Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407150047
SECTION: TRAVEL PAGE: F-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SU CLAUSON-WICKER CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: HICO, W.VA. LENGTH: Long
It always seems so much cooler there.
Of course, the river itself is a 900-foot drop from the New River Bridge and the rocky terrain surrounding it. And the New River water surges icy cold and deep as it's released from the bottom of the Bluestone Lake dam. And, after all, the New does flow north, not south like most rivers.
So when my New England nieces begin to wilt on their annual visit during Virginia's humid summer doldrums, I'll pack them up for a water adventure in our wild and wonderful neighboring state. At 9 and 11, they're too young for the raft-bashing Class V rapids I've experienced on the lower New River Gorge (minimum age 12), but still game for some excitement.
Mountain River Tours guide and marketing director Joe Stevens recommends several alternatives for taking children on the river: individual rubber kayaks called "duckies," rafting the gentle upper New, or getting a taste of whitewater rafting on a few of the milder rapids of the "Sampler" tour of the lower New. "Rafting is a real family bonding activity," he says.
At the 20 or so Fayette County, W.Va., rafting companies, the day begins pretty much the same way - early, with a continental breakfast, and a lurching bus trip to the put-in point. After gearing up in life jackets, helmets and - depending upon the weather - wet suits, we select our paddles. Duckie riders get lessons in turning, paddling and maneuvering through the current. Children as young as seven master the essentials quickly. Rafters just jump in the boat with their guide and push off.
Upper New rapids, easy Class l-ll, are interspersed with quiet pools for resting and floating. Stevens encourages children to swim here so they can experience the current in non-threatening situations. Upper rapids are named after landmarks, "Silos," "Tunnel" and " White House." Those on the lower New and Gauley suggest imminent disaster - "Greyhound Bus Stopper" and "Heaven Help You."
According to Stevens, the adult raft trip down the lower New River Gorge is more thrills per minute than the Colorado River. The Colorado admittedly has some big drops, but not as many so close together. The family or "Sampler" version of the lower New is three respectable Class lll rapids, interspersed with lots of riffles. Children love to take a break by plunging into the water from two-story "Jump Rock."
At either section of scenic backcountry, you can spot egrets, herons, kingfishers, and occasionally peregrine falcons, bobcats and mink. Through the trees, you get glimpses of the remnants of the old mining towns that lined the gorge. It's hard to believe that less than a century ago these banks were totally denuded to build the boom towns. Nature seems back in charge, now that the gorge has been designated a national park.
Most raft expeditions include a picnic lunch nutritionally designed to give you maximum energy and minimum crabbiness. Complex carbohydrates in the form of pasta salads, bean salads, marinated mushrooms, fresh whole-grain breads, exotic fruits, meats, cheeses and a variety of other foods give you time released energy spurts to take on those rapids. Desserts often include the likes of coconut pudding, oatmeal cookies or peanut butter pie.
If you'd like to savor the gorge's cooler weather for another day or two, outfitters also offer "Pedal/Paddle" and "Paddle/Saddle" packages. A&J Riding Stables takes guests for whole and half-day rides through New and Gauley River canyons, across abandoned mines, and up laurel-covered ridges. Children are delighted by the Penningtons' miniature horse, "Little Man," who likes to run along ahead like a dog.
Ridge Rider Mountain bikes of Fayetteville rents top-of-the-line mountain bikes, some even with shocks, to riders of all sizes. Guides instruct you on how to click through the 21 gears, how to brake and how to stop. Then you're off for adventure. Their full-day tour spans the length of the New River Gorge; half day tours end with lunch at the mining community of Cunard. Near the trail head, you can explore the historic Kaymoor Mine complex, where you can cool yourself in the brisk air the mine exhales through its shaft. From this vantage point, you can watch rafters negotiating some of the trickier rapids on the lower New.
For a small community, Fayette County offers a surprising variety of lodging alternatives. You can camp at the grounds of many of the rafting outfits, rent a cabin, lodge at Hawks Nest State Park (304-658-5196), get a motel room, or stay in one of several bed and breakfasts. Dogwood Ridge Farms, (304-658-4396), located within walking distance of several fitters, accommodates well-behaved children in suites or a three bedroom guest house. The inn has a good supply of board games or you can go looking for coal on meadow trails.
The New River Gorge is about 15 minutes north of Beckley, W.Va., on Rt. 19. Beckley is located on Interstates 77 and 64, about an hour and a half northwest of Blacksburg or about 21/2 hours from Roanoke. For more information about rafting, contact Mountain River Tours at 800-822-1FUN or call 800-879-7483 and ask for rivers.
by CNB