Rivermen

Rivermen is a white-​water campground/​tour guide group. September is around the time when they open the dam for some extremed rapids on the upper river. When I went the dam wasn’t going to be opened for another week, so I rafted the lower river (gulley?).
I’ll begin with the amenities:
The cheapest way to stay here is to rent a campground, where you can park your VW camp-​van, or pitch a tent. When I went, I was with a group of sixteen so we stayed in these A-​Frame style tents. It was the first week of September, so the days were warm, but the nights were freezing! We all froze in the A-​Frame, as it has the same insulation equivalent to staying in a tent. If I had know this earlier, I would’ve paid for a heated cabin (they have ultra-​small ones with just a bed and a heater).
The main base-​camp has showers, toilets, and a restaurant.
All in all a great experience!

Our zipline guide Coony couldn’t have recommend a better raft guide. J.V. was above our expectations! Very knowledgeable and had great jokes! I can’t wait to come back! Chive on!

I rode that raft like it ain’t nobody’s business. For serious. John C was our guide and he’s a real stand-​up guy who knows what’s what. I can still hear him yelling «GO GO GO!» in my dreams as we cruise down Pure Screaming Hell (the last rapids of the Middle/​Lower Gauley — Class V) and into the Hell Hole. I was right at the front of my raft and looked into the Hell Hole with my eyes just about as wide as the hole itself. We caught a surf, rotated 180 degrees, and then literally flipped vertically, I flew overboard, got kicked around under the raft, and found myself a good ways away from everything when all was said and done. Hope the fish had a camera, though, cuz I was still smiling the entire time. Now THAT’S what I signed up for.
As far as gear for this time of the year goes (late September), I’d recommend both the wetsuit and a splash jacket, which are available for rent when you get there. I was really comfortable, but some of the not-​so-​insulated folks in my group were still a little chilly, so if you have a fleece jacket, you may want that to wear under the splash jacket as well. As Katie Y recommended to me, you should try to bring some actual old tennis shoes to wear with some fast-​drying socks (e.g., smartwool). They served us hot lunch and had a number of great selections — hamburgers, chicken, Polish-​type sausages as well as a vegetarian mushroom option.
We also went to the Half Bad Bluegrass Band hoedown Saturday night and I got to whip out my polka skillz as well as any bit of Southern two-​stepping and knee-​slapping, foot-​stomping I had left in me from when I lived in Texas. The band was sizzlin’ and the dance floor was packed with people getting down. Some of the best dancing I’ve had in a LOOOOONG time.
Camping was good too and taking Katie Y’s advice I brought some earplugs. That was a majorly good choice because you always get the bros up until the late night. Don’t count on too much good kindling (e.g., small/​medium-​sized sticks) at your campsite plot, though, for starting a fire. It seemed pretty well picked over when we got there.
Rivermen, I’m told, is the company you should go with if you want a «bang for your buck.» There’s also Class VI — apparently more for business people etc — and some other companies out there, but I’m definitely all about Rivermen for when I do Upper Gauley next year! Fish, ready your flashes.

Another bitchin’ ride down the Upper, Mid and Lower Gualey River — Rivermen does it right for the fifth consecutive year for our group! Guides are TOP NOTCH (ask for Teddy), equipment up to par (they’ve finally updated a lot of the wetsuits), food will keep you satisfied (hot lunch!). The support staff at check-​in seem a bit challenged, but after you get through that administrative stuff, the rest of your trip will be a full-​on blast.
Tip: bring ear plugs — this place is a sausage fest of beefy guys who insist on partying late at night and being completely obnoxious. Testosterone overload.

Did the zip line today and it was a ton of fun. Ty and Chris were our guides and they did a great job. Professional and fun.
Worth the price

Just did the zipline tour today and it was one of the most fun experiences of my life. I highly recommend it to anyone, even if you have a fear of heights you’re strapped in and as long as you follow instructions you won’t get hurt. There are 15 ziplines, 5 rope bridges, a couple short hikes and you repel 30 feet at the end. The staff are very friendly and VERY knowledgeable, I believe both of my tour guides had degrees in Biology and knew a lot about the forest and fauna.
The best thing about the course is that it was built with sustainability in mind as long as it did not get in the way of safety, they tried to minimize the impact of the course on the forest which is good for the environment AND good for the experience as well because you’re zipping through the trees. Also I was informed a portion of the admission goes towards providing a natural insecticide that saves the trees in the forest from a Japanese Beetle that had been killing a lot of the trees.
Go to this, support a great business!