After two years of waiting, we finally finished what we set out to do: we have conquered the Gauley River! This weekend, eight of us braved the elements to do the Upper and Lower Gauley Marathon, a 23-mile trip down some of the best whitewater rapids in the world. I'm not kidding about the elements: the high temperature on Saturday was 44°F and the water was a warm 52°F. But somehow, we survived, and we kicked butt on the river, if I do say so myself.
Of course, this is mostly because we had the greatest river guide of all time, Jeff. This is his 20th year as a guide on the Gauley River, and he happens to train all of the new guides every year. Basically, he knows everything about every rapid at every water level. We had an extremely unique experience because the day we went, the Army Corps of Engineers was releasing 3200ft³/s of water, while the typical release level is 2400 to 2800ft³/s. Needless to say, we were in for the ride of our lives.
The most exciting weekend of my life is winding down, and I think I'm ready for a nice, long sleep in my own comfy bed. I'll see you on the flip side, trailblazers!
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