Rafting on the Gauley River

Being the Adventure Group isn't easy. We must be careful not to pigeonhole ourselves into one specific area of adventure. That is why we decided that on the 8th and 9th of October, we would be indoctrinated into the world of white-water-rafting. Our timing weather-wise was less than perfect though. The weather the weekend before had been terrific with temperatures in the high seventies and clear skies. The weather forecast for the weekend after our trip was very similar. But for the Adventure Group, the summer-like conditions were sandwiched around a weekend of sub-freezing weather, sleet, snow, rain, and general crumminess. We arrived at our campsite just before midnight, Saturday night. We weren't supposed to be there until later Sunday morning but we set up camp nonetheless. For our first rafting expedition, we chose the Gauley River. The upper portion of this river is ranked 7th in the world in terms of rafting difficulty and thrill. We had booked a two-day trip that would include both the Upper and Lower Gauley. Our Sunday afternoon trip was slated for the Lower, the less intense of the two. Chris had never rafted before and Scott had only rafted a few times so it was good that we were starting out small. After about an hour bus ride that took us down a valley road that was never meant to be traveled by a 40-foot school bus, we arrived at the entry point to the Lower Gauley. We received some instructions on the bus. They included things like, how to avoid having your head bashed apart if you are thrown from the boat, how to not get sucked into an undercut rock, and how to float down the rapids in the best possible position to avoid injury. We were assigned our guide for day one, Vicki, and we then de-bussed. Lunch was served while we waited to get started. Deli sandwiches and soup was provided, and they really hit the spot. We then made our way down to the riverbank and met our guide. She gave us some instructions, told us what to expect for the next four hours, and we began to put the boat in the water. After some practice maneuvers in relatively still water, we started down the river. We were the last boat in our group, the sweep boat, and it was our responsibility to make sure no one was left behind in the river. Less than five minutes into the trip, we encountered our very first class V rapid. For those who are unfamiliar with the lingo, rapids are rated by their difficulty and degree of danger on a scale of I through VI with V being the most intense raftable rapid, and VI being a nearly unrideable rapid. By far, the most difficult element we encountered was the temperature. The first time you step into the water to push the boat in, it is somewhat of a shock. You soon realize that your feet are going to be wet all day. We both chose to be daring by sitting in the very front of the boat. In the front, you set the pace for the rowing speed and cadence for the rest of the boat. You also take the brunt of the hits and you definitely get wetter than anyone else. About a quarter of the way into the Lower Gauley trip, our responsibility as the sweep boat was put to the test. On one of the class four rapids, a boat completely flipped spilling all ten of its occupants. We rescued two of the "unintentional swimmers" and got them safely back to their boat. After rafting for about four hours, and encountering six class-five rapids, we brought the boats to the extraction point, and made our way back to the busses. Later that night, we relaxed in front of a campfire and made s'mores. As the fire burned, it began to snow, softly at first, but building up into a steady shower that stuck to the ground and our tent. What a weekend we had picked to raft. The next morning, we awoke at 6:30 and got dressed again for a day of rafting. It was quite a bit colder than the previous day and it was still snowing. Putting on those cold, still-damp wet suits wasn't a very pleasant way to wake up, but it certainly got the job done. We boarded the bus at 7:30 and discovered that about half of the people who were going to raft that day had backed out. As the bus took off, the snow increased and we began to wonder if we were making a mistake. Day two of our trip would take us to a much more intense stretch of the Gauley known as the Upper Gauley. The Gauley River is fed by Lake Summersville, which is dammed at the source of the river. The dam allows water from the lake into the river through huge outlet valves through which water rushes into the river with unbelievable force and volume*. The start of the Upper Gauley stretch is right at that point. Needless to say, the rafting starts off with a bang there. Factor in a steady snowfall and dense, low-lying fog, and the result was a surreal experience. Yes it was cold, and being wet in that kind of weather is not comfortable. But we both agree that we would not have traded our winter-like rafting experience for perfect weather. On the Upper Gauley, there are five class-five rapids, but they are much more technical and thrilling than those of the Lower Gauley. The climax of this stretch is a 14-foot vertical drop over a waterfall. There is also a spot called Jumprock where you can get out of your boat and leap from a 16-foot overhang into the river. Being that it was so cold that day, we all passed on that option although some of the other boats did partake. Approximately a quarter of the way in our trip, Scott was tossed from the boat in a still-water area. He was quickly pulled back in but with the combined temperature of the water (about 50 degrees) and the air (less than 30 degrees) being less than 100, the threat of hypothermia was a serious risk. Our guide Derek did a great job of keeping us moving so we would maintain our body heat. After we finished the Upper Gauley, we loaded the boats on the truck and got back on the bus. But not before we had some excellent soup that warmed our body from the inside out. What an experience it was to raft in those conditions. Although I think we would both prefer to raft in warmer weather, we are truly glad we got to try it in winter conditions. To anyone who has ever considered rafting, we can't speak highly enough about Extreme Expeditions. From top to bottom, the entire trip was excellent. And our guides Vicki and Derek were fantastic. We strongly recommend using the Extreme Expedition outfit, and requesting Vicki and especially Derek as your rafting guides. With no hesitation, we both said that we had absolutely no complaints about any of the services that we received from Extreme. * The Summersville dam releases approximately one million gallons of water per minute.