Brian Jenning's WV Update!

By Brian Jennings

After having no rain in what felt like forever, the skies opened up and we became the great state of “Wet” Virginia once more. On Monday, I snuck out of work with some fellow river guides and did the Upper Gauley at 900 cfs. Anyone who has never seen the Gauley at low water is really missing out. It’s defiantly one of the most under-rated and under-paddled stretches of water in the Eastern US. While the playboating is somewhat lacking, the low water lines offer some great slots and boofs, not to mention the water is a cool and refreshing break from the bathtub like temps of the Lower New.

I took my Hero, and am continually amazed with how much FUN this boat is to paddle! It boofs great, holds a line like it’s on rails, and is just so friggin’ stable it’s ridiculous! Highlights are the “Tone setter” slot in Entrance, the bottom left Insig slot, the HUGE boof in 4th Drop of Lost Paddle, firing up the ugly low water Iron Ring, and wave boofing the curler off of the “ejector” rock at Sweets.

Another night of rain brought up the New, Gauley, Meadow, and Mill Creek. After some debate, myself and the rest of the Fayetteville crew opted for Mill, considering we haven’t had any real creeking in about 2 months! It was a med/low level of 10 inches, but everything still goes just fine! Got the Rocker out again and remembered why it makes rapids feel a class easier than they really are! We had a huge crowd with myself, Shane Groves, Logan Bockrath, the MUWC crew, and lots of my fellow NARR co-workers who did the top stretch for the first time. Great to see so many locals on the creek! Shane, Logan and I fired up two runs and everyone had great lines. Things are starting to drop a bit, but I’m gonna get my All-Star out today, and do an evening play run at the holes below Sweets Falls! Hope wherever you are, you’re having as much fun as I am!

Brian Jennings
Team JK