The Upper Gauley

Last night, while watching a movie I really shouldn't have been watching, MO and I discussed the possibility of an adventure trip this summer to West Virginia. While West Virginia itself conjures old people with straw in their mouths on rocking chairs, moonshine, rickety guns, and meth zombies for me, it is also home to the best Class V rapids on the East coast. The Gauley River runs through the state of West Virginia, and is classified as Upper and Lower, based on a couple of factors, but the one that matters to me and MO is the rapids classification. The Upper Gauley is about 10 miles of more difficult water (IV and V), whereas the Lower Gauley is about 11 miles of easier II and III.

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Now, anyone who knows me and MO in real life, knows that we are both a bit obsessed with adventure sports. And they also know that we are more than slightly preoccupied with a movie called "The Descent." "The Descent" takes place in a National Park in West Virginia; we are already squealing about how we are going to act out scenes from the movie.

We've been climbing a lot more frequently this year than in years past, and we're working on getting qualified to take a lead climbing course. I do not know if we've decided to go caving and climbing while we're in WV, but I wouldnt be surprised if we do.

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So, this is exciting. I love beaches and all, but I think this might be the highlight of the summer. Here's hoping we can get our friends together for an adventure!
*Photos arent mine; not trying to pass them off as mine, or profit from them. Google images, ladies and gentlemen-- not mine.