Good Gauley

Sept 12 to the 17 was spent traveling to, along/on/in and from the Gauley Festival, the biggest whitewater festival in the country (says David), in Summersville, WV. It was a big vacation in distance and time away. This was the longest we'd been away since Abi was born so I was sure to fret and plan way ahead of time. We left on Wednesday afternoon straight from daycare and stayed at the Ranch like usual. Then, Thursday morning, we hitched up the RV and headed south. We arrived at Battlerun Campground in time for Abi's afternoon nap. Meanwhile, we set up camp, david answered work calls in the shade and we took in our surroundings complete with ducks interested in stale crackers. Battlerun is on the Gauley Lake - where the river water comes from. Each day I noticed the level getting lower and lower as the water was released down the Upper, Middle and Lower Gauley River.

A grew view for only $24/night. Awesome!

Abi Shack at the Battlerun Campground

David working

feeding the ducks

Friday was my day to run the river and David's to watch Abi. I was nervous having not paddled the Gauley in four years and not paddled anything harder than Class III since Abi was born. It was a girl paddling day with Ron as the only male for the duration of the run. Renee lovingly led me through the rapids and dealt with my nervous pre-river chatter. We put on the river and the first rapid was dubbed "surprisingly big wave" by Ron. Great, I thought. But I paddled hard and got through but I hadn't been in big water in so long that it started to work into my brain. By the second big rapid I got flipped and was shaken even though I rolled up fine and everyone cheered. Then it was on to more big rapids where I paddled and didn't smile at Kuntz Flume, the Class IV rapid where they take your picture. I was not having fun. I was having a mindfuck of a day and I needed to reset. I said I needed a minute and burst into tears and just let it all out that I was nervous and scared of the big water and blah blah blah. So, after that we headed towards Junkyard Rapid, which I remember flipping at four years ago. Renee described what I had to do including floating up to the top and looking for the easy path. Well, I floated up and then decided to float where I shouldn't and flipped. contacts askew I floundered through the rest of rapid almost getting pulled into a little hole. Screaming expletives I made it through cursing the rocks and water and waves and from there on out it was a good day. I needed a cry and shout and then, a few rapids later, a big smile appeared as I was rocketing through wave trains.  I got used to the movement of the big water and felt more confident in the boat and dealing with the pushy, funny water. I gave everyone a fright as I went through the Class IV+ rapid at the end having flipped at the top and having no contacts again. It was decided that Lasik is in my future. My last big fear to face. After we got off the river I was too tired to go to the festival so David went and picked up food and called it an early evening.

Saturday and Sunday David paddled the river while I watched Abi. I had done research a few days before we left to find all the playgrounds and libraries and what not in the area. We went to all the playgrounds nearby and luckily, there were some really great ones within a few miles of each other, including a cool one at our campground. We went to Wal-Mart, Abi's indoor playground, and read books in the RV. There was plenty of Elmo and coloring. The weather was great with cool temps and sunny skies.

playing the chimes at the playground

On Saturday night we decided to have a look at the festival with Abi. We figured we'd leave when she was tired. We were there at least an hour and a half where she ran around, inspected the kayaks, made friends with other kids and dug the bluegrass music. We took her home and put her to sleep shortly before 9 - the latest she'd been up. If you are wondering if she slept in on Sunday because of this the answer is no. Don't worry, I have devilish plans to wake her ass up at 6 am on a Saturday when she is a teenager. Just because I'm a mean mom and it might be a good form of birth control if I do it regularly while chirping "this is what it's like to have a baby!!"

Abi meets her future husband, heir to the Jackson Kayak empire

Anyway, we headed out of town after David got off the river on Sunday. We wanted to stop at a campground along the way but we ended up driving five hours and hitting the Hampton Inn three hours from home. Monday we pulled in at lunchtime and we quickly set about making Abi lunch, unloading the RV to take it to the RV storage place for the winter, and getting settled back in. It was so good to be home in our own beds and food that wasn't hot dogs, instant rice, and Bob Evans.

sitting atop the 7 foot tall climbing wall. Giving her mom a heart attack silently

sunset at the festival

The Abi Shack is taking a rest until November when we take her out for a night at the Tohickon Creek - the final hurrah for kayaking for the season. And then a short respite until May when it all starts over again.