming in some of those rapids sure doesn't look like fun tho.

Tom,
The New River Gorge Bridge on 19 is just above the take out for the New River Gorge run, Fayette Station. We crossed the bridge on the way to and from our run. There is a winding road down the side to an old steel bridge at the bottom. This is another excellent river to paddle.

Bridge Day is Saturday October 18th, they expect 400 base jumpers to hop off the 876' high, 3,030' long, bridge that day along with other activities, rappelling and high lines are set up also.
www.officialbridgeday.com
In Hinton about the same time they have Railroad Days, with an excursion train running along the river.
www.newrivertrain.com
From the Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park there is an overlook that is over Pillow Rock rapid in the Gauley gorge some 600' below.
www.wvparks.com/carnifexferrybattlefield

[Den Socling]

Don,
I paddle an old Perception Corisca. I love it and I know what you mean about the boats that kids are using today. my Perception is a barge in comparison. Did you ever paddle one of those new boats with no stern? I don't like the feeling of the back end sinking and being pushed in every direction by the current. If I jump into a hole with my Perception, she's like a big cork!  :D
Den
PS Don't know what I'll do if the Corsica dies before me. They just don't make 'em like that anymore!  ;)

[redpowerd]

adirondack guide boat :D

[Ron Scott]

The photos brings back some old memories of the Gauley and the New River as I know the waters that you are talking about. I note that the rafters are now wearing helmets. A good idea.

 I remember when the New River Gorge bridge was built and the "locals" started parachuting off it. I don't know if they still allow that on a regular basis, but for special events only?

[Don P]

Ron,
I thought you'd get a kick out of those pictures. The liveries are doing a brisk business, there were hundreds of people on the river that day. We were paddling the second week of the Gauley season even though we were on natural flow due to the recent rains in the photos the river is about 2800 cubic feet per second. The company had to blow off the weekend before the river was running over 12,000 cfs...our guide went with some of the other guides in kayaks. I cannot even imagine the volume.
I think Bridge Day is the only time you can jump now, and that has become so popular it is on a lottery basis from my understanding.

Den,
I've paddled a number of Perception boats. We used to sell, rent and stress test their wares  ;D. I've still got an old Warwoman C-2 (decked canoe). Its of the old high volume design with paddlers near the ends. Michelle finally quit letting me surf cause she was underwater most of the time.
We never could get a roll together in that boat but always tried twice before she would bail and then I could right it pretty easily. We had a system where I would swap off to her side and tap the hull 3 times then we would hit a low brace roll. A friend was watching once and said it was the prettiest thing he had seen. We both swapped paddle sides, I tapped, and the entire boat rose vertically 2 feet...and then plopped back into the water  : :D.

We've got friends with their boys coming in a couple of weeks and will canoe the New here in our county. It's a class 1-2 float trip here.

[Garry]

  Check out Wilderness Tours on the Ottawa river,near Beachburg Ont. Canada.Have only been down the river once with River Run  on a raft, what a thr

[Faron]

That river system was the site of an amazing journey in pioneer days.  A woman(Seems her name may have been Mary Draper?) was kidnapped by Indians near Blacksburg VA and eventually taken to a salt making camp at Big Bone Lick  KY on the Ohio river near Cincinnati OH.  She escaped along with another woman and made her way home by following the rivers back.  Each time they came to a river or creek flowing into the main rivers, they had to follow that river until they could find a crossing.  As she made her way up the New River gorge, she had to wade water and hang on to the rock cliffs to get through in places.  This journey was described in the book FOLLOW THE RIVER.

[Tom]

Is this a review of the book you mention?

http://www.teenink.com/Past/2003/May/Books/FollowtheRiver.html

ir

http://www.abasiccurriculum.com/reviews/adult/follow.html

[Faron]

Tom, Yep that's the book.  I mis-stated her name. It is Mary Ingles, and the place was called Draper's Meadows at the time, I believe.  I have the book, but it is among the missing right now. Think I loaned it to someone, but can't remember who.  I also have a copy of a manuscript written or dictated by her son describing his mother's ordeal as it was told to him.
My wife's uncle told me about the book years ago.  He read the book while he was undergoing cancer treatment.  He said it put his troubles in perspective and bolstered his courage.

[Tom]

i've lost some irreplaceable books, being a good guy and lending them out.  I won't do it anymore.   Some folks can very conveniently forget that stuff belongs to someone else.

That sounds like a book that I would enjoy reading.  I'll look for it.  

[Don P]

This is a link to a story that began in 1792 about Caty Sage from our local section of the river. The house I'm working on now is at the confluence of Elk Creek and the New.

http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/ballads/catysagenews.html

I'd probably have to build bookshelves if all those books did come back home  : ;D

[SwampDonkey]

I to have been to the New River, near Radford in Virginia where some friends of mine live. It was October and the weather was gorgeous. I was not rafting but my friend was out canoing with a friend of his from work. It's a nice river and the area we were at , there where bedrock rising out of the water and running the whole width of the river. Kind of looked like little rock fences running across the river. Never seen nothing like it.


cheers