Another Amazing Adventure in West Virginia

Another Amazing Adventure in West Virginia
Summersville & Lansing, West Virginia
October 17-19, 2014

Gauley Season in West Virginia is one of my favorite annual events.  In the late summer I started watching for discounts on websites like Groupon and LivingSocial and found a deal which included whitewater rafting the Lower Gauley and an adventure obstacle course.  As always, I made the most of the weekend by following country roads and taking in roadside scenic stops as I made my way into West Virginia.

My first attraction was the Big Muskey Bucket in McConnelsville, Ohio.  Although the sign says it is only 20-ish miles from the highway, I didn't know that it is along a 35mph winding country road- State Route 78.  Although it took me a while to get there, the autumn drive was just beautiful and I passed a bustling country flea market on my way.  When I got my first glimpse of the bucket (which is left of what was once the largest earth-moving machine in the world), I wasn't so much struck by the size of the bucket as I was the links in the chain which was attached- that was one giant chain.  To be fair, the bucket is big, too.  The area has views of the valley the equipment was once used to mine.  Although Ohio is not nearly as well known for mining as West Virginia, this area is Ohio’s memorial to mining, miners and the land on which it occurred. 

From there I took my time making my way into West Virginia, staying off the highway for the most part and following meandering mountain roads deeper into the state.  I made pit stops along the way enjoying the atmosphere of the little country store/gas station/community gathering spots I encountered. It was after dark when I pulled into Summersville and checked into the La Quinta. I had dinner at a Mexican place within walking distance and got to bed.

I’d chosen Bridge Day- a local festival held on the New River Gorge Bridge, which is closed for the day to allow rappelling and BASE jumping for the crowds enjoyment- for the date of my whitewater excursion.  Adventures on the Gorge is within view of the Bridge and was an amazing host for all the fun I had that weekend!  My rafting guide was fantastic, the other rafters were a fun bunch and the river on the last day of damn release was ruthless- I witnessed so much carnage!      

That night I met my friend Drew, who was passing through West Virginia on his way from Texas to Ohio, for dinner and drinks at a local spot, hit the hot tub to relax my muscles and fell asleep early.  The next morning Drew and I met up at TimberTrek Aerial Adventure Park for one of the highlights of the weekend- an obstacle course of bridges, swings and zip lines connecting platforms high in the trees.  Five options weave through the woods- I completed the yellow (Easy) course and two Green (Moderate) courses- my legs were shaking, I was sweating and at one point I fell but it was a blast and a half and I felt pretty accomplished to have made my way through.  Drew completed a yellow, green and blue (Advanced) which was quite impressive as the advanced course is about 50 feet in the air with some intense challenges.  I called everyone in my family as soon as I was finished to tell them of the awesome challenge I’d just completed and how I hope they can all do it one day! 

On the way home I stopped to take a few pictures at a scenic overlook and pulled off the highway at a small-town Custard Stand that boasted that they were what fast-food used to be. I concur- my chili cheese dog was delicious!  As always, my annual excursion to West Virginia proved to be a true adventure!

Rafting the Upper Gauley

Rafting the Upper Gauley
The Gauley River- West Virginia
Ace Adventure Resort
October 12, 2013

I've tried over and over to write this blog post but I cannot find the words to describe the experience.  Indescribable really, it all blurs together anyway.  The rapids just kept coming, dropping between jagged boulders and by the time we went over the 14’ waterfall, it really didn’t seem any scarier than anything else we’d done that day.  It is definitely the biggest, baddest water I’ve ever paddled.  Rafting the Upper Gauley is the most thrilling ride I’ve ever been on.  (I may elaborate on this later. :) 

 

Fires, Festivities and Final Warnings- Memorial Day Weekend 2013

Fires, Festivities and Final Warnings- Memorial Day Weekend 2013
Mohican Country
May 24-26, 2013

So, I met a group of people on Facebook with similar interests, activities and taste in music- we became fast friends!  When it was mentioned that they’d planned an entire weekend of camping out, drinking heavily and floating down the Mohican River, I was in! 

On Friday, Di and I loaded up the Vue with what looked like just about everything we owned and headed toward Mohican Country, near Loudonville, Ohio.  It was an easy drive and we pulled into the Mohican Reservation Campground in the early evening and set up camp.  Joanna and Troy arrived a little while later and we all settled into our spot, made a fire and ate some hot dogs.

We met up with the gang who had the sweetest campsite ever- right on the river- and the party was on!  I’d made a batch of Peach Pie Liqueur to share with the group.  I brought a bottle of tequila for myself.  Di had several bottles of wine.  There were pudding shots and other party treats.  We all settled back by the river to enjoy libations, a roaring campfire and homegrown music. 

Okay, so this group knows how to party and party we did!  So much so that campground security visited the site several times to tell us to pipe it down, stop playing the didgeridoo and hand drums, quit being so unruly.  Most of those times it was good natured with them saying ‘We want you all to have fun- we just can’t have you screaming ’99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall’ at 2:30 am- it is waaayyy past quiet time!’  We did however party ourselves into a final warning and they did seem pretty serious about it. 

It should not go without saying that it was damn cold that weekend- like lows in the 30s cold!  Damn, it was cold!  It was superhard to sleep in a tent what with all the coldness!  But, persevere we did.  We’re tough. 

We chilled for a great amount of Saturday, then decided to rent a raft and paddle an easy 9 miles down the Mohican, which runs through very scenic Ohio countryside.  A lot of other people were out on the river even though it was on the chilly side.  We floated past other campgrounds and waved at the people sitting along the banks of the river.  At one point, we ran into some of the gang kayaking along.  But, the highlight of this paddling adventure was when we ran aground in a shallow part of the river; Jo and I got out to wade our way off the sandbar.  Troy and Di stayed in the raft which quickly floated away from Joanna leaving her stranded in the middle of the river and plowing me right down.  That’s right- I was run over by a river raft!  

Later that afternoon we were busted yet again by campground security- this time for venturing into ‘Authorized Personnel Only’ territory in an attempt to find a secluded spot to chill for a bit.  Same story:  they wanted us to have fun but we could not be climbing, sitting on or otherwise anywhere near the giant pile of wood they have hidden behind the fence.  That’s cool!  We just headed back to the river spot and chilled with everyone back there for the rest of the night.  This evening we kept our shenanigans down to a dull roar and were only approached once, maybe twice by campground security. 

On Sunday morning we awoke, broke down camp and packed up- we were headed for a Loobypham fave- the Utica Old Fashioned Ice Cream Festival in Utica, Ohio.   We usually drive right through Mohican Country on our way to the annual event so our location was very convenient and we enjoyed a quick country drive and were soon at the festival. 

Not one to miss a shopportunity, I quickly made my way to the vender tent I’d seen before even pulling into the parking lot- the tent selling hippie dresses!  LOVE me some hippie dresses!  We made our way around the rest of the festival, checking out classic cars, watching a helicopter arrive, cheering for the toddler tractor-pulling, enjoying huge scoops of ice cream and looking at every tie-dyed hippied out piece of clothing I could get my hands on.  I walked out of there with not one but two hippie dresses.  Di and I enjoyed a leisurely drive back home to rest and recover from our crazy Memorial Day weekend.

Solo Getaway- Whitewater Rafting Weekend

Solo Getaway- Whitewater Rafting Weekend
Oak Hill, West Virginia
October 7-9, 2011

I just knew that I was going to win as soon as I entered the contest. When Ace Adventure Resorts announced a contest to win a free whitewater rafting trip during Gauley Season just by posting your best ‘Warrior Face’ picture on their Facebook page, I knew exactly which pic to enter. When J first saw the picture- one I’d taken in my Warrior Helmet after the Logan, Ohio Warrior Dash- he told me that it was so scary that I should delete it. But I knew it would come in handy should I ever need to intimidate someone or to win a Warrior Face contest or something. A few days later I heard I was their very first winner of a free Gauley trip- what a huge score!

I decided to make it a solo trip combining my annual three-day Algonquin Mill weekend with the West Virginia whitewater adventure. The weekend started as usual on Friday morning- Jo and I stopped for breakfast, for a little antique shopping and then onto the Annual Algonquin Mill Festival for a few hours. From there, we split up with Jo heading east toward Pittsburgh for a Women’s Retreat while I drove south toward West Virginia. Autumn in the country is spectacular and the drive from rural Ohio into rural West Virginia was full of vivid color and stunning views. I checked into a comfortable room at the Holiday Lodge in Oak Hill, West Virginia, very near Ace Adventure Resort. Unfortunately, I was coming down with a killer cold and decided to stay in my room, order a club sandwich from the hotel restaurant Dory’s Grill, dose up on cold medications and get to bed.

The next morning I got to Ace Adventure Resort early so that I could enjoy their breakfast buffet and fuel up for the day ahead. After enjoying bacon, bagels, fresh fruit, and juice I walked up to the big top and checked in for the trip. We went through the safety stuff, talked about clothing, got our equipment and filled the bus. Ugh, the bus- this hour-long ride was the only bad part of the entire trip. I was still feeling under the weather, getting hot in my gear and becoming more and more regretful of eating anything at all that morning as the bus went careened down narrow and twisting mountain passes.
Every fall monitored water releases from the Summersville Dam gush into the Gauley River turning it into a huge whitewater adventure. The weather was perfect for my fall excursion down the lower portion of the rushing Gauley River. While the air temperature was in the low 70’s, the water temp was a crisp 55°F. I wore synthetic fabrics under a neoprene wetsuit and rain jacket and was comfortable all day.

Our guide, Jim, seemed laid back but commanded authority of the boat. I really liked Jim’s guiding style- he’d talk us through each maneuver, yell encouragement the whole time and extol us when we succeeded. The motto of our boat became ‘Nice and easy- like walking the dog.’ He whipped us into shape in no time which is a good thing- the rapids started almost as soon as we put our boat in the water. It is hard to put into words the exhilaration one feels bouncing and splashing through Class V rapids like the Upper and Lower M.A.S.H. or Pure Screaming Hell. What I can say is that it lived up to the expectations that I held for a wild and crazy whitewater ride- huge boulders, crashing waves and lots of screaming along the way. I cannot thank Ace Adventure Resort enough for the amazing time I had on the Lower Gauley River.
Not one to miss a shopportunity, I spent the time between our return to base camp and the premiere of our very own whitewater rafting trip video browsing the Ace Adventure Resort Gift Shop for a T-shirt declaring I had conquered the Lower Gauley, stickers for my kayak and a postcard for my collection. After viewing the hysterical video done by Rob, the same kayaking video guy that recorded our previous adventure, I thanked Jim again for all the fun, traded info with a girl in the boat so that we could share pics (although mine turned out to be less than awesome- waterproof camera fail) and headed back to my hotel to relax in the hot tub for a little bit.

That evening I enjoyed a pizza from ‘Pies & Pints’ in Fayetteville, WV, about a 10 minute drive from my hotel. I ordered ahead and drove to pick it up- when I arrived the place was so busy I had to wait at least ten minutes before I even made it to the counter to pay for my pizza. I ran into a few people from another boat in our rafting group and chatted with two recent Ohio State grads that were taking on the Upper Gauley the next morning. The pizza was worth the wait! I ordered a small Grape Pie ($11) with red grapes, gorgonzola cheese and fresh rosemary and it was scrumptious! I spent the rest of my evening drinking wine, eating pizza and watching the Ohio State/Nebraska game (which started off great and ended in crushing defeat).

I woke up early on Sunday morning and watched the sun rise from my hotel room window. I had one last activity I wanted to do before leaving the area. Just a few miles up US Route 19 in Fayetteville is the New River Gorge Bridge, one of the world’s longest arch bridges. A winding stairway down into the Gorge offers breathtaking bridge views from a few overlook points. I arrived in the morning when fog still hung in the valley under the bridge but by the time I was preparing to hike the approximately 150 steps back up to the parking lot the fog had lifted revealing even more magnificent vistas. Fall colors were also vibrantly displayed on trees throughout the area making my drive home just a slightly longer Sunday drive through the countryside.

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!