Gauley Fest Weekend Trips

Raymond · Post by **Raymond** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:08 pm

Thanks again to Dave Kessmann for reserving the Burnwood campsite and coordinating the NRG trip and shuttle. Thanks to Dave Lewis for coordinating the upper New trip and helping coordinate shuttle with Kessmann.

Although we didn't have the excitement of a helicopter landing this year; it was good to see folks in camp, and I enjoyed the barbeque provided by Guy on Saturday before heading to the festival.

Saturday's New River trip was fun; the river was uncrowded, with a good flow for September. Our group's first timer, Lorraine Burnham, had a swim-less day, with a flip and roll in Stripper. We had a few swims, a canoeist at Lower Keeney and a duckie that surfed at Lollygag for quite a while before the occupant decided to flip and swim out. Also, the raft guided by Dave Stockdill lost at least one person while surfing. But there was no serious carnage, and everyone had good lines.

We put on about 11:45 and took off at 3:15.

I heard good things about the Upper New trip as well.

On Sunday, I led a small group down the Glade Creek section, which was fun. We spent over 25 minutes playing at the big side surfing spot on river left.

guy66 · Post by **guy66** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:30 am

Raymond wrote: and I enjoyed the barbeque provided by Guy on Saturday before heading to the festival.

You are welcome*!!

And a big thanks to KessmanN and all the other great helpers that made for a great weekend. I'm pretty sure, fun was had by all!!!!!!!!!

*The barbeque was actually provided by Buz and Ned's Real Barbeque, the official barbeque of the Corn Youth Alliance

Dave K · Post by **Dave K** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:02 pm

Thanks but, really, it was a success only because there were several people who said they would help out and then really came through with some clutch performances.

Ken Dubel, Guy, and Dave Lewis come to mind for sure but there were many others as well. I really appreciate all of the help I got from everyone over the weekend and am just grateful that a bunch of folks came up. Special thanks to Guy and Karla Sue and JoAnn for the rides up and back.

I think we had 18 folks on the Lower Gauley Friday, 26 on the New River Gorge Saturday, and nothging short of an all star P-R-O crew of 5 + Swimmer Greg on the Upper Gauley Sunday. Highlights for me were getting to bro down with Scooter for a little while Sunday morning and getting preferred seating at Pies and Pints based on reputation alone!

We’ll do it again next year for sure. If you can’t wait, there’s always the Webster Springs Creeking trip the first full weekend of April and Cheat Fest the first full weekend in May up at the Triple K Ranch.

JimmyT · Post by **JimmyT** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:12 pm

Thanks to the Sunday crew that took me down the New River Gorge for my first time. And a huge thanks to Ken Dubel for showing me all the lines, I credit you for my clean run! It was good to meet everybody and I hope to get back on the gorge again soon. Jimmy Thomas

Dave Lewis · Post by **Dave Lewis** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:06 pm

On Sat. we had a great trip on the Upper New. Water was low but rapids were good. Total of 16 people. 2 open boats. 1 inflatable and 12 kayaks. Since no one swam, then I have to make the report.

On Sunday I took a small group up river to Glade Creek and we boated down to Grandview Sand Bar. Not a long trip, but a lot of fun. Enjoyed meeting everyone this weekend and hope to do something like this in the future.

Dave K's super shuttle plan worked very well. I too would like to thank him for reserving the campground and coming up with the shuttle idea.

bambam · Post by **bambam** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:32 am

I had a great weekend too, big thanks to "Mr. Kessmann". (A la Hazmat's kids. Everyone else is Mr. Ken, Miss Joanne, ... , but it's Mr. Kessmann.)

Oh, and speaking of Hazmat, thanks for the spooge sandwiches at breakfast!

JimmyT and Lorraine were great 1st timers. Wasn't Luke a 1st timer too on Saturday and a grizzled veteran by Sunday?

In the odd animal behavior department, (aside from that around the campfire), friends saw a squirrel swimming across the upper Gauley on Friday. Regrets, it didn't make it. That may have been the carcass we saw on the lower? I've never seen a squirrel go near the water. On the drive out a squirrel dropped out of the sky in front of my car, a near miss. No trees nearby -- I can't explain where it came from.

A shout out to Max Kinker. Dude, I admire your enthusiasm. (Max tried to catch Greg Velzy's raft by swimming after it on the NRG.)

All good fun.

Ken Dubel

mmwaterholics · Post by **mmwaterholics** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:27 am

We would like to thank Julie, our contact person, and Dave Lewis, for getting us down the "Upper New" safely. We enjoyed meeting everyone on Saturday and Sunday. A special thanks to Dave and Odell for thier guidance while on the river. This was our first "Gauley Fest" and will not be our last

Another thank you goes out to the shuttle coordinator! It worked out well. We would like to paddle with this group again. Hope everyone made it home safely and in time to watch the Cowboys lose thier first game in thier little staidum

Raymond · Post by **Raymond** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:17 pm

bambam wrote:
I've never seen a squirrel go near the water.

Ken Dubel

Ken,

Check out the Water Skiing Squirrels. Maybe someone could teach one to kayak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xxKwesCKJk

http://www.skiingsquirrel.com/gallery.htm

Sam P · Post by **Sam P** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:24 pm

Yo, glad everyone down at Burnwood had fun this year. I camped at the fest with some of my buddies from school and ran the Upper G on Saturday. It was awesome.

paddle_luke · Post by **paddle_luke** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 4:44 pm

I too had a great 1st experience with my maiden voyage of Gauley fest. blast of a first run on sat down the new river gorge (with a huge shout out to dave k for putting it together and leading me down) with a couple fun little roll shots and then all those on the sunday run for a fantastic 2nd NRG run as well in my new boat (

wahoo!!bn ). it is funny since my Disco came from there as well last year by way of a different buyer, so it was happy to be home as well.

Great to meet/see everyone on and off the river who were names before on line and to know all made it out and back safe (sorry to hear of the bang ups.)

once again, thanks to davek and all for putting the weekend together, shuttles by all who did'em, guy for the grub and every one else for this, that and the other (ie waiting as I tried to justify buying above said boat) stuff.

on a parting note... while I sure felt grizzled by the end, to be a veteran i've probably a long way to go (thanks though

) ...maybe next time, or one after that...or that...and that

Pack · Post by **Pack** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:26 pm

I too would like to thank everyone involved in the weekend. DaveK and Greg thanks for showing me the lines on the lower G on friday and again to Dave for the pro shuttle on the NRG and the reservations at burnwood. I managed to get two runs on the Lower G this weekend and 1 on the NRG. I had a blast paddling with all of you and meeting you guys. Oh 1 more thanks to Dave and the rest of the guys at pies and pints for allowing Lex and I to hang out with ya.
thanks
Jacob

Coastals

Gauley Fest Weekend Trips

Gauley Fest Weekend Trips

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