Gauley Fest!

OVERVIEW

Gauley Fest is the whitewater kayaking festival of the year on the East Coast. American Whitewater hosts this event every year to celebrate the halting of a hydro-electric plant that would have ruined the boating on the Gauley, it has attracted thousands of canoers and kayakers each year. Check out the website at http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/aw:events_gauley.

The Gauley is a big river, with big water, and big consequences in some sections. You shouldn’t sign up expecting to paddle unless you’re solid on Class III-IV water.

Right now, the plan is to leave Friday afternoon, camp Friday night, paddle either the middle or lower on Saturday, camp Saturday night, and then run possibly one section on Sunday as well. We also may just come back, depending on how we feel.

Also, Alex Koes is going to bring a second group down to WV and back on Saturday, and meeting up with the rest of the group to run the lower or middle section. If you want to do this option, instead of coming for the whole weekend, sign for the trip, indicate in the question section that this is what you want to do, and ALSO email me (emp8t@virginia.edu) and Alex (ajk3u@virginia.edu) when you sign up (even if you are on the waitlist).

You bring: any camping kayaking gear you have, money for food and camp ground entrance fee ($5), and checkbook for sick gear deals.

Club provides: kayaking and camping gear if you need it.

NOTE: we will be at the Gauley during Gauley Fest. If you would like to attend this trip for camping purposes only, you’re welcome to attend (perhaps those kayakers or other outdoor enthusiasts who would otherwise be interested in this trip but do not yet have the skills or experience to run this level of water).