Rafting The Gauley

Rafting The Gauley

by Heather and Nick Daily

Publication Date: August 1999

We left early Sunday morning for our favorite place - the New River Gorge in West Virginia. Whitewater rafting, mountain biking, paintball, rock climbing etc., West Virginia has it all for the outdoor adventurer.

We arrived mid-afternoon at North American River Runners, or as they call it N.A.R.R. The camp site was like a ghost town, as all the campers and workers were out rafting for the day. Stretching our legs from the five hour trip from Louisville, we ventured down the road to check in with the General Manager, Frank Lukacs. Frank informed us of our check-in time the next morning for our rafting trip. By this time it had started raining and we decided to pitch camp before it got too late and too wet.

We awoke early the next day for our trip, and to our surprise, the sun was shining. We went to the dressing area and slipped into our wetsuits and waited out front for our guide. For those who didn't own wetsuits, they could be rented along with splash suits and booties for a minimal charge. We then broke into groups and grabbed the equipment we would need for the day (paddle, helmet and life jacket). We listened to our trip leader give us the basic safety information before leaving for the river.

For the last five years we have rafted several rivers in West Virginia, but the one we favor is the Gauley. The Gauley River is not just a simple ride down the stream. It is ranked among the world's top ten rivers for whitewater rafting, and second in North America. The River is controlled by the Summersville Dam. On selected dates in September and October, the Corps of Engineers releases the dam. The water rushes out at an incredible force of close to 2500 cubic feet per second, which transforms the Gauley into a whitewater rafting trip that you will not forget.

If you choose to raft the Upper Gauley, you will most likely put in somewhere near the Summersville dam. If you are fortunate enough to put in there, you will see an awesome sight - 2500 cfs of Insane H2O as it enters the river creating a Class IV rapid. This is the second most intense put-in in the world.

We loaded onto the school bus that was going to take us to the put-in. The trip to the river took a little while, so we sat and chatted among ourselves. When we were close to arriving, our guide went over a few more safety instructions. We finally arrived at the put-in and could hear the growling of the water gushing through the giant flumes. The old adrenaline started pumping. As we all hurdled around our boats for our guides to give us a few more safety instructions...we were ready to hit the river!

The first command of the day was to pick up the boat (a rafters least favorite part of rafting) and head down to the river. Alright!!! We all yelled, as we put-in and were swept down stream. Nothing makes a better rafting trip than sunshine, and we had plenty of it.

The first major rapid on the Gauley River is known as "Insignificant." This rapid is the first of the Class V rapids and in no way is a reflection of its name. The minute you hit this rapid, you'll know that you have an exciting day ahead of you. The rapid was almost overwhelming, however, we made it through with ease. What a way to get started.

Later down the river, the next major rapid is "Pillow Rock." Pillow Rock is a Class V+. It is also one of the most difficult rapids on the river to run the right way. Most experienced rafters would suggest running it while in the raft and in the upright position. The only word that can explain this rapid is AWESOME! This rapid is one of our favorites. As you go down the rapid, a gargantuan rock (Pillow Rock) appears on your left. If you hit the rapid just right, the left side of the boat bumps the "Pillow" and bounces your raft like a pinball.

Just before we got to the next major rapid, we passed by Meadow River - a smaller river that feeds into the Gauley. Shortly after passing Meadow River, we began our ride through "Lost Paddle." Lost Paddle is a Class V+ that consists of five major drops including one of Nick's favorites, "Hawaii 5-0," a 12 foot wall of water. Here we experienced several good sized drops followed by some holes that make you glad you're still in the raft...if you are still in. Lost Paddle is the longest and one of the most dangerous rapids on the Gauley because of the undercut rocks. It is a good idea to stay seated in the raft if possible.

After hitting various other rapids, including the best, "Sweets Falls," a four foot waterfall, we headed down river to find a place to stop and eat lunch. North American had a hot lunch prepared for us that consisted of a delectable pasta and various other goodies. After filling our bellies and waiting thirty minutes before getting back into the water (just joking!!), we headed back down the river.

Shortly after getting back into the swim of things (no punn intended), we hit a few Class III's and IV's. Nick and I got to swim through a Class II rapid...intentionally that is. We didn't fall out, but jumped out (the rebels that we are). We next came to one of Heather's favorite spots, "Jump Rock." This rock is a pretty good height and is worth jumping from. As we have learned from experience, keep your legs together and your mouth shut! We were the only ones in our raft to partake in this.

As we headed down stream, we encountered a few rapids that really didn't look like they could do anything at all. However, looks can be deceiving as we found out on "Fluffy Bunny," a small Class III.

It was getting near the end of our trip when we came upon a surf. Our guide instructed us to head straight for it. We paddled hard (very, very hard) and just as we were going to give up, the river sucked us in. The water filled the boat and was up over our waists. Our guide did something with his paddle and turned the boat around - the other side was sucked in. It was a great surf and lasted for a few minutes. Finally the river let us go and we were on our way to the end of our journey.

It was all over too soon, as it always is. We loaded back onto the bus and headed for base camp. During the trip back, everyone was still very excited...telling stories of their mishaps of the day. We had a great trip thanks to the courteous and professional staff at N.A.R.R.

In addition to river trips, North American offers customized kayak instruction, mountain biking, rock climbing and fishing trips. Their headquarters is staffed by helpful, friendly personnel and features a campground, hot showers, photo and video department, and a large outfitters shop for your convenience.