Rinse Cycle: Kayaker on West Virginia's Cheat River (Jeff Cricco/courtesy, West Virginia Tourism)
Professional kayakers B.J. and Katie Johnson call it home. So do pros like
Jimmy Blakeney and Dave Garringer, not to mention a large crop of up-and-coming paddling stars. Fayetteville, West Virginia, may have once attracted coal miners, but now it's the bounty of whitewater here—and we mean bounty—that provides fuel for a different kind of alternative energy: the zap of an adrenaline rush.
Located about 300 miles west of Washington, D.C., Fayetteville is
world-renowned for the best, most consistent playboating on the planet. The profusion of rivers and creeks says it all—the Lower New River, Upper Gauley, Lower Gauley, Lower Meadow River, Cranberry River, Cherry River, Mann's Creek, Laurel Creek, Mill Creek, Keeney's Creek, Wolf Creek. And those are all right around town. Load the boats on the car for a short drive and you've got the Cheat, the Tygart, and the Upper Youghiogheny, or Upper "Yock" to locals, within striking distance. And, unlike many rivers out west that feature patches of rapids followed by long flat stretches, the rivers that course through the tight hollows and gorges of the Appalachians are relentless in their ability to jostle. As Outside magazine wrote in its multisport profile of the state, "Quick Fix," West Virginia's "collection of waterways remains the true Mecca for hardcore whitewater action."
Don't fool yourself though. These rivers are serious business, the big-wall
mountains of whitewater. If you're a diehard boater, then you know about
the undercut rocks, the sieves, and the myriad ways these rivers can kill.
Not to say that beginners should stay away. But be smart and go with a
guide. Take a lesson. Learn to read the hazards before you find yourself
irrevocably stuck in one. Fayetteville-based outfitter Passages to Adventure (800-634-3785, www.passagestoadventure.com)
offers three-day instructional kayak courses designed to get you safely
navigating Class III whitewater. They'll provide
the equipment, such as life jackets, helmets, kayaks, paddles, and spray
skirts, as well as give you four nights of camping and most meals, for about
$220.
Once you're ready to go, there's no shortage of places to hit. Releases from
the Summersville Dam, beginning each Labor Day weekend (and for the six subsequent weekends), can pump a couple of thousand cubic feet of water per
second into the Upper Gauley to create Class III to V rapids. Translation:
You might be calling a dentist after this ride; rapids like Iron Ring will
jar your fillings loose, while others like Sweet Falls will have you and
your dentures praising the wonderful sticking power of Fixodent. If rattling your brain isn't on the cards for that day, hit the Lower Gauley, which isn't quite so "vicious," as one friend notes. There you'll find Class III rapids as well as one of the most fun—and oft-overlooked—standing waves for surfing: Diagonal Ledges. Located on the Lower Gauley near another rapid called Lower Mash, you'll find a series of glassy waves ripe for ripping. One of them is reportedly big enough to hold some 20 boaters at once. Meanwhile, the New is a classic for rafting trips, where you'll find some great Class II to IV, even V, as the river twists and turns under sheer cliffs.
ACE Adventure Center (888-223-7238, www.aceraft.com) runs trips on the New and offers lessons for those yet to get really wet. Wildwater Rafting (800-982-7238,
www.wvaraft.com) bills itself as the
original outfitter in these parts, and it's true that many a guide has passed through its
ranks. The company runs trips on the New and Gauley, as well as offers
adventure packages combining mountain biking and climbing. And why shouldn't they? Alternative energy isn't limited
to the rivers.
For a profile of whitewater rafting options on the New and Gauley rivers, CLICK HERE.
Fayetteville, West Virginia | 
