Group Getaway- Whitewater Rafting Weekend

Group Getaway- Whitewater Rafting Weekend
Minden, WV
August 12-14, 2011

You know what’s cool? When a Groupon for a rafting package comes up the day after I had just mentioned to the gang that it might be fun to try whitewater rafting. I took it as a sign and forwarded the Groupon to all of my friends. They were in- the deal was on!We had assembled quite a group for the trip- Joanna, Diana, Janet, Jean, her boyfriend Bob, Megan, her boyfriend Neil and his friend Zak and I all met at Megan’s and started packing up the vehicles. Thank goodness for Bob’s truck! Even when we try to pack lightly, we still end up with at least three times our weight in clothing, gear and snacks.

We were on the road by the early afternoon, following Interstate 77 South. As we crossed over the Ohio River into West Virginia, we decided to stop and relax under the bridge and take in the river scenery before heading into the mountains of WV. We followed I-77 South through Charleston to WV-612 to US-19 North to WV-16 to Minden. Minden Road, a narrow road that just about becomes one lane at points, twists and turns through the small town and up a hill to the ACE Adventure Resort, a deluxe campground that offers all sorts of recreational activities ranging from a lake full of inflatable toys and a life-sized chess set to mountain biking and whitewater kayaking. ACE has a very casual, laid back atmosphere where merriment is encouraged and we met many unique and interesting individuals during our stay.

Included in the Groupon package was two nights of primitive camping but we opted to upgrade to Cozy Cabins which include sleeping for five, air conditioning, a large back porch and a hot tub. We were able to reserve two cabins right next to each other with a large area and a fire ring between. The couples stayed in one cabin, the single girls stayed in another- Zak slept in a hammock by the fire.As always, we go way overboard when it comes to eating at any of our group outings. We all decided to bring something and ended up with a dish of stuffed shells, grilled bratwurst, Asian slaw, a pan of peanut butter bars, several bags of pretzels, chips and popcorn and an assortment of candy bars. After enjoying a feast we relaxed by the fire before heading to bed.

The next morning we rose at 6: am in anticipation of our big trip. Breakfast was included in the Groupon package and it was tasty. We were blown away by the selection. The buffet included eggs, biscuits, croissants, sausage, bacon, gravy, fresh fruit, French toast and many other items I can’t recall. After carbing up for our exciting day, we headed up to the big top tent to check in for our whitewater rafting adventure.We were briefed on the basics of whitewater rafting using hilarious terms like ‘dork dots’ (the indentations left on one’s forehead if their helmet is on backward) and ‘raft ass’ (the rash the develops on one’s bum as it rubs against the rubber raft all day). We were now ready to take on the New River Gorge with North American River Runners! Our guide, Archy, a totally awesome former military man, made me instantly feel safe. We went through all the motions before heading out into the river. The first rapids we reached were mild but we still cheered as we bounced through the rocky pass. On another set of rapids, Archy encouraged us to get out and swim. I think this was a great strategy in making us feel comfortable being in the rushing water. Soon, we were facing bigger rapids with larger obstacles that required more maneuvering. It was exhilarating! Halfway through the trip we pulled over to a sandy beach, rolled a raft over and made a picnic buffet. The lunch was pretty scrumptious- sandwiches, pasta salad, hummus and pita- all sorts of deliciousness. We spent some time chilling with other boaters, crawling around on the large rocks that line the river or swimming. After lunch we continued down the river to face bigger rapids with names like Dudley’s Dip, Double Z and Greyhound Bus Stopper. Each set offered a different challenge but Archy guided us through safely. One stop on the ride was ‘Jumping Rock’, which is exactly what it sounds like. Joanna, Janet, Neil and Zak all took up the challenge and jumped off the 30’ drop.

At one point, Archy told us to jump out of the boat, form a chain and let the water carry us between a group of rocks called ‘Thread the Needle’. He assured us that even though it looks like we’re going to slam into the boulders, if we stick together in chain formation, we’ll slide right through. I was the leader and he was right- it DID look like we were going to splat against the giant rock. Joanna was behind me chanting ‘We won’t hit, we won’t hit’ as we got closer and closer to running into the jagged edge of stone. But, just inches away from the rock face, the current caught us and slid us through the rocks. We’d just threaded the needle! The entire whitewater rafting experience was thrilling and we got to relive it all over again by watching a video captured by a kayaking cameraman named Rob that followed along documenting the events of the day. It was hysterical. Rob captured several of the funniest moments in our group including a group of Girl Scouts singing ‘Rock the boat, but don’t tip it over.’ Believe me, that song sticks in your head for days. Not to mention a particularly fun song that I gather is about a dog named after a bean that goes ‘Where oh where has jelly been? Where oh where has green been? Where or where has garbanzo been?’ That’s another song that will never leave my mind. Anyway...We were starved by the time dinner rolled around. You can imagine our glee when we walked into the dining hall for our Groupon-included dinner and found an oyster bar, clam & mussel bake, barbequed ribs, a roasted pig, carved brisket, sides, veggies and desserts. They really outdo themselves when it comes to delicious food at ACE Adventure Report.

After dinner Joanna, Megan and I decided to play on the lake inflatables and jump around on the water trampoline. Apparently, I am not as agile as an 11 year old- after the trampoline, I attempted to crawl up on an inflatable but fell right off. I was able to get up on something I called the AstroSlide, a super slippery runway leading to steps you have to pull yourself up only to slide down the other side and into the water- total blast! After a few trips down the slide and after giving up attempting to pull myself up onto a giant inflated iceberg, we decided to head back to the cabin, relax in the hot tub, and sit by the fire with some drinks. Some of the gang headed up to the bar to listen to the live blues band- I never made it.This is where things get a little hazy. What started with a bottle of wine, a bucket full of frozen mango margaritas and some super sweet, extraordinarily spiked herbal tea ended with me being helped back to the cabin to sleep it off. I declared the day to be ‘The Most Extreme Day of my Life!’

The next morning we woke up early, packed up the vehicles and browsed the gift shop before heading home. On the way we stopped at ‘Shoney’s’, which was featuring a breakfast and dinner buffet- yum! We piled our plates with biscuits and gravy, bacon, pancakes, turkey stuffing, macaroni & cheese and dinner rolls. We were all tired and sore but had the time of our lives. On the ride home we discussed returning for a week, trying more activities, rafting the harder Gauley River, doing the Bridge Walk or a jet boat tour and experiencing more of what that area of West Virginia has to offer. We had a truly crazy time- West Virginia really is wild and wonderful!