More Information on Trip #15: Premier Middle & Lower Gauley
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“Wild and Scenic Rafting…and Class V Too”
Unfortunately, lots of folks come to West Virginia to run the Upper Gauley and never look downstream and wonder: “what’s around the bend?” It’s the Lower Gauley, and it’s definitely worth your while to check it out. The Upper Gauley is rated in the World’s Top Ten of whitewater rivers…and justly so. But those of us who regularly run the Lower Gauley, too will promise you that the Lower Gauley outshines other Eastern rivers. It’s not as dangerous, and those waves trains are fun!
With its sheer cliffs and rhododendron-lined banks, the Lower is certainly West Virginia’s most beautiful whitewater run. But it’s more than just a pretty face. The Lower Gauley is a big Class IV-V run and truly worthy of the river’s legendary name.
We call this trip, rafting’s finest Lower Gauley adventure, the “Premier Middle and Lower Gauley Trip.” The unusual name comes from the fact that we include the last few rapids of the Upper section as part of our Lower Gauley trip. That’s the “Middle Gauley,” and it’s a great section that includes Wood’s Ferry rapid…one of the Upper Gauley’s best. We can run this longer trip because we’ve invested in a private take-out right below the last major rapid on the Lower Gauley…Pure Screaming Hell.
If you run with any other outfitter, your Lower Gauley trip will end with 3-1/2 miles of slow moving flatwater. No fun at all and a definite anticlimax at the end of the day. The 1-1/2 hours of boring flatwater paddling that we avoid gives us the time to run the Middle Gauley section as part of this trip. This is a great trade, a very big deal and something you can only get at ACE.
The Middle and Lower Gauley trip lasts about 5-6 hours on the water and includes a stop for lunch. Like the Upper Gauley, our Lower Gauley trips eat hot, grilled lunches at our own private lunch stop. That’s hot grilled burgers, chicken and tuna steaks instead of cold sandwiches. That’s picnic tables instead of rocks or sand to sit on. That’s a covered dining area instead of eating lunch in the rain. That’s a warm fire to warm you up on those chilly days at the end of Gauley season. That’s private sanitary facilities instead of trees and bushes. At ACE, we’ve invested quite a bit to make your Lower Gauley trip special.
Don’t short-change yourself. On your next Gauley season visit, check out the Lower Gauley. There's as many rapids as the Upper, just not as serious. |
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