New River Gorge as part of New River Gorge Rendezvous
| River: | New |
| Skill: | Intermediate+ |
| Trip Date: | 09/03/2022 |
New River Trip report 9/4-5/2022
Think of this as sort of a sub-report for the New River Rendezvous, organized by Ken Dubel and the Coastal Canoeists, with Monocacy Canoe Club, Carolina Canoe Club, and others as invitees. Traditionally, this is planned for each Labor Day Weekend, based out of Rays Campground in Hico, near Fayetteville, WV. Ken has been organizing this since 2002. (By the way, you can be a member of multiple clubs; I am or have been a member of several.) Travel and meet new people, it is a good thing. You know all of those paddlers from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and so on that you hopefully met at Week of Rivers? Go paddle with them! They are cool. Ken’s count was thirty-plus paddlers on Saturday, and then Forty on Sunday.
The New River offers several sections from class II to class IV. The water quality was wonderful and the scenery was spectacular; a remarkable place. Here is the link for information on the Cunard to Fayette Station section. https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/2418/main You can find the others also on AW.
After the meeting on Saturday and Sunday, a small group of us organized to set shuttle and paddle the New River Gorge from Cunard to Fayette Station. On Saturday, we had the great fortune of having Josh Brooks as part of the group, who knows the rapids well and was able to give us as much information as we wanted. Saturday’s group was Josh Brooks, Joe Marincel, Daniel Huff, Kagen Lamont, Jim Kiehn, Bill Webster, and Wayne Jones. Sunday’s group was pared down a little with Daniel Huff, Kagen Lamont, Jim Kiehn, Bill Webster, and Wayne Jones. Josh’s dog Chance patiently waited for us on Saturday at the overflow parking lot just uphill on the other side of the train tracks from the Fayette Station take-out.
Saturday was a PFD (personal first descent) for both Kagen and Daniel, and they both paddled superbly. Everyone else paddled pretty well, too. Day 1 Level was 6” and then 3” on Day 2. Personally, I am finally improving on my record of getting through Lower Keeney facing both downriver and right side up. (Note to John McDonald: “Oh, I get it now; THAT bubble line!”) Thanks to Ken Dubel and everyone. This is a thing you don’t want to miss. I’ll see you next year. By the way, pizza at Pies and Pits is still great; it really is. Trip report by Wayne Jones. Photo is Daniel Huff doing his first run of Lower Keeney.