Gauley Fest!

So for once, I went on a trip sans camera and had a blast. The Gauley river in West-By-God, VA is infamous for its wild class V big water rapids. The Gauley dam is released in September and October for scheduled days, hence Gauley season commences and boaters from all over the place descend on WVA.
American Whitewater hosts a big party every year to celebrate Gauley season and raise money for whitewater access, rights, and awareness. This year I was lucky enough to get to paddle my 2 person raft down the Upper Gauley with Thug 1 (aka Julie Ross).
We dubbed my boat, The Little Red Bull as it tried to buck us off many times. After Pillow rapid (picture of us shown below), we finally reached a stated of paddling Zen and ran everything smoothly. If you ever have a change to get to the Gauley I highly recommend it.
Photo credit: www.leisuresportsphoto.com