Upper Gauley First Timers 2011
| River: | Gauley |
| Skill: | Advanced |
| Trip Date: | 09/10/2011 |
Upper Gauley First Timers – 2011
Lisa Birskovich, James Woods, Nick Woods, Tony Cowan, Ashley Cowan, Joe Berry, Bret Harrison, Kurt McKissick, Luke Osborne & Tina, Stuart Samuels, Lee Belknap, Paul and Karen Lange
First Timers: Jeff Dennie, Morgan Randell
Jeff and I rode up to WV from the Triangle and agreed that this would be the hardest river that either of us had ever paddled. Lisa prescreens her Upper Gauley “virgins” to make sure that first timer doesn’t mean inexperienced, but we were both a little nervous. We resolved to paddle to the best of our ability and hoped that we wouldn’t regret this on Monday morning.
Saturday morning we had group introduction. Bret treated us to omelets and potatoes for breakfast and we made our way to the river. I spent some extra time applying a waterproof bandage called Duoderm Extra Thin over three stitches that are in my right thumb and then covered that with a waterproof glove. This solution worked really well for me. On the river, Lisa explained lines, hazards and landmarks. The butterflies quickly gave way to smiles as we went through progressively bigger wave train rapids including Initiation, which you run to the left to avoid a sieve hazard and Insignificant, which has a fantastic surf wave at the bottom. Continuing down the river, Lisa pointed to a bald spot on the ridge that indicates the trail leading down to Pillow Rock. James covered the top of his helmet and told her to quit pointing at his bald spot. That bit of humor helped to calm my nerves as we took out to scout the rapid. We talked and pointed and watched other hard boaters run the rapid. Getting back in my boat I was able to hit the first portion of the line just right and then rely on reaction and instinct during an unplanned 360 turn off of the pillow and over the Volkswagen rock. Happiness and adrenaline are a great mix. I eddied out to watch Jeff and the others. Joe Berry had the most adventurous line of the day in his C1 Super Fun. He went really high on the pillow and close to the Room of Doom. He could have patted the rock had he not turned over at the very highest point and then flushed out the remainder of the rapid upside down. Rolling up he let out a whoop and then a few watery coughs and hacks. It had been a wild ride on a rapid that looks crazier from the bottom than it does from the top.
I think it was around this point that Lisa and some others spotted a black bear on the side of the river before it disappeared quickly into the forest. Following some read and run rapids we carefully eddy-hopped down Lost Paddle rapid. We stopped for a snack break at the bottom of Lost Paddle and watched people in longboats doing big enders at the final Tumblehome drop. Shortly before leaving , we helped collect someone’s lost boat that came down the river to us. The paddler was reported to be safe somewhere upstream out of sight. Continuing down to Iron Ring we shore scouted again. The river constricts at this point into a narrow space with very fast moving water. Beginner’s luck helped me find the thin highway of water that carries you clean through this rapid like being on a magic carpet ride. That left (John) Sweet’s Falls. I listened intently to the advice of others that the best way to run this rapid is loose, with attention to the feel of the water and to “avoid doing anything”. I followed that advice and shot out the bottom of Sweet’s with a dry hair day to remember.
That evening Kurt entertained us with a new personality that I would describe as loud persnickety Chinese woman in a Mexican restaurant. We followed that up with a trip to Walmart and then back to camp for late night kooky camp fire time. The next day we did a replay of the river, but this time I got humbled by Pillow, Iron Ring and Sweet’s. I had a side surfing adventure in a surprise hole below Iron Ring that I will try to find again someday. Finishing the run, Jeff and I agreed that our paddling had been more on point the day before. No matter, because the weather was fine. He and I teamed up for a nice tandem surf in our creekboats at Lisa’s cool down surf spot just below Sweet’s. This was a perfect way to finish Sunday. Returning on shuttle, Joe Berry introduced us to the Dinosaur song by Ke$ha which I am supposed to play loud every time I arrive at the put in to the Ocoee from now on.
Since taking over from Joe Greiner, Lisa has volunteered as trip leader for 8 years in a row which is commendable. Jeff summed it up in a post trip email: “I don't know where to start in thanking you and everyone else for making this weekend happen. Don't think it could have been any better. I now have a new definition of what 'BIG' is. Hope to join everyone again next year.”
Dinosaur Song – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbvLZrd9aDE&feature=related
