People sometimes ask me what a fishing guide does on his days off. The easy answer is ‘go fishing’ but from time to time I do like to mix it up. I spent the weekend outside Fayetteville, WVA with six friends and Monday we floated the famous Upper Gauley River.
(I’m the one in the back left with the blue jacket.) I don’t really see myself as an adrenaline junkie but it’s days like this that certainly remind you that you are alive. We floated with River Expeditions, the seven of us and the guide in the boat. The river was running at 2,500 cfs, an ideal level to make enjoy the class V rapids we were told.
There was lots of carnage. We were the lead boat and our guide was the trip leader. I don’t know if he chose the role for us knowing that he had a boat full of firefighters and paramedics but we ended up rescuing swimmers and plucking them out of the 50 degree water. We managed to escape any real carnage but did swim two people briefly, me being one of them.
I look forward to getting back on the Gauley. Thanks to River Expeditions and my companions for a great experience.
