We had a fantastic whitewater rafting trip on the New River through Class 4 and 5 rapids with Monroe, aka, "Special Ed". Monroe grew up on the New River, so he knows the river lore and are history as well as anyone. To top it off, this guy could seriously have a 2nd career as a stand-up comic! He kept us laughing from the time we stepped for on the bus, the whole time in the water, and all the back back to base camp. My daughter was sharing tidbits about the river that she learned on this trip days later while telling people about the trip. He encouraged team camaraderie by calling for "attitude checks". He'd yell out "attitude check" and we'd all rise our paddles to the center and whoop and holler. Because he was so fun and so funny, the two times he told us that we needed to contain our enthusiasm and listen hard for his commands, we knew to be serious and pay attention. As a result, no one was bumped from our boat. And because no one was bumped from the boat, but everyone wants to be wet, Special Ed would give us some time in the eddies to hop out and swim.
Lunch was quite a spread: sandwich fixin's, pasta salad, potato salad, carrots, salad, chips, cookies, and PB&J for anyone who didn't get enough. Sure it took a few minutes to set up (as another reviewer complained about), but I'd take that over pre-packed sandwiches any day of the week. Oh, and as a person who hates water, that ice-cold water was so refreshingly perfect!
Some tips: Wear a rash guard, preferably long sleeve. Capris are a smarter choice than shorts. The tops of several people's legs were sun burnt, but good. Bring a dry-bag to take your phone in if you want pictures; tie it to your life vest with a double eight knot. Definitely sunscreen before you go, and bringing a tube to reapply is not a bad idea either. Sit in the front if you want to get wet, the back for the bumpiest ride, and the middle to avoid either of those. Get in Monroe's boat. Trust me on that. The guides never asked for a tip, but it's a service industry, so bring a few bucks in case you love your ride as much as I did. Regrettably, I was without cash, so I'm hoping this review makes up for that a little.
Thanks, Monroe! We'll definitely be back to raft the Gauley sometime down the road.