Whitewater Rafting on West Virginia's New and Gauley Rivers: Come on In, the Water's Weird

A certain mixture of whimsy and derring-do is required to shove off down (or up) the New or Gauley River with scant protection aside from a helmet, life vest and one's compatriots. It's a choice that could be so easily avoided, but that wouldn't make sense to the proud and colorful characters who have long been shooting these rapids, some of the most popular and treacherous in the country. Here, Jay Young, a rafting guide turned writer, leads readers through the local lore and history of the rivers, wheremuch to the delight of those brave enough to face these rapidsthe ordinary almost never occurs. It's not everyone who can look at the violent white caps of river rapids and think, "I want to master that.'? Whitewater rafters are not just anyone. A certain confidence and devil-may-care attitude must be required to set off on West Virginia's New or Gauley Rivers, nothing to protect the riders from the rough waters aside from a helmet and life vest, but to successfully accomplish their mission would be to master some of the most popular and treacherous rapids in the country. Jay Young, a raft guide turned writer, leads readers through the local lore and history of the rivers, where the ordinary almost never occurs.