Gauley season in full swing in southern West Virginia

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• Take a ride on the wild side

When area lakes begin to trickle down to winter pool it's a given the water-splashing summer party has all but faded away.

Oh, not so down at Summersville Lake.

Fridays through Mondays until Bridge Day weekend in mid October the drained lake water roars out through the remote gorge. It helps the Gauley River boil up more than 100 named whitewater rapids and earn the distinction of "Beast of the East," giving folks the best rides this side of Cedar Point.

Kicked off Labor Day weekend, Gauley season flows with scheduled dam releases set for Friday through Monday, Sept. 12-15, Sept. 19-22, Sept. 26-29, Oct. 3-6, Oct. 11-12 and Oct. 19, the day following Bridge Day.

For 41-year-old veteran kayaker and owner of West Virginia Adventures, Rob Dobson, these fall days burn with adrenaline as adventure seekers and old friends pour in from around the country to take one of the best two-day whitewater trips in the country.

A son of a coal miner and a West Virginia University graduate, Dobson said being able to paddle such great rivers as the Gauley and the New, and their tight tributaries, makes West Virginia almost heaven for whitewater enthusiasts.

Dobson, who has traveled the country as a sponsored kayaker, said he loves living in West Virginia where the people are genuine and the rivers rowdy.

"The quality of the whitewater here is so rich, the paddling is just awesome," said Dobson, whose West Virginia Adventures is one of the smallest whitewater outfitters plying the New and the Gauley Rivers. "I love the honesty of the people, and I think it's a great place for opportunity. My dad is a retired coal miner, and I am trying to work with the other natural resources that we have working the water to create a renewable resource and industry. It all works hand in hand with all the entities working together."

Dave Arnold, managing partner for Class VI-Mountain River, said in a release that the Gauley Season is no accident, but the result of cooperation of government officials, the Corps of Engineers and the community.

In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation developed by U.S. Representative Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) that designated the Gauley as a national river and allowed for downstream recreation to be part of the Summersville Dam's project purpose, Arnold said.

"Representative Rahall skillfully crafted the legislation that made the Gauley, New and Bluestone rivers the internationally prominent recreation destinations that they are today," said David Brown, executive director of America Outdoors, an international association of the world's leading outfitters.

"U.S. Representative Nick Joe Rahall was on target with his vision of establishing a national recreation area for southern West Virginia," Arnold said. "The legislation made this the first lake in the nation with this designation and has paid dividends for the tourism industry and the economy of our region."

It has definitely worked out.

In 2007, 46,767 enthusiasts rafted the upper and lower Gauley River with professional commercial outfitters.

And this year, outfitters will employ more than 600 guides on the river that will bring guests from all 50 states and many countries. About 7 percent of Gauley Season fans will fly in for the trip.

Robson, who grew up in nearby Nicholas County before going off to WVU and then the Army, said guiding folks down the rock-strewn river that drops more than 668 feet through 28 miles of rugged terrain and more than 100 rapids gives guests a special bond with the state, with nature and with those who share the extraordinary experience.

"People, no matter what image they might have had of the state going in, if you guide them through Pillow Rock they are going to respect you and they are going to look at you and the state in a totally new way," Robson said. "You get through Sweet's Falls and Iron Ring, and whether they're Fortune 500 business people or emergency rescue people, they all appreciate the fact that you're taking good care of them."

Robson said his company and the others working the river work year-round to be sure they're ready to give the guests what they expect and beyond during Gauley Season.

Even though West Virginia Adventures is one of the smallest companies, Robson, who was a partner in Wildwater Expedition that sold out to ACE Adventures, said his small company employs about 20 people from bus drivers and caterers to office staff and guides on Gauley weekends.

Robson doesn't wait around to dive in and help either.

"I still go out on my trips, and I might guide or shoot videos or whatever is needed," Robson said. "In my position, you have to be prepared to do it all. I pretty much can do everything but drive the bus. But this is what I love. When I got out of school, I knew the only suit I wanted to ever wear was a wet suit."

File photo/The Herald-Dispatch

Rafters show their excitement at successfully navigating Sweet's Falls in this 2005 file photo. The 14-foot waterfall is the last chute rafters attempt to conquer before stopping for lunch while traveling on the upper Gauley River.