The fourth of Mike's now-annual rafting trips with old friends on the Upper Gauley River in West Virginia -- September 15 & 16, 2000. This time adding John Regehr. A wild ride, as always!
The following sequence of photos is of our approach to "Pillow Rock". At Pillow Rock, about half the river runs up onto a huge flat rock placed like a ramp on the left side of the river. After gaining several feet the water falls off to the right side. We drove our raft hard straight up the rock, reached up and touched the rock, and celebrated as we dropped back into the channel. Unlike '97, we exited facing downstream (although backwards is always good too :-) ). A great run!
Entering the hole during the approach to Pillow Rock.
Left-to-right: Our guide Tom, David Lund, Frank Hughes, Frank Hughes Jr., ??? (I know he's from Fort Wayne), John Regehr, Alex Perkins, Mike Jones.
In the hole and about to climb up the pillow of water in front of the rock.
Contact! Prepare to pet the rock.
Almost there...
Victory!
Rafting the Upper Gauley, September 1997 (shows a clean
run at Pillow Rock)
Rafting the Upper Gauley, September 1998 (with good
air-time photo)
Rafting the Upper Gauley, September 1999 (shows Pillow chewing us up and
spitting us out!)
Rafting the Upper Gauley, September 2002 (see the
fear of swimming the rapids at Pillow Rock!)
Rafting the Upper Gauley, October 2006 (with more
full-contact rafting!)
North American River Runners (our outfitting company)
US Army Corps of Engineers
Huntington District Whitewater Water Control Information