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White Water rafting?

J

Jassi

Diamond Member
Does anyone know of a good place to go white water rafting? I was put in charge of organizing a trip (not by choice and I know nothing about the sport) but all the places in and around Michigan don't have a good reputation. So, if you can suggest a venue that is approx. 6 hour drive from Detroit, MI and has decent camping facilities, please let me know.

Also, what do I need to keep in mind while organizing this trip? Any and all information will be greatly appreciated.
 
Originally posted by: Jassi
Does anyone know of a good place to go white water rafting? I was put in charge of organizing a trip (not by choice and I know nothing about the sport) but all the places in and around Michigan don't have a good reputation. So, if you can suggest a venue that is approx. 6 hour drive from Detroit, MI and has decent camping facilities, please let me know.

Also, what do I need to keep in mind while organizing this trip? Any and all information will be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

link here
a bit further than 6 hours.but it gets packed.
 
West Virginia is the best whitewater in the country and it probably fits your 6 hour radius. Look for the Gauley, New and Cheat rivers.
 
Farther than 6 hours, but by far worth it . . . best rafting in the USA:

Gauley River in West Va. in the fall season. Lots and lots (i mean, heaps) of class V + rapids . . . hundreds of smaller ones, not too long a river so the action is nearly constant (lower gauley is has longer dull stretches, the upper is almost nonstop action).

Its a 23 mile river if you do both halves . . . you can do it in one day (marathon).

Completely worth it. The company we used (ACE whitewater, i'd recommend, good people, goog guides, no fishiness at all) sent a kayaker with a camcorder down ahead of us so I have a vid of the wild rapids. I'll fraps some pics for you.

Note . . . lots of class V+ rapids, but it really isn't a very dangerous ride. Most of use were novices, all of use survived. We fell out alot but if you follow the guides advice, the worst that will happen is you'll get some water up your nose. The pics will probably make it look worse than it is because I'll only be capping the funny ones . . .which usually mean carnage.
 
I am trying to convince some people to go the extra distance for a great experience. Since the work day is over, most people have left. Also, I am ame for Class 4/5 but I know that some ladies in our group may not want to go beyond class 2 or maybe 3. Keep the suggestions coming 🙂

EDIT -

How does this place look?

It looks like it is within reasonable distance.
 
ok, now with e^(i*pi)% more pics . . . .

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number 10 is the one that you don't show the people you are trying to convince to come . . .


5 also has good carnage . . that raft plowed head-first into that rock they are tipping against . . . the vid is absolutely hilarious.

7-8-9 are good . . . big raft was celebrating (paddles in air) when they broadsided that middle rock and went over. so funny. problem is my raft (a little raft) wound up going down the next section of that rapid with three extra people that didn't have paddles. That was fun . . we almost went down a 14 foot drop.
 
Originally posted by: LordMorpheus
ok, now with e^(i*pi)% more pics . . . .

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
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number 10 is the one that you don't show the people you are trying to convince to come . . .


5 also has good carnage . . that raft plowed head-first into that rock they are tipping against . . . the vid is absolutely hilarious.

7-8-9 are good . . . big raft was celebrating (paddles in air) when they broadsided that middle rock and went over. so funny. problem is my raft (a little raft) wound up going down the next section of that rapid with three extra people that didn't have paddles. That was fun . . we almost went down a 14 foot drop.
Click to expand...


Sounds like you had a lot of fun 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Jassi
Originally posted by: LordMorpheus
ok, now with e^(i*pi)% more pics . . . .

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12

number 10 is the one that you don't show the people you are trying to convince to come . . .


5 also has good carnage . . that raft plowed head-first into that rock they are tipping against . . . the vid is absolutely hilarious.

7-8-9 are good . . . big raft was celebrating (paddles in air) when they broadsided that middle rock and went over. so funny. problem is my raft (a little raft) wound up going down the next section of that rapid with three extra people that didn't have paddles. That was fun . . we almost went down a 14 foot drop.
Click to expand...


Sounds like you had a lot of fun 🙂
Click to expand...

Believe me, I did.

That place you linked looks fine, Class IV is plenty wild, and you probably won't have anyone get hurt (one kid in our group did get evacuated to a hospital . . . his raft had gone over at the head of a class V, one of his buddies was pulling him back in in the middle of the rapid. I don't know if you know this, but when you pull someone in you grab their life vest and just haul them up on top of yourself. . . anyway, as he was getting pulled in, his vest slid up on his body (because thats what the guy was pulling on) and he got a big rock right in his abdomen, which was no longer protected by the vest. They took him to a hospital to make sure he wasn't bleeding internally . . . he was OK, just in lots and lots of pain. The only other injury was a broken toe.)

Still, I'd go back again in a heartbeat.
 
link

I did the upper Youghiogheny rapids a few years back, and it was insane.. It was a lot harder and more fun than the Royal Gorge in Colorado.
 
the nolichucky is a little tamer than the gauley (which is probably a plus when dealing with the ladies) but still plenty of great rapids plus it's got the BEST scenery. absolutely stunning.

the only concern is the water level so check before you book (no fun to spend half the day trying to get unstuck from rocks)
 
Class 2 is worthless - it's hardly a ripple. Class 3 isn't too much better - maybe a few feet drop usually. If the women are concerned, stick with mostly Class 4's. It will be somewhat thrilling but far from dangerous. I would definitely find something with a few 5's that can be portaged for the weaker of heart - that way those that want more thrill will have something. Believe me, if you do a river with only 2's and 3's, you will get real bored, real fast.
 
I live in Wv and my grandmother lives in Gauley Bridge so I am there all the time yet I have never gone rafting. Kind of pathetic.
 
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