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 raft guide turned writer, leads readers through the local lore and history of the rivers, where—much to the delight of those brave enough to face these rapids—the ordinary almost never occurs.
Jay Young has lived in the New River Gorge area for five years and worked as a whitewater guide for three of them. When he's not running rivers or climbing rocks, he's a freelance writer in nearby Fayetteville and is closely connected to the local rafting community. He says, “My time on the back of a raft left me with a profound appreciation for the quirkiness of this sport, this industry and the people who ply it. (We're talking boatloads of quirk here.)”