Over The Hill And Under The Boat

I've got great pictures to show off today and they don't have anything to do with Carrie. Our friend Robb turned the big 4-0 last week and to have his pity party celebrate he asked a bunch of the guys to go white water rafting. Needing to prove he's not really getting O-L-D, he chose to do the Upper Gauley in West Virginia.

Here's what Wikipedia says about white water rafting on the Upper Gauley:

"...starting the Friday after Labor Day, the Army Corps of Engineers provides a series of twenty-two controlled releases for the express purpose of downriver recreation. These releases are collectively known as "Gauley Season" and are scheduled on six successive weekends..."

"There are dozens of rapids on the Upper Gauley; the most notable are the "Big Five":

• Insignificant (Class V - ironically so named because the first expedition reported "nothing significant before Pillow".)
• Pillow Rock (Class V - accessible via a steep trail from Carnifax Ferry Battleground site. Extremely powerful and intimidating rapid.)
• Lost Paddle (Class V - a long, treacherous rapid consisting of four sub-rapids: First Drop, Second Drop, Third Drop, and Tumblehome.)
• Iron Ring (Class V - so named for a large iron ring which had been anchored in a rock near the rapid by loggers many years before. The ring was cut and removed by vandals in the 1980s.)
• Sweet's Falls (Class V - named for John Sweet, a canoeist and pioneer of the Gauley.)"

Class FIVE rapids. Robb took six friends, including my husband, on a flimsy little blue blow up boat and tried to paddle through some of the most difficult rapids on the east coast. I'm not sure who was crazier...the guy who wanted to go or the six friends who paid money to go with him.

They probably should have reconsidered the night before when they went to set up their ten man tent....and discovered they didn't have the poles. Does that give anyone else the giggles like it does me? Oh...and it rained.

Here they are just rowing down that precious little river.

And here's what happened next....

Let's zoom in on the birthday boy as he's going down...awww, I think he's crying! He looks scared.

"Legs Up" everybody!


I think the point is to ride IN the boat, not underneath it. Maybe the guide wasn't real clear on that point.

All seven of them made it home safe, stiff and waterlogged. It was a bit amusing watching them unfold their sore, tired bodies from Belinda's minivan. All in all I think Robb had a great birthday weekend.



What's that? You wanted to see another picture of the birthday boy? Hang on...let me zoom in...
Ok, I think this one will do...