Geoff’s got guide experience in fishing, rafting and other adventures.
Okay, the whole world is stretching it, but a big chunk of the Western Hemisphere is accurate.
From Montana’s ice cold waters and rugged back country, to the Grand Canyon, to the southernmost reaches of South America on rivers dammed long ago, to that narrow waist of Central America. Yes, raft guiding was very good to me. There was some fly fishing guiding, and there were some pack trips on horseback that took me to places I am sure no one has ever set foot. Keith and his family have led trips to the high plateaus of Peru building schools.
And we choose to make The New River Gorge our home.
Now, we don’t guide anymore, but we know the area well, and we do love to share our knowledge. Take advantage of our free info and ask us some questions! All guides love the sound of their own voice.
We have some fun and informative videos on Youtube that will really help you plan your vacation. Tours of town, trails and restaurants, to name a few.
We also show how to tell temperature based on rhododendron leaves, if you like that kind of thing.
If you visit our website, you will see full-day itineraries for almost every situation.
Let’s just say you want help with some questions about certain activities or the best time of year to come bird watching or to Girls Club. Okay, maybe we are not Girls Club experts, but… well, yes we are. At least the planning part.
“Again? So soon?” (with glee in his voice). “We will miss you, have fun.”
Because if Momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy!
The Boys Insist on Adventure…
Groups fill The Meadows for lots of reasons. One of the best reasons is Boys or Girls Club Weekends. That’s our nickname for vacations where groups of gals or guys take a trip with just their friends. You know, ditch the significant other, line up some pals, good food maybe a high adventure. Stay at a comfortable, inviting place to relax and catch up at the end of the day like The Meadows.
Imagine this:
First the “guys from work” got together. Yee haw, THE GAULEY (said with a roar)! They went home with such a great attitude, fun stories, and more things they wanted to try here in the New River Gorge, that their families wanted in on the action.
But the Girls Know How to Relax
You guessed it.
The next summer, not all, but some of the guys brought the families back. Again, so cool. So much to do, young and old thrilled to no end. With still more stuff on the to do list.
Next up is Girls Club.
I really like the way women go about this. Us guys must have SOMETHING to do, i.e., a high-adventure, manly endeavor. Fears to conquer. Women, ha. They don’t need the pretense to have a grand time. They can have fun just chilling out, painting nails, fixing food, long hot tub sessions. No need for the events of the day to stimulate conversation but they make great Facebook posts.
Girls Club getaway weekends make Mamma and everyone else happy.
We know you have some people in mind for one of these weekends. We are happy to help you plan.
I fell in love in West Virginia in September and you should too.
The year and the date are a little fuzzy, but I do remember the place. I traveled a lot back then. I had just rolled in from Montana, in the dark chased down a windy two-lane road by a coal truck. The next morning I hit some raft companies up for a job. Late in the day an owner of one of the companies was walking out the door when I pulled up. You a guide? Yes. Where from? Montana. Really, they have white water there? Catfish hired me on the spot, not for my river resume but “based on the collection of cassette tapes on your dashboard”. I was on the river the next day.
Yes, the Gauley River is everything it is made out to be!
Falling in love in West Virginia
The river I was ready for. The tall drink of water from UVA I was not.
September anywhere is a great month. It is fantastic here.
I must admit I had some preconceived prejudices about WV. Some of them were well deserved. Some were unfounded. But all add to the character that makes this place so wonderful.
My first year here, I had only two or three days of work per week and got to spend the rest of the time exploring, fishing, hiking, golfing, and biking. I thought this was a wonderful place to visit; lots of very high caliber activities. As everyone knows, the Gauley River is world class and that has not changed, never will.
Happily Ever After
What has changed (and is not so well-known) is that everything else is just as good.
Really! Just as good. I am not bragging (okay I am), but my passport looks like someone used it to test stamps at the factory. I have spent time in 46 of our states. This place, our place, The New River Gorge Area, what I now call home, has something really good for everyone. Well almost (don’t show up looking for carnival rides, t-shirt shops, and rubber tomahawks).
We even have more really good restaurants than you could get sick of in a year, let alone a weekend.
I am having a hard time separating these two love stories. You see, Catfish did another favor for me a few weeks into that first September. He introduced me to that tall drink of water from UVA, my future wife. I am forever grateful for both favors.
This September will mark 20 some years for these two loves. There is something here that you will love too. Come test my theory.
I took a quick look at all the fun stuff we did during our reunion. Here’s what I realized:
Some of the people in the group will never need to make a bucket list because they have done any and everything that pops up.
Others have slayed dragons so large and scary most of us could not comprehend them.
Others overcame fears that paralyzed them for years.
Your reunions may not be like this; however it sure makes for great dinner table conversation.
And so we begin the story of stuff our family did during our famial”ish” reunion.
The New River Gorge area became famous for white water rafting 30 some years ago, and it is still the mainstay of high adventure activities in the area. That said, we are just as famous for rock climbing. Mountain biking is growing in stature and recognition. Several ziplines have popped up in the past few years. You can skydive here and roll down a hill in a ball. Golf is all around us. Smallmouth bass fishing is world class. I am sure I am missing something, so let’s tell the story and see if we find it.
Dutch, who is one of the “ish” parts of the famial”ish” reunion, had actually made a bucket list. He has been tweaking it since retiring a few years back.
Dutch put 4 check marks on his bucket list in 5 days.
Zipline
White Water Rafting
Bridge Walk
SKY DIVING
He also golfed, visited historic sites, and was all-around up for anything, including passing initiation into the clan. He is welcome to come back.
Check out the landing gear!
Even more impressive, Aunt Chrissie checked one off her list. A Giant one. She is absolutely terrified of water. Like, won’t do dishes except in the dishwasher terrified! YES, she went Rafting!
Aunt Chrissi (on left) and Aunt Gay Gay with the littles.
I would not say she relaxed but she did calm down enough to look around take some pictures and really enjoy herself. I doubt she will ever do it again. And that is not the point; she did something so huge so scary and so far out of her comfort zone that she may never find her way back. And for that she should be very pleased and proud.
Yes, others slayed some dragons too. My Mom took a Biplane ride and did a Barrel Roll. Several folks with a fear of heights got up in the trees and had a blast on the zip line or went on the Bridge Walk.
Surprise! My Dad ambushed my Mom and son with a Bi-Plane ride. What a great idea and the both loved it.
Some people had just never had the opportunity to do some of the many adventures we have here. My little brother got to hop on a horse’s back for the first time and go for a ride.
Lots of people even did two different activities in one day. Rafting first thing in the morning gets you back about 2 or 3 PM, leaving plenty of time to get in nine holes or take a hike or bike ride or rappel or heaven forbid just kick back and relax. For some of us everything was new and different.
How cool is that?
It is not about how scared you are of the activity or how dangerous or expensive it is; instead it’s being open to a “NEW” experience, stepping out of your normal routine and trying something. Even if you don’t end up loving it, you will have something to talk about at dinner (and will have attained new heights in your mind’s eye and everyone else’s too).
We are here to help you slay some dragons! Big or small, let us help.
What did you cross off your bucket list when you visited the New River Gorge?
The beauty of this area is all it takes to understand why the Boy Scouts of America chose to locate their newest camp here in the New River Gorge. Access to so many awesome outdoor activities is what makes it even more special.
The Summit Bechtel Reserve is the 4th High Adventure Base Camp for the Boy Scouts in the United States. The enormity ($400,000,000) of the project is incredible. The 10,000 acre camp is going to thrust the scouts into the future in a magnificent way.
And the reasons that the Scouts chose the New River Gorge as their camp location are the very same reasons this area is great for anyone who enjoys outdoor activities.
The New River Gorge National Park offers truly world class activities in a big way:
Whitewater
Rock climbing
Mountain Biking
Small Mouth Bass Fishing
Darn close to world class (you know I am going to get in trouble for this distinction):PC Loves The Bechtel Summit
Hiking
Camping
Hunting
Bridge Walk
ATV Trails
Zip Lines
Driving tours
Coal History
Waterfalls
Why not at the same time?
The Boy Scouts report that 50,000 scouts will visit every year in all seasons in small groups. We hope these scouts families will stick around after they drop the kids at High Adventure Camp.
But the big scout event here is the 2013 National Jamboree, which will draw 250,000 people to our area July 15-24 2013. Trust us, it will be crazy. We are excited and a little afraid of the unknown. This area does not play host to that many people all summer let alone in a two week period.
So what we’re trying to say is if you are not coming specifically for the Jamboree then you will want to pick another time to visit.
The Boy Scouts trust us enough to spend four hundred million dollars here.
My first spring here in West Virginia, I was training to be a whitewater raft guide in the New River Gorge. In March.
Right. It was cold. Unbelievably cold.
Right down there is where you'll find your guide.
A lot of our initial trips found us on the icy river with snow still on the banks and freezing air. I wondered to myself if I was crazy for being out here in those conditions. The verdict is still out. Kind of.
Now that I’m older and wiser I doubt that I would do it over again in the early spring. But any guides do this every year; they come to train or be trained as a guide here in the New River Gorge. One of the guides who trained us that year was Jeff “Tiny” Elliott. At first, I figured Tiny was crazy. Later, I realized it wasn’t just him. They’re all that way. It’s a good kind of crazy.
Tiny many of our trips that spring fun and he was able to teach me a lot about the river. He had guided all over and was well versed in hydrology. He made reading a river seem simple and interesting while at the same time making sure all was well with the entire team of trainers and trainees.
That’s what guides do. They’re not only here to provide a great experience for the guests, they also have to be aware of all that is going on on the ever changing river. They make sure that everyone pulls their own weight in the boat and take up the slack for those who can’t. All of this to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip on the river. River guides are often full of…what’s the word…lore…yeah, that’s it… and interesting facts about the area and what went on here in years past.
River guides are awesome. Think about it:
They know the river
They know their history
They know their flora and fauna
They are educated in first aid and some are EMT’s
Some of them can cook
They are responsible for hundreds of people each season
The list goes on and on. Try a raft trip on either the New or the Gauley River this year (we can help you out if you don’t know what trip to book). Quiz your guides, and you’ll be surprised at what they know. I know I always am.
Having a really cool, clean comfortable cabin to curl up with your clan is a must.
Okay, okay. This post is about the river, not the Cabins rentals. (Biased? Me biased?)
I have my PHD in rivertrip-ology. Really. I guided trips for a living/lifestyle for many years on many rivers in several countries. Rafting was very very good to me. I still occasionally take my family out for a New River Family rafting adventure (they’re still too young to drive or they would take themselves).
WE love taking first timers. This is how we like to go about a day on the river:
Best Family White Water Trip
First and foremost is safety. Gear is checked. The kids deliver the safety talk to newbies, and if there aren’t any new bees, they give it to each other and us. It’s a ritual that takes place before each trip. Commercial or private.
Then we’re off, or, y’know, on, depending on how you look at it. You shove off but are on the river, anyway.
I really believe that everyone should start out with a mellow float trip first. Relaxing into it, getting a feel for the way the raft moves on the current. Becoming comfortable with the vocabulary, the pace, the fun. Feel your paddle move the raft. The buck and the dip as you slip down a wave train into a rapid, the tug of an eddyline as you pull into shore for a break, eating in your lap while sitting on a rock, swimming (floating) in your lifejacket- that’s a PFD (personal floatation device) for you professionals out there, standing up in the raft and not worrying you’re going to fall out.
Family and freinds Rafting the New River
After a while you’ll feel comfortable enough to enjoy the views. All these things make it easier to enjoy the big stuff when you get there, if you ever get there. We rarely get there anymore. Not just because we have kids that are just getting to the point they are big enough to self rescue, but it’s less stressful and more fun on the easy stuff.
Quality time for Father and Son Swiming with Dad on the New River WV
Don’t get me wrong. You can still get in a whole lot of trouble on the easy stuff that’s why we do the safety talk every time.
The industry has taken its cue from the guests and shortened trips to maximize the thrill factor. For my money and yours, you should take the time to start slow and easy. Get warmed up with a day on the Upper New. Then, if the kids are excited and really ready, meaning you don’t have to talk them into it, go for the Lower New.
But take a day’s rest in between. Don’t over schedule your activities plan in some downtime.
Here is the itinerary I would book for my family knowing what I know now.
Pull into The Gorge area before dark and go to the bridge over look check out the NPS visitor center. Get a feel for the area our history and culture. It’s well worth it. Then, go check in at the cabin, cook something on the grill, and soak off the day in the hot tub.
Day 1: Book the earliest trip you can get on the Upper New. Enjoy the day with your family. Swim, laugh, and relax. Take in the views.
Day 2: Back on dry land. Take a hike go out to eat. Rest up with a book or movie in the cabin. If you’re feeling adventurous, go rappel with New River Mount Guides or canopy tour (there are several in the area).
Day 3: Dinner trip. It’s not much more money, so just do it. It’s not the food that makes it worthwhile; it’s the fact that you’re on the water after everyone else has taken off. You have the place to yourselves, mostly. Definitely the right time to be on the water.
Day 4: Head home. Sure, there’s a lot more great stuff to do that could keep you busy all week, but this is a blog about the raft trip. The best white water vacation ever. And know going in that that’s impossible to obtain even in a month. I had the best raft trip ever, and it took me years to accomplish it.
Have questions? Let me know in the comments. See you on the river!
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