Upper Gauley R., West Virginia, 9/22/07

On Friday Sept 21, 2007 Susan & I met Rob Strangia, Jeff Wood, Craik Davis, Mike MacLeod, & Terran Viehe at the Whitehorse Inn in Fayettville, W. Virginia to paddle the Lower Gauley River in anticipation on paddling the Upper Gauley the next day. We successfully negotiated such rapids as Koontz Flume, Upper & Lower Mash, Heaven's Gate, and Pure Screeming Hell and had a blast surfing the Diagonal Ledges.

Saturday Sept 22 arrived and we were met by Mike Kennedy and Gerry Gilligan for our run on the Upper Gauley. It would be Craik, Rob, Terran, & my first trip and we were understandably apprenensive as the Upper Gauley is quite a milestone in skill accpmplishment not attained by the vast majority of kayakers. Susan ran shuttle as she had done the day before and she took our video coming through Pillow. We all did well and it must be mentioned that Jeff had a dry-hair-run. The paddling was great, the scenery was spactacular, and the river features unforgettable. Also unforgettable was the long walk up out of the gorge at the end! But there was Susan, the truck, & the beer! Thanks Susan.

Sunday Susan & I shuttled some of the guys to the Lower Gauley putin for another day of paddling but then we headed to Florida for vacation. How about a week-long trip next year guys? /Hugh