Rafters gearing up for another Gauley season

Only in wild, wonderful West Virginia can draining a lake be so much fun.

While going down to winter pool signals the end of summer fun on most area lakes, draining part of the Summersville Lake signals the start of the world-famous fall Gauley River whitewater season.

Starting Friday, Sept. 10, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will drain Summersville Lake and release a torrent of whitewater out of the dam valves at about 90 feet per second (over 50 miles an hour), creating a paddler's playground of more than 100 rapids frothing through the beautiful and remote Gauley River gorge near Summersville, W.Va.

Scheduled releases for this fall's Gauley season are: Friday, Sept. 10, through Monday, Sept. 13; Friday, Sept. 17, through Monday, Sept. 20; Friday, Sept. 24, through Monday, Sept. 27; Friday, Oct. 1, through Monday, Oct. 4; Friday, Oct. 8, through Monday, Oct. 11 and the last weekend of Gauley River season and Bridge Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16 and 17.

More than 60,000 rafting enthusiasts from around the world will converge on West Virginia during these weekends for full-day and multi-day trips as many rafters come in and do the easier Lower Gauley section one day, camp out, then hit the world-class Upper Gauley section that begins at the dam.

The Upper section of the Gauley River includes a heart-pounding five consecutive monster rapids: Insignificant, Pillow Rock, Lost Paddle, Iron Ring and Sweet's Falls.

Dave Arnold, founding director of Adventures on the Gorge, said there's no season like Gauley season.

"For adventure sports enthusiasts, Gauley season is like baseball's opening day or the opening night of a Broadway play," Arnold said. "It's our number one priority to have an extremely professional, highly trained, and experienced staff so our guests have an incredible time. That, combined with the wet summer season we just had, ensures we'll have an ideal rafting season."

Mark Lewis, executive director of the West Virginia Professional River Outfitters Association, said they're hoping for one of their best seasons on the Gauley.

"The lake is at summer pool so we have plenty of water so it's always good heading into the season with a full lake," Lewis said. "The numbers on the river this summer have been pretty steady about the same as last year and not down for the first year in quite a while, so business has been good in this long hot, dry summer. It was a great summer of rafting on the New and now we're getting ready for a great fall on the Gauley."

Lewis said if folks came this summer and rafted the Lower New River and are thinking about tackling the Gauley, there's a few things to keep in mind.

First, rafters must be 15 years of age or older to negotiate the gnarly, challenging steady stream of Class V and non-stop Class III & IV rapids.

Lewis suggests folks who have never done the Gauley to try the Lower section first to see if they like that bump up in action from the Lower New.

"The Upper Gauley is just an awesome highly challenging river and I look at the Lower Gauley as all of the fun of the Upper Gauley without the really serious challenges," Lewis said. "The Lower Gauley is more intimate and you have the beautiful cliffs at Canyon Doors. I would definitely recommend people try the Lower before going on the Upper."

Lewis said for folks who came rafting in the summer, fall rafting is a different ball game, since morning temperatures can be cool, and since the water coming out of the bottom of the Summersville Lake can be in the 50s and 60s.

"The Gauley season is a bit chillier so if you've got something on like a wetsuit you can always peel it down or peel it off," Lewis said. "But if you don't have it with you can't put it on. On a chilly morning rent the wetsuit to make sure you are comfortable."

Lewis said, folks who live regionally can take advantage of the four-day weekend release system, take off work on a Friday or a Monday.

"Saturdays are the busy days and the river is fun every day," Lewis said. "If you take off a Friday or a Monday you can experience the Gauley in relatively uncrowded conditions and that is always a great time, and worth doing if you can take a day off work and get out there."

It's also worth noting that you may need an extra day or two for fun since many of the large outfitters such as ACE Adventure Resort in Oak Hill, offers just about every type of outdoor recreation known to man.

Adventures on the Gorge (www.adventurewestvirginia.com), home of Class VI-Mountain River and The Rivermen, offers packages where visitors can combine whitewater rafting with other activities including TreeTops Canopy Tours, Bridge Walk, kayaking, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, mountain climbing, disc golf and paintball.

To top off all of that, the New River Gorge region is brimming with festivals during the six week Gauley season.

The American Whitewater Association hosts its annual Gauley Fest filled with music, food and the latest kayaking and rafting gear in Summersville, Sept. 17-19, while the world-famous Bridge Day is set for Saturday, Oct. 17, in Fayetteville.

Also, the long-anticipated opening of the Bridge Walk, a guided tour on the catwalk under the New River Gorge Bridge (America's second highest bridge) is set to open in late September.

Lewis said whether you're coming from Huntington or the other side of the world, the Gauley is worth the trip.

"Gauley season is a major event in the whitewater community for both kayakers and whitewater rafters and we used to have guides who would come in from New Zealand every year to guide the Gauley because it is that good."