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ZZUNUSED
Gauley River's fall season continues through Mid-October
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.
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Coincidence or no, school has just started back and arriving soon after it -- "Pure Screaming Hell."
West Virginia's infamous fall Gauley River whitewater season kicks off Friday, Sept. 5, sending more than 40,000 whitewater rafters and even more kayakers hurtling down the frothing rapids with such prayer-inspiring names as "Pure Screaming Hell," "Lost Paddle," "Iron Ring" and the oddly-named Class VI rapid, "Insignificant."
Kayakers and rafters from every state and from around the world are expected to come in to buck and ride the wild Gauley River, a rock-strewn river that drops more than 668 feet through 28 miles of rugged terrain and features more than 100 rapids.
Here's a look at getting the hook-up to ride the rapids through this beautiful remote gorge.
WHERE IT IS: Located about 21/2 hours away from Huntington off of Route 19 between Summersville and Fayetteville, the Gauley River National Recreation Area was established in 1988 and is protected by the National Park Service. A scenic drive to the Summersville Dam is to take U.S. 60 out of Charleston, take West Virginia 39 north at Gauley Bridge and then east on West Virginia 129.
WHAT IT IS: The Gauley River starts in the mountains of West Virginia and flows together with the New River to make the Kanawha at Gauley Bridge. Just below the Summersville Dam, the Gauley has two sections of river that are considered one of the best two-day commercial raft trips anywhere.
UPPER GAULEY: The Upper Gauley is not for the timid. This is world-class whitewater, dropping nearly 700 feet through 28 miles of a rugged, unspoiled canyon. The Class III through Class V+ journey through steep, turbulent chutes and rocky routes requires experience and a minimum age of 16.
LOWER GAULEY: A 12-mile stretch, rated Class III to V, feels like a watery roller coaster (minimum age 12-14, depending on outfitter). It's often used as a warm-up for the upper section.
WHEN IT IS: Although the Gauley can be run in the spring and summer, the scheduled-dam release days for the world-famous fall Gauley River Season (Summersville Dam releases) is set for Friday through Monday, Sept. 5-8, Sept. 12-15, Sept. 19-22, Sept. 26-29, Oct. 3-6, Oct. 11-12, and Oct. 19, the day following Bridge Day.
WHY SO POPULAR: At a time when many other famous whitewater rivers are down to a trickle, the scheduled releases by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of about 2,800 cubic feet of water per second on 22 set days in the fall makes the Gauley the premier river in the country after August.
HARD CORPS: Fall Gauley Season comes to whitewater enthusiasts courtesy of the United States Congress that passed a law mandating recreational whitewater dam releases. In West Virginia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provides a series of 23 controlled releases from the Summersville Lake on successive weekends, beginning the weekend after Labor Day.
WHAT TO WEAR: The water coming out of the Summersville Lake is very cold. If the air is cold, it's a good recipe for hypothermia if you're not wearing the right clothes. Even if the air is warm, you will most likely want to wear wool socks and a polypropylene top and pants, as many trips happen early in the morning. Come late September and early October, it's usually wet-suit time. All of the licensed West Virginia whitewater outfitters have wetsuit rentals and paddling jackets. Avoid cotton clothes and jeans. Wear old tennis shoes or sandals.
ALL IN A NAME: The massive Class V rapid, Insignificant, got its name when a 1968 exploratory rafting party completed the trip at a lower-than-normal flow rate and reported "no significant rapids" upstream of Pillow Rock.
"Iron Ring," another gnarly Class V rapid, got its name because loggers in the early 1900s tried to blast the rock out to make a log flume and set an iron ring in place on the rock as part of the logging operation. The ring was stolen in 1988.
"Sweet's Falls," this about 13-foot waterfall and Class V rapid was named for John Sweet, who was the only person to run this drop on a 1968 exploratory run in a covered whitewater canoe made for aggressive whitewater. Prior to his success, others carried their boats or took other routes around the falls.
FIRST DESCENT: The first successful Gauley River trip took place on Memorial Day weekend in 1961 when Jean and Sayre Rodman navigated the river. John Sweet took his trip 40 years ago on Labor Day 1968, using information from the Rodmans' trip.
GAULEY BY THE NUMBERS: In 2007, 46,767 enthusiasts rafted the upper and lower Gauley River with professional commercial outfitters. Outfitters will employ more than 600 guides on the river. Gauley Season draws guests from all 50 states and many countries, with about 7 percent of Gauley Season fans flying in for the trip.
HOW MUCH IT WILL COST: Without a doubt, the cheapest and best days to run the Gauley are on Friday and Monday. Saturday is the most expensive day to run the river. A full-day Upper Gauley trip with lunch on a Friday starts at about $100 and goes up with camping and dinner add-ons. Trips only can be as low as about $95 on Mondays. On the Lower Gauley, it's as cheap as $85 on Fridays and $75 on Mondays. For two-day packages, Sunday-Monday is usually the best overnight combo. Go online at the West Virginia Division of Tourism's Web site at www.wvriversports.com and surf for a great Web deal with one of the many professional whitewater rafting companies that operate in West Virginia.
