The day of the raft guide starts the night before, as the last thing we all do is check the schedule before we go to bed.
The reasoning for this our river trips can change in an instant. Working for ACE, the largest outdoor resort in West Virginia, trips consistently change, depending on the guests' needs. This task is left up to the 3 Managers on Duty (M.O.D) in charge of scheduling the tens of thousands of guests who visit ACE each year.
For a guide, the day starts long before those guests show up.
With Gauley Season here, there is an excitement in the air at ACE Adventure Resort. While we guides thrive on and enjoy any chance to get on the water, we relish the opportunity to run the premier stretch of white water on the East Coast for 22 dam-released days, known as Gauley Season.
The Gauley River is regarded as a Top 10 river world-wide, and ACE has been taking people down for more than 30 years.
ACE treats Gauley Season like no other outfitter in the area, and it can be easily seen in the experience provided to our guests. With extras that include:
Being a raft guide sure has its perks. While many people may have a picture of the New River Gorge in their cubicle or office, I’m blessed to be able to play in it everyday — and share it with great people like yourselves.
My name is Matt, and I am a second year guide with ACE.
Before coming to ACE and West Virginia in 2008, I was determined to work in the sports industry for my hometown team the Portland Trailblazers.
I have a degree from the University of Oregon in Sports Business, and have worked for multiple professional sports teams. While they were all great experiences, something was missing — and it was the river.
