Last weekend we got the pleasure of heading just a few hours north to West Virginia for Gauley Fest. This was our first trip to this paddle festival and definitely not our last. This event combined hundreds of paddlers, huge water, free beer, and every major paddle gear vendor we know.
On Friday we met up with our carpool buddies Dru and Kaylan. We got all loaded and started up north. We made it to the camp ground at Battle Run in about 4.5-5 hours from Knoxville. Not bad compared to some of our Oklahoma drives for water. Once there we found our camp spot and crashed out.
Saturday the adventure began. We opted for the Lower Gauley run and for good reason. The Lower Gauley has 37 rapids with some great III+ to IV- rapids. The Upper Gauley is the most popular but we need a little more experience before we hit the class IV+ and V rapids. Maybe next year!
The water felt great and everyone in the group kicked ass. Great run from start to finish. Rapids of note are Koontz Flume, PSH (Pure Screaming Hell), Upper and Lower Mash, Canyon Doors, and The Gates of Heaven. The water was big and pushy even compared to the Ocoee, our local run. The access also is quite limited since most of the run is in a canyon. You hike in and in most places would have a monster hike out. So commit and run the entire 11 miles if you run the lower.
We put together a little video of the weekend and here it is….
On Saturday night we made the pilgrimage into town to see the festival which is held on the fair grounds/football field in Summersville. This place had it all. Enough gear to drive you crazy and every major vendor. This event is put on by American Whitewater and is a huge fundraiser for them. They had mechanical bull riding, stripper pole fund raising, Fear Factor for a boat, and the Jackson’s threw freebies from the roof of their RV. We met some paddlers, drank a little, bought a few things then headed back to camp for some much needed rest.
Sunday we decided to hike into Pillow Rock on the Upper to check out the sheer force and carnage. The hike in was a monster! All down and it felt three times as hard to hike out. But it was worth it! Pillow Rock was awesome and we all identified our line so we can run it next time. We got some great videos. After the hike out we drove to Fayetteville for some food at the Chapel café and then we headed home.
Great weekend, great festival, Awesome River, and a ton of memories! Next year you need to come! Yes you!
rt & jm
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