Bottom line up front:
it was a wonderful paddle: conditions, participants, logistics and all the other variables fell into place and this was one of the finest autumn paddles i have been on. Kudos to Wade (Mango) and Sejal (Giggles) for putting this trip together. To provide a bit of clarity: Mangles is the term Max uses when referring to "that" couple that drive his van around.
Some background:
this is an annual paddle outing that dates back to when Wade proposed to Sejal on the Lower Gauley river six years ago. The site of the proposal was river left about 200 meters down stream of the surf wave at diagonal ledges. As i recall, that too was a lovely day. I do have the distinct honor of being the sole coastal member present during said proposal and it was fun to join in on this trip and recall the event. Sadly there was no re-enactment
for those in attendance.The day started great and only got better. Weather was absolutely West Virginia perfect: mid 60's, clear sunny sky and just a hint of breeze. Fall colors are just starting to cover the banks of the gorge and it was a postcard picture kind of day!
Everyone arrived at the appointed time, boats/gear loaded, little to no dithering about and shuttles were set without incident. I believe there were 21 paddlers (someone with a functioning brain will have to provide all the names, i do know that there were folks from richmond, central VA and NC. I could name most but rather than leave someone out I'll just say there were a lot of us) all total with a mix of kayakers, an open boater, a decked C-1 and 2 catarafts/shredders. There were also a few "first timers" on this trip but there was plenty of talent/experience to go around and all the new folks were paired up with a seasoned escort.
We launched at Woods Ferry and for the most part we had the river to ourselves. We ran together as a strung out group until we cleared Kuntz Flume from there the gaggle split up into 3 groups of hard boats with the 2 catarafts getting in the way whenever they could. I can make fun of the catarafts because I was in/on one.
The trip down river was fun for all. There were plenty of rolls, a couple swims but no harm done. we stopped as a group at the proposal site, some surfed at diagonals others ate lunch or just laid on the sun warmed rocks.
We reached the takeout just as the sun was casting a long shadow in the gorge, took a head count and had the same number of paddlers as we started with so we loaded gear and headed for Pies and Pints. To the astonishment of all we were seated as a group and the good times continued throughout a great evening meal.
This outing should be on your list of paddle trips to attend provided that Mangles continues to celebrate their engagement in this manner.
Now about that swim. I am a kayaker by choice and a catarafter due to a recent mountain-bike mishap, i currently suffer from a very tender tailbone which prevents me from sitting in my kayak. Wade/Mango was very gracious and offered me a pontoon on his cataraft. I jumped at the invite as this would be my last chance to get on the gauley this season. A kayak requires a conscious decision to exit, the paddler is snug and secure having foot pads, knee/thigh braces, ratchets and straps all working together to create a symbiotic relationship between the craft and the paddler. If a paddler wishes/decides to exit he must physically disengage himself from the boat. Not so a cataraft, on the contrary in fact! it seems that a cataraft wants nothing more than to eject its' occupants at every opportunity. Sure I was provided a foot stirrup for one foot while the other foot searched aimlessly for an object upon which to brace but to no avail. At every wave I was thrown from my perch, paddle flaying widely in the air as if signaling an aircraft rather than being in the water and propelling the craft and more often than not I would slam into Mango and fall to the bottom of the cataraft. This became a source of concern for Mango as I'm sure he did not want to get decapitated by these uncontrolled air-strokes and probably did not appreciate the unsolicited intimate contact that my airborne antics created. So there we were making our way down river, Mango poised and calmly paddling like an advertisement for paddle and guide magazine and me bouncing up and down like a jack-in-the-box on steroids. All went well until the bottom wave/hole at lower mash which swallowed the cataraft and stood it on end this threw me into Mango's lap which, perhaps through homophobic fear, caused him to push away from me but it was too late the cataraft had had its' way and the two of us went into the drink. This in itself wasn't so bad i figured it was just a matter of time before i landed in the water but the two lovely ladies in the other cataraft (Katie and Anne) followed our line and alas, they too ended up in the drink! Sorry ladies!
So, it's been a few hours since my last swim but more importantly I am already putting this trip on next year's paddle calendar. You should too!
SYOTR
falling on me and knocking me out
Oh, and the high def feature on my swimmer recovery technique at the bottom of Upper Staircase was top notch!