Nrge Beginner to Intermediate White Water Kayaking – the New River from Thurmond to Cunard

OVERVIEW

The following adventure is part of the New River Gorge Extravaganza (NRGE). For more info about the Extravaganza scroll down. There will be more NRGE adventures posted soon. Stay tuned…

GENERAL INFO ABOUT THIS TRIP:
The section of the New River above the gorge is a 7 mile stretch from Thurmond to Cunard, WV and has 5 class 2 rapids separated by a bit of calm water and ends with the famous class 3, “Surprise” rapid. This is a great place for beginners-intermediates to get an intro to big water, and work on river skills like reading rapids, ferrying, eddy hopping, and combat rolling. This stretch also serves as a warm-up for intermediates who want to step up their game and run the gorge (more info below).
For more info about this river section check out:
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/4119/

GENERAL ITINERARY:
Get to the campsite Friday afternoon/eve, set up camp, get a campfire rolling, eat, drink, and be merry. Rise with the sun on Saturday, eat a hearty breakfast (I might do camp food, or possibly hit the Cathedral Cafe – the best pre-adventure meal experience ever!), pack a lunch and our gear, then set shuttle (drop cars at put-in and take-out). We’ll put-in at Thurmond as early as possible and paddle to Cunard where the beginner types will take-out and shuttle back to the put-in to pick up the other vehicle(s) and then shuttle to Fayette Station, the take-out for the lower section and where the intermediate-advanced crew amongst us will end (which I might set up as a separate trip). We’ll be on the water for several hours so please be sure to bring plenty of food and water.

PRIOR EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY. You must have taken the intro to kayaking class with me or have similar experience to go on this trip. Since I will have to screen your qualifications your name will get added to the waitlist upon signing up, and then moved to the trip list if appropriate. Also, I will need at least 1 driver to make this work so will give priority to folks with wheels who are willing to be carpool drivers.

DISCLAIMER:
I am NOT “leading” on this river, I am only coordinating some logistics and transportation to the rivers. I will provide advice about each rapid and you are welcome to follow me, however, you are responsible for your own safety and the activities you choose to participate in while on this trip, and you agree to have read, and will abide by, the American Whitewater Safety Code http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/safety:start?
Those with the appropriate skills may join as “Common Adventurers”

FOOD:
**New policy this year: The club does not pay for food on trips (except on “service trips”).** Therefor, you will need to provide your own. I’m used to bringing bagels, sandwich fillers, fruit, and granola bars for people on my river trips so will give you the option of paying $5 for lunch and I will pick up the above items. As for dinners,
I do not plan to do any cooking but the club administration might provide dinner food for Saturday night. I’ll let you know if that is going to happen. For Friday and Sunday (and maybe Saturday) dinners you should plan to eat on the road, go to a restaurant near where we are camping (limited choices) or bring your own food. The same goes for breakfasts. I’ll offer some suggestions in a future email.

CAMPING:
We’ll be staying at Ray’s Campground: http://www.rayscampground.com/

There is plenty of space, bathrooms/showers, firewood to purchase, and good people. For directions you can follow the link above or the “adventure destination” link posted with this adventure.

The club will cover your camp fee ($9.00 per person per night).

FEES:
For now I am putting down $15 as a trip fee to make sure everything gets covered (you may have additional fees depending on the potential separate adventure you might choose). Your trip fee goes toward ga$ (the club covers up to $150; we might go over that with big SUVs hauling lots of boats, gear, and peeps) and $5 toward food (your fee might be $10 if you provide your own lunch on Saturday). This adventure fee may change due to the number of drivers and vehicle types. It might end up being just $5 for lunch (optional); it won’t be more than $10.

DEPARTURE TIME:
For now I am setting 3pm as a tentative departure time from Echols. The departure time, as other trip details, may change as the date draws near. I will let you know well in advance of the trip.

THE CLUB PROVIDES: boats, spray skirts, paddles, pfds, helmets, noseplugs, drybags, float bags (limited quantities), neoprene booties, paddle jackets (limited sizes/quantities), boat transportation, shuttle ride, camping gear (limited), camping fee, most ga$, and possibly dinner Saturday night.

YOU SHOULD BRING: swimwear, footwear that can get wet (though the club has an ample supply of neoprene booties), towel, sunblock, food/snacks, water, your boat and gear if you have it, camping gear (if you have it), clothes (prep for cool nights and mornings; non-cotton layers for the river), a way to entertain yourself for when you are not paddling, flashlight, toiletries, money

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About the NRGE:

WHAT IS THE NEW RIVER GORGE EXTRAVAGANZA?

The New River Gorge Extravaganza (NRGE) is a choose-your-own-adventure megatrip that the club puts on in the fall to one of the best outdoor recreation destinations in the nation, perhaps world, and is only 3 hours from C’ville. The New River itself is 1 of 10 National Wild and Scenic Rivers in the US, and the gorge and surrounding area (including the Gauley River/Summersville area) hosts excellent white water kayaking for all levels, rafting, mountain and road biking, rock climbing, hiking/backpacking, and caving. Due to the outdoor rec opportunities and natural beauty, this area of West Virginia is also very popular for tourism. The club makes various trips to the NRG area each year but the goal of the extravaganza is to bring all of the club’s popular genres/activities and people together for 1 amazing weekend.

WHEN?

The weekend of 10/3-10/5. The departures will most likely be from Echols at various times on Friday, the 3rd. In their trip descriptions the trip leaders should indicate what day/time their adventure(s) will depart from the campsite. You might end up only doing one activity during the weekend, which will give you a day to explore or hang out at the campsite.