WV - White Water Rafting

Catching
the
Rapids Rush
By Francois Lautreamont
West Virginia’s World Class
White-Water Rafting
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West Virginia is rugged country, and its waters—untamed. Narrow hollows snake through deep
mountain cliffs. Thick and snarled forest vegetation climbs straight up the sides. The hollows turn
into sheer gorges in white-water country, sharply shaped over millennia by the surging rapids of
the New and Gauley Rivers – two of the very finest white-water rafting runs in the world.
factoid
The Gauley River is 26 miles long and equally divided into two 13-mile sections; the Upper and
Lower. Each section boasts some 50 named rapids. When you hear rafters speak of the following
rapids, know they’re talking about Upper runs that are rated Class V: the “Insignificant,” “Pillow
Rock,” “Lost Paddle,” “Iron Ring,” and “Sweets Falls.” The Lower Gauley has three Class V rapids
know as “Koontz’ Flume,” “Mash,” and “Pure Screaming Hell.”
Gourmet food provided by Class VI River Runners.
“This isn’t Disneyworld,” says Dave Arnold, a partner in Class VI River
Runners. “Just like skiers flock to double-black diamond runs, people
who want to experience the very best white-water adventures come to
West Virginia. This is the real thing.”
Class V, the most difficult of white-water categories, consists of one
breathtaking run of rapids after another. Just as you plow through a
turbulent crash of tumbling waves, a new surge follows, more thunderous
and churning than the last. Tell yourself you’re not going to scream like a
little girl; then the front of the raft rears out of the water into the air. You
feel your body fly off the seat. The shrieks of your raft mates mix with
the deafening roar of the rapids, and suddenly, you realize the loudest
shouts are coming from you!
Your raft plummets back into the river into calmer water. You try to
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Flying Adventures
July/August 2008
catch your breath and wonder if what you’re feeling is delirious joy or
naked fear. You don’t care! Whatever it is, you love it. You can’t wait for the
rapids to give you another rush. That’s the beauty of Class V runs. You’re
still gasping for air from one wild ride when you feel the water churn
under your raft just before it leaps into another stretch of manic currents.
The wild waters are so addictive that the folks at Class VI River Runners
offer daily-double runs down one or both rivers. The same group, one
of the many outfitters in the area, also offers “mild water” trips. These
Class I tours take you on a leisurely float through deep gorges, past the
vestiges of old mining towns, ferry sites, and coal camps. You’ll also get
a chance to navigate a little white water. Out of the blue, you and your
raft mates will paddle for bear over the waves and ledges that make up
the world-class rapids.
After a morning on the river, most rafting companies make
a mid-day stop for a deli-style, riverside lunch. The staff
prepares the spread and has it ready for you. Some outfitters go
all out with huge, gourmet repast; others offer more basic fare,
but there is always plenty of it. No one goes away hungry.
There’s also plenty of swimming and lollygagging time
built into the day trips. Here’s where you can really catch your
breath. Kick back and let your cares float down the river, or
get rowdy with your new friends and splash around in the
flat pools of warm summertime water. The Camp VI folks
videotape every trip and the results are shown at the camp
pub each night.
The 22 Best Days
of White Water
More than a million gallons
of water per minute are
allowed to escape the
Summersville Dam for 22
days every September,
thanks
to
President
Jimmy Carter.
Talk about white water!
Carter signed a bill for the
annual fall dam release
just to make the best
white-water rafting area
in the U.S. even more
exciting. Thousands of
die-hard adventurers from
around the world flock to
West Virginia during this
magical 22-day period to
experience rafting’s most
challenging runs at their
very peak.
September is just around
the corner. Are you ready
to rumble?
Catchi ng th e R apid s rus h
Might As Well Jump
“It’s kind of like when you’re
learning to fly. There’s such a sense
of the unknown which is common
to both experiences.”
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Once a year, hundreds
of people hurl themselves off
the New River Gorge Bridge
and plummet more than
800 feet toward the rushing
waters below.
On the third Saturday
of every October, the state of
West Virginia closes the road
over the New River for BASE
jumpers from around the
world. These diehard leapers
convene at the world’s second
largest single-arch bridge,
and for six hours straight,
they parachute one right after
another into the gorge below.
The New River Gorge bridge
is 1,700 feet long and dangles
876 feet above the river,
making it a perfect structure
for enthusiasts of BASE – an
acronym for the four types
of fixed objects from which
these jumpers leap: buildings,
antennae, spans and earth.
Organizers expect more than
250,000 people to pack the
area this year, to watch nearly
300 jumpers try this daring feat.
Weather permitting, more than
800 jumps are expected.
A great way to watch the
excitement is looking up.
Special rafting and kayak tours
are offered on Bridge Day.
Enjoy a rough and tumble ride
over white-water, then float
smoothly into the picnic area
just under the bridge right on
time for lunch. Watch hundreds
of people dive hundreds of feet
in just over eight seconds;
their parachutes bursting open
against the sky in the nick of time.
Just staring at these jumpers is
an extreme adventure. For
more information, go to
BridgeDay.info.
factoid
West Virginia’s New River Gorge Bridge was the world’s longest steel-arch
bridge until 2003. The completion of Shanghai’s Lupu Bridge now holds the title.
Accommodations vary from the bare essentials
to exorbitant comfort. Luxuriate in a five-star
hotel, or immerse yourself in the star-filled skies of
backwoods camping.
Try Appalachian Wildwaters (AWRafts.com,
800.624.8060) for the back-to-nature experience.
It has three camping options with fire rings, and
picnic tables at the New and Gauley Bases. Bring
your own tent, or stay in one of their four-person
platform tents with foam mattresses.
Cantrell Ultimate Rafting (UltimateRafting.com,
800.470.7238) also offers an optimal rustic camping
experience with cabins that sleep six and a variety of
tent sites in a grassy or wooded area.
Passages to Adventure (PassagesToAdventure.com,
800.634.3785) is another cabin and tent outfit, and
Songer (SongerWhitewater.com, 800.356.7238)
offers cabins, campsites and bunkhouses.
At Ace Adventure Center (AceRaft.com,
888.223.7238), step up your accommodations and
tuck yourself into a cozy park cabin deep in the heart
of the resort. These cabins provide the comforts
of home, with living rooms, satellite TV and fully
equipped kitchen. A private bedroom and spacious
deck with hot tub may be just the thing to top off a
day of wrestling with world-class rapids.
Of all the accommodations along the river’s
edge, Class VI River Runners (Class-VI.com,
800.252.7784) is the top spot for aviators because
the Summersville Airport (SXL) is a mile from its
base camp.
“We’re so close to the airport – you could actually
walk over here,” Arnold says. “But you won’t have to.
We’re happy to drive the short distance to pick you up.
Just give us a heads up as to when you’re arriving.”
The Resort at Glade Springs, top;
New River Gorge Bridge, bottom.
July/August 2008
Flying Adventures | 39
C a tc h i n g t h e R ap ids ru s h
Catchi ng th e R apid s rus h
Carl Frischkorn plans to develop a fly-in community. Frischkorn, a
pilot and local land developer, says white-water rafting has a particular
appeal for pilots.
“It’s kind of like when you’re learning to fly,” he says. “There’s such a
sense of the unknown, which is common to both experiences. You build
camaraderie with the flight instructor -- a real trust and reliance. That
sense of immediate affiliation with a rafting instructor is the same.”
Frischkorn says you experience the emotions of soloing for the first
time when you do the rapids in a kayak for the first time.
“Suddenly without the instructor, everything sounds different. It feels
different. You’re on your own,” he says. “And that’s the way it is when you’re
out there kayaking the rapids for the first time. You’re on your own.”
After experiencing an exhilarating day of sun and fun on the river,
you may long for a full-service resort. The Resort at Glade Springs
(GladeSprings.com, 866.562.8054) in Daniel, West Virginia has all the
luxury you’d expect from a high-end hotel, plus it boasts two of the top
five golf courses in the state. Fine dining, an Olympic-sized pool, a fullservice spa and an array of guided outdoor activities are amenities you
won’t find at rafting base camps.
Wherever you decide to stay and no matter which outfitter guides
you through your rapid adventure, white-water rafting in West Virginia
will create memories you’ll never forget.
If you’re not yet convinced, check this out: Neil Armstrong has
trekked to the West Virginia to take on the rapids. Local lore has it that
the first man to walk on the moon said white-water rafting was the most
exciting experience he’d ever had. The only way you’ll know it’s true is
to see for yourself. A white-water rafting adventure may turn out to be
FA
the most excitement you’ve experienced!
Neil Armstrong has trekked to West Virginia
to take on the rapids. Local lore has it that
the first man to walk on the moon said whitewater rafting was the most exciting experience
he’d ever had.
ARRIVE IN STYLE
Take your new Eclipse Jet to go White Water Rafting
and you could have 3 of your friends ride with you,
bring lots of luggage and fly non stop from over
1,000nm away. What’s even better, the Eclipse only
needs an airport with a 2,250ft runway.
EclipseAviation.com
505.241.8800
factoid
West Virginia has a mean altitude of 1,500 feet, giving it the highest average altitude east of
the Mississippi. Nearly 75% of the state is covered by forests.
Deluxe cabins provided by Ace Adventure, top; rafter taking on the rapids courtesy of Passages to Adventure, across the bottom.
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Electronics International Inc.
C a tc h i n g t h e R ap ids ru s h
For more Destinations,
go to FlyingAdventures.com/destinations
Kayaking and calm water runs are other options at Class VI River Runners.
All EI instruments
are designed and
manufactured in the
Summersville Airport (SXL), Fayette Airport (WV59), Raleigh County Memorial Airport (BKW)
AIRPORT DATA - (SXL)
Elevation: Runways: Approaches: ATIS/ASOS:
USA!
1,820’
4/22 3,015’
GPS
None
WEST VIRGINIA
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AIRPORT DATA - (WV59)
Elevation: Runways: Approaches: ATIS/ASOS:
Fayette Airport
(WV59)
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3/21 2,010’
GPS
None
Greenbrier Valley Airport,
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Raleigh County
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AIRPORT DATA (BKW)
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2,504’
1/19 6,750, 10/28 5,000’
VOR, ILS, VOR/DME, GPS
304.253.5214
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Raleigh County
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Park Limousine
Avis Car Rental
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304.255.0476
304.255.6173
304.255.0447
304.929.3505
Maps provided by Voyager Flight Planning Software
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Flying Adventures
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