New River Rendezvous
| River: | New |
| Skill: | All |
| Trip Date: | 09/01/2012 |
Labor Day weekend marked the umpteenth annual New River Rendezvous. I don't know how long this trip has been going on and so far I haven't found anyone who does. I went there as a newbie for the first time in 1999 and have returned every year since then. Back then I think we still used the "l" word, gasp, "lead". In 2001 I received the mother of all loaded questions from then MCC cruise guy Tony Alred asking "Do you know who's available to lead the New Rendezvous next year? The Chapelles are out." Hook, line, and sinker, I agreed to take it on. For the past several years I've suckered Mike Sawyer and Charlie Duffy into co-coordinating it with me.
(Hmm. Never used this page before. "Enter" seems to double space to the next paragraph, hope I'm guessing that part right.) (Hmm again. One of those icon thingys makes it look like I can add a photo?)
This one is typically a sizable event drawing folks from clubs in WV, PA, MD, DC, VA, and sometimes NC. The CCC's inclusion has varied over the years. Always invited, sometimes wanting to be separate as "we are our own crowd" has been the case at times, sometimes okay with being included as "only one person showed up for the meeting (that'd be me)" in a year when there was no water and I think gas was hard to come by. There was a bit of controversy involved this year but I offered and ended up posting the trip for the CCC.
I didn't hear of anyone in attendance being disappointed. We had trips all three days on upper sections of the New which are easier along with trips on the gorge which are more difficult. Water levels were low which is pretty ordinary, thinking we had around -1.4 feet at Fayette Station (gotta love the Chuck Brabec conversion from the Thurmond gauge) on Saturday and Sunday followed by a nice little bump up to -1 foot on Monday. To those unfamiliar these might sound like miserable levels but I don't see it that way. In some ways it's more challenging and it's still plenty of water to make it down. Hey, if a knucklehead like me can get a raft through it then you should be able to get a canoe or a yak through it.
Speaking of rafts, woo-dee-hoo, this event has been attracting more and more private rubber in recent years. If the New River in West Virginia falls short in one area it's that it doesn't offer much intermediate whitewater unless it rains. It's a couple of big steps up in difficulty to go from an upper section to the gorge. The raft owners have taken big strides to offer seats to folks who wouldn't ordinarily get to see the gorge. For me personally, Mike has been kind enough to loan me his Aire Super Puma (GREAT raft, in my limited opinion) several times. This year I was able to take two separate crews of what I call "sweaty athletic women" through the gorge. Big hoot for me and ladies, way to lace up the 360 move at the top of double Z!!!
Tons of good fun. If current trends continue then I'd expect this trip to take place again next year.
Cheers all,
Ken Dubel