West Virginia White Water Rafting

It is that time of year again!!  Over the weekend, we are taking a trip to West Virginia to do some hiking and white-water rafting. It is awesome! For 22 days a year in September and October, rafters come from all over the world to feel the energy of the Gauley River. Starting the Friday after Labor Day, the Army Corps of Engineers provides a series of twenty-two controlled releases of the dam for the express purpose of downriver recreation. We'll go down the river with our raft guide and hopefully Chad won't fall out of the raft again this year. We'll do five Class 5 rapids:

• Insignificant (Class V - ironically so named because the first expedition reported "nothing significant before Pillow".)
• Pillow Rock (Class V - accessible via a steep trail from Carnifax Ferry Battleground site. Extremely powerful and intimidating rapid.)
• Lost Paddle (Class V - a long, treacherous rapid consisting of four sub-rapids: First Drop, Second Drop, Third Drop, and Tumblehome.)
• Iron Ring (Class V - so named for a large iron ring which had been anchored in a rock near the rapid by loggers many years before. The ring was cut and removed by vandals in the 1980's.), and
• Sweet's Falls (Class V - named for John Sweet, a canoeist and pioneer of the Gauley.)

Rafting is a perfect fall activity for excitement and and enjoyment of the beauty of the autumn leave colors.  We'll be cooking out at our cabin and making some S'mores.  I'll try to come back with some camping recipes.  Do you have any camping recipes to share?