Kayaking (Whitewater)
Echols Dorm: Brick Wall By Side Door
Cheat Canyon
CHEAT FEST 2015
“The annual Cheat River Festival is a celebration of new life, that which comes each Spring and the new life that can be found in the Cheat River watershed. ‘Cheat Fest’ is FOC’s main annual fundraiser which helps us advance our watershed projects and supports the organization’s administrative costs. Rain or shine, Cheat Fest is always a good time!”
*With the perfect combination of boaters, West Virginia locals, and live bluegrass, some might even claim that Cheat Fest rivals Gauley Fest as the best-fest of the year*
American Whitewater description of the Cheat Canyon:
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/2347/
The main section is for more advanced paddlers, but I’m opening up the trip to any intermediate paddlers who are interested in coming and possibly running an easier section: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/2346
There are also other nearby areas to paddle and we will probably be running at least one other local river either Saturday or Sunday depending on the levels.
If you are a novice kayaker and just want to come to experience the festivities (with possibilities of rafting/hiking/biking/etc, nearby) you may still sign up for this trip! If enough of you sign up we can try to coordinate a corollary trip.
The Cheat River Massacre-ence Downriver Race on Friday the 1st:
For advanced boaters only, this race is one of the largest mass-start downriver races in the country down a 10 mile section of the Canyon.
Link for more information and to pre-register for the race ($25 before, or $30 for the day of the race): http://cheatfest.org/activities-2/down-river-race/
Registration includes entrance to the fest, a t-Shirt, and free ~*beverages*~ after the race. The pre-race talk starts to 4:30pm on Friday so you’ll have to get there early!
Otherwise, tickets for general admission to the festival are sold online til April 25th for $15: http://cheatfest.org/tickets/ (or you can buy one the day of the festival for $20.)
CAMPING: We’ll most likely be staying at Teter’s Campground if we can secure a spot before it fills up, adjacent to the festival grounds and at the put-in. The campground includes hot showers and flush toilets! The cost will be $10 a night; lodging is not reimbursed by the club in the summer months.
TIMES: I cannot leave until Saturday morning, but we’ll likely have a crew going up for the race mid-morning Friday the 1st. Expect to return late Sunday. If you have a schedule conflict or preference, please indicate when signing up so we can coordinate drivers with similar plans!
FOOD: The club no longer reimburses for food, but if someone wants to coordinate meals then that’d be great. There is food at the festival grounds, the campsite, and a nearby gas station.
YOU PROVIDE:
Boat and gear, snacks/any food you want to pack for lunches or other meals, camping gear. I’m putting the cost at $35 for the $15 ticket plus $10 a night for camping, but this amount won’t actually get paid to me.
CLUB PROVIDES:
Any kayaking gear needed, including boats, let me know if you need anything when signing up. Camping gear as well. Gas $ for drivers up to $100 per vehicle.
DISCLAIMER/LEGAL:
I am NOT “leading” any river trips, I am only coordinating some transportation and logistics. YOU are responsible for your own safety and the activities you choose to participate in while on this trip. Additionally, all participants must have read and must agree to abide by the American Whitewater Safety Code http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/safety:start? for the duration of the trip.
All who participate on this trip agree to participate as “Common Adventurers”.