ocrwvdev, Author at Opossum Creek Retreat

The Best Family White Water Raft Trip Ever

Having a really cool, clean comfortable cabin to curl up with your clan is a must.

Okay, okay. This post is about the river, not the Cabins rentals. (Biased? Me biased?)

I have my PHD in rivertrip-ology. Really. I guided trips for a living/lifestyle for many years on many rivers in several countries. Rafting was very very good to me. I still occasionally take my family out for a New River Family rafting adventure (they’re still too young to drive or they would take themselves).

WE love taking first timers. This is how we like to go about a day on the river:

Take me to the river — Best Family White Water Trip

First and foremost is safety. Gear is checked. The kids deliver the safety talk to newbies, and if there aren’t any new bees, they give it to each other and us. It’s a ritual that takes place before each trip. Commercial or private.

Then we’re off, or, y’know, on, depending on how you look at it. You shove off but are on the river, anyway.

I really believe that everyone should start out with a mellow float trip first. Relaxing into it, getting a feel for the way the raft moves on the current. Becoming comfortable with the vocabulary, the pace, the fun. Feel your paddle move the raft. The buck and the dip as you slip down a wave train into a rapid, the tug of an eddyline as you pull into shore for a break, eating in your lap while sitting on a rock, swimming (floating) in your lifejacket- that’s a PFD (personal floatation device) for you professionals out there, standing up in the raft and not worrying you’re going to fall out.

Family and freinds Rafting the New River

After a while you’ll feel comfortable enough to enjoy the views. All these things make it easier to enjoy the big stuff when you get there, if you ever get there. We rarely get there anymore. Not just because we have kids that are just getting to the point they are big enough to self rescue, but it’s less stressful and more fun on the easy stuff.

Quality time for Father and Son Swiming with Dad on the New River WV

Don’t get me wrong. You can still get in a whole lot of trouble on the easy stuff that’s why we do the safety talk every time.

The industry has taken its cue from the guests and shortened trips to maximize the thrill factor. For my money and yours, you should take the time to start slow and easy. Get warmed up with a day on the Upper New. Then, if the kids are excited and really ready, meaning you don’t have to talk them into it, go for the Lower New.

But take a day’s rest in between. Don’t over schedule your activities plan in some downtime.

Here is the itinerary I would book for my family knowing what I know now.

Pull into The Gorge area before dark and go to the bridge over look check out the NPS visitor center. Get a feel for the area our history and culture. It’s well worth it. Then, go check in at the cabin, cook something on the grill, and soak off the day in the hot tub.

Day 1: Book the earliest trip you can get on the Upper New. Enjoy the day with your family. Swim, laugh, and relax. Take in the views.

Day 2: Back on dry land. Take a hike go out to eat. Rest up with a book or movie in the cabin. If you’re feeling adventurous, go rappel with New River Mount Guides or canopy tour (there are several in the area).

Day 3: Dinner trip. It’s not much more money, so just do it. It’s not the food that makes it worthwhile; it’s the fact that you’re on the water after everyone else has taken off. You have the place to yourselves, mostly. Definitely the right time to be on the water.

Day 4: Head home. Sure, there’s a lot more great stuff to do that could keep you busy all week, but this is a blog about the raft trip. The best white water vacation ever. And know going in that that’s impossible to obtain even in a month. I had the best raft trip ever, and it took me years to accomplish it.

Have questions? Let me know in the comments. See you on the river!

How To Tell If You’re On Vacation In The New River Gorge

You can tell if you’re on vacation in the New River Gorge. There’s a feeling that you’ll never be able to do everything. A weekend is just not enough time.

I first came to the New River Gorge area in 1992, and I went through some culture shock for sure. I had always lived in high population areas and was used to that sort of lifestyle. From the burbs of Philadelphia PA to the Orlando area, there was always a BIG city around.

Still, I always managed to find the most rural areas to escape to, no matter where it was I lived. But when I came here, it wasn’t long before I realized I was in the escape place. A few months here (and outside of what had become my element) and a 40+ inch snow storm in March, and I was ready to go straight back to Florida. Thankfully though, I decided to give it a bit more time before packing my bags and hitting the road.

It’s been 18 years now and I still haven’t seen all there is to see in the Gorge area. If you love to be outside like I do, then West Virginia (especially the New River area) has plenty of excuses to get out and play.

Once I got acclimated to the area, and got to know some local friendly folks, history, and lore, I became fascinated with the area. I began to explore almost all the area has to offer. Now, I find it hard to imagine myself being away from here for too long a period. Even on short trips away I find myself pining for the mountains that I call home.

I love to help get our guests headed in the right direction. I know- my job rocks. Whether folks are into high adventure or a little walking exploration, a typical day at OCR is anything but typical. You may be rafting on the New or Gauley River, climbing with New River Mountain Guides, taking a tour of Summersville Lake in a Kayak, or simply hiking some of the 70 miles of trails that live inside the park boundaries. To be in the woods in the Gorge area can be a therapeutic escape in any season.

If you’re completely relaxed, exhilarated, content, and really really happy, then it’s probably a good bet that you’re on vacation in the New River Gorge.

Why I Hate Soccer (Hint: It Kills Vacations)

Soccer sucks.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the games and the cheering and visiting with the other parents. Plus the kids need the exercise and really seem to get a big kick out of it. As a sport, I think it’s kind of awesome.

But soccer sucks up the time. It eats away at valuable family vacation time that you could be spending in our cabin rentals in West Virginia. Which is, of course, where you should be spending time (I’m a little biased).

There. I said it. You could be relaxing in a rental cabin in West Virginia. Instead, you’re driving kids from practice to game to camp and back, eating up every weekend from March to mid June and Labor Day to Thanksgiving.

Let’s just say you have a little family vacation planned for a weekend of rafting and hiking in the New River Gorge National Park, and then your kids’ team wins two games in a row for the first time in years and bang you’re in the championship game on the weekend you booked your family cabin. It’s great, but at the same time, ARRRRGGGHHH!

I know I am being selfish. I want you and your families to come and stay with us. The Big Game is very important (I know: I have had the good fortune to have both my kids play in the finials several times). It’s a great experience for them.

Or is it?

Most of the rest of the world teaches soccer to their children in a very different way. There are no teams. You just sign up and show up. Dads and Mom still volunteer to do the coaching there just aren’t any games no winners no LOSERS! No referees to yell at. Just skill building fun having no pressure drills of all kinds. Individual drills, group drills, ball handing, foot work, set plays, drills to learn the rules all are studied and practiced.

When they do go into a game situation or live scrimmage the coaches pick the teams and ref the action. This allows them to stop and start the game to point out key strategy and opportunities. The next practice may have more or less in the way of live scrimmage but they never have set teams or keep score until well into their teens.

Not to change the subject, but since it’s my blog, I can do whatever I want. WVU had a football coach named Don Nehlen. I didn’t really like his style, but he got us lot of W’s and a shot at the National Championship.

One day I heard him on the radio. He said something to this effect: “We should not be keeping score until college. Everyone should be practicing skills and drilling, and there’s too much emphasis placed on winning and losing. There’s not enough emphasis on skills sportsmanship and teamwork.

Pizza and ice cream help wash away the taste of Defeat

WOW! A coach of his caliber saying something so unAmerican?! No losers, no kids crying, no parents embarrassing themselves and their kids, yelling at the referees and coaches. No kids quitting because they never get on a “winning team”. We could eliminate those agonizing car rides home after a loss, and you would not have to miss the weekend getaway in the mountains of West Virginia. It’s win-win.

If we followed Coach Neilen’s advice, and the rest of the world’s example for youth sports, we’d be better off. Until then, we’ll see you after the championship.

When’s The Best Time To Bring A Youth Group To The New River Gorge?

When I was a kid, long before I knew about the New River Gorge, one of my favorite things to do was get away with a group of like aged and minded kids. Usually the Boy Scouts of America.

Getting out in the woods and exploring and getting in touch with nature was a great way to spend a couple of days. Turning over rocks to see what lived there was a great activity and then to think we are to be responsible for taking care of all of this was a really cool too. It gave a sense of pride and authority.

I would have gone winter, summer, spring, fall… it didn’t matter. So when I think about youth groups coming here to West Virginia, I’ve got to go with my gut: any time of year is a great time to be in the gorge.

Spring is time to get out and explore. When winter begins to turn loose its grip and life begins to renew itself, this is the place to be. At the right time of year you can transition in elevation and experience total leaf-out down in the gorge, and bare trees in the higher elevations such as Cranberry Glades. If you time it just right, you can witness the evolution of spring all in the same day. (FYI: you can find some spectacular deals on area activities and lodging at this time of year.)

Summer rolls around and the weather is warmer. It’s time to get in the water. White water rafting is one of the area’s largest outdoor activities. If the high adventure thing isn’t for you, you can opt to take a scenic, relaxing kayak or canoe tour of one of the local lakes (which happen to be awesome). Canopy tours and the public beach at Summersville lake are also a favorite summer pastime.

Fall is my favorite time of the year. The leaves change and the air turns crisp. Bluebird skies and cool breezes flow over the scenic mountains. A day trip to the highlands to visit some of the scenic overlooks and view the colors of fall is where you want to concentrate your efforts. Fall is also the season for rafting the Gauley River, a controlled release river that offers some of the most technical rafting in the country.

Winter is the time that many church youth groups come to the area to take advantage of our close proximity to some great skiing. Plus nothing says “retreat” like winter in the mountains. The winter wonderland setting of the New River Gorge area is a perfect place to gather your group and have some good old fashioned wintertime fun.

So that’s it. I’m not taking a stand. If you want to know when the best time to come up this way with a youth group is, I’ve got to answer honestly: Anytime. Any time at all.

5 Things Everyone Needs For A Beginner Bike Trip

This is easy.

That’s why we’re beginners, right? We like things easy. The easier it is, the more comfy we are when we fall on our faces. Easy makes things, especially outside things, better.

Check out this video we made last year…

So, with a trip like that in mind, here are 5 things that are absolutely indispensable to a New River Gorge mountain bike ride:

A bike.
Water. Skip the snacks and go out to lunch or dinner after the ride. You don’t even need to go back to the cabin to change- dirty mountain bikers aren’t unusual around town at all. Plus, it fits in with #4.
Lazy pump/co2 thing (see video).
Kids. They make it more fun. Why? They know how to take lots of brakes and look around and be amazed. If you don’t have kids handy, just try and remember what it was like and act like one you’re in the woods. No one you know will see you. Probably.
Pace yourself. This is not a race (well, it may be a race to get to the restaurant for lunch after the ride. Or, y’know, beer). But for now just take your time and enjoy the ride.

If you’re interested in going outside and testing the five tried-and-true principles for a successful beginners ride, the trail in the vid is the Cunard Trail. It’s flat and wide, and you can rent a great bike around town. They’ll even take you there and pick you up. And, they have guides!

The setup is perfect for beginners. Now all we need is have you come here and be as inexperienced as me.

Bird Nerds Descend On West Virginia (And I Love It)

They came. They saw. They birded.

And they were like a flock wreaking havoc. Lucky us.

Hundreds of Birding and Nature enthusiasts swarmed over The New River Gorge in West Virginia last week (my home sweet home). They were traversing the areas rural roads by the bus load, searching out rare and elusive species of Birds and plants to add to their “life lists”. People crossed borders (legally) to join the mayhem, and some flew almost as far as the birds did to get here.

With several groups arriving from as far away as California and Washington State on the West Coast, Canada to the north and Alabama to the south. That’s almost (but not quite) as far as some of the birds for the fest traveled.

It all gets captured in the look on the face of bear hunters, when they come flying around the corner and see a bunch of people in the road looking thru binoculars into the tree tops. That’s what this blog needs a picture of. Once they got there 4 wheeler under control and asked a few questions like:

Are you lost?
Did your bus breakdown?
Just what exactly are you all looking at?

The Local Bear Hunters offer up advice on back roads and secret spots for hunting Mushrooms. It’s strange to see so many people out in these parts, but we like a lot of the same things. That’s why it’s a festival, I guess.

“We simply love it when those bird people show up. They spend lots of money! And, y’know, they’re great people, too,” a local business owner told me. “They had to start calling ahead because we are not ready for a flock of people all at once this time of year [Ha! Flock. Get it?]. They make our week.”

And that’s one of the big reasons we started this event. We wanted to help fill up some otherwise slow time in our tourism calendar. Plus it truly is world class birding and botany. Plus, it’s as much fun as I have all year. Plus, most of the folks that come feel the same way.

Next year will be the ninth year for the event and organizers are already at work to make it better than ever. We felt it needed to be a sustainable event, something that could outlive us. We’re not there yet but it’s getting better and better each year.

But don’t take my word for it (actually, though, you should. I’m an expert on my own opinions, usually). Here’s the word on the New River Bird And Nature Fest from around the interwebs:

Here’s what our friend Vickie Henderson had to say about waterfalls and warblers.
Guide Jeffrey Gordon talks about the Swainson’s Warbler at the festival.
The awesome Bill Thompson III aka Bill of the Birds talks about why he always comes back to the New River at his Bird Watcher’s Digest blog.
Here’s the rundown for learning to see a bird at littleorangeguy’s blog.
There’s an awesome photo essay at Mark S. Garland’s blog.
Julie Zickefoose gives us a mention on her blog post about Chet, the New River Birding And Nature Fest’s unofficial (official?) greeter.
Susan Williams takes another step to break birder stereotypes (and succeeds).
Finally, Bill Hilton Jr. gives a rundown on why we’re one of Birdwatcher’s Digest top events.

Did we miss anyone? Please, add a link in the comments if so. And, yeah, it sounds pretty cool, huh? It was.

If you want to put it on your calendar for next year (and you should), here’s where you can find us on facebook. Until then, see you in the woods.

Top 10 Reasons The Bird Fest Rocks

Let me just say this: The New River Birding And Nature Festival is so much fun.

A lot of work, yes. But who cares? It’s totally worth it. If you’re here, you know what I’m talking about. If you’re not, you should be.

Here are 10 reasons why:

-The Food. Local restaurants help us out with the fare, and its hard to stay the same size this week.

-Walking In The Rain. It rains here. If you’re ready for it, it’s quit enjoyable, and bird friendly. (beautiful sunshine today, though!)

-Anticipation. We work on this festival all year. People who come look forward to it all year. Maybe that’s why it’s great when we finaly get to start birding.

-The Face Ache. You know, from smiling so much.

-The Presentations. Nothing like a little edification for some after dinner fun. The presentations are enjoyable, informative, and, hey, they aid digestion!

-Spring In The Forest. ‘Nuff said.

–ZIPLINE!

-Making People Happy. This one’s kind of a gimme, since, as a cabin rental guy, it’s what I try to do all the time. But still, you really can’t get to much.

-Great Conversations. I’ve, um, been known to talk. A lot. So it shouldn’t be any surprise to people that know me that this makes the list. I’ll just say that, during the fest, I find myself doing a lot more listening.

-New Friends And Old. Best thing about the fest, hands down. As I’ve said before, you don’t need birds to make a good day birding. It’s all about the people. Especially these people.

And lastly…

Making A Difference In Someone’s Life. It’s not me; it’s the whole thing. The people. The camaraderie. The New River Gorge. Oh, and the birds. Let’s not forget them. The fest makes people’s lives richer. Especially mine.

Secret Stories Of People’s Favorite Cabins

The highest compliment we can receive is a repeat guest.

We actually have lots of them. Not bragging or anything. Just saying lots of people come back to Opossum Creek Retreat to stay in their little cabin in the woods. And since that’s what we do, we think it’s a beautiful thing.

Some folks come back several times a year. Others take the same cabin on the same holiday every time (and have for almost a decade). We’ve had guests that will change their vacation plans to get their favorite cabin. That’s not typical, but hey, neither is love.

Everyone’s got a reason. Some people say we saved their marriage. Others say we caused theirs. Still others still come back every year with more and more kids, and tell us it all started here. From first dates to first vows, there’s something special about this place (the hot tubs?) that people love to come back to.

Don’t get me wrong. Not everyone comes back. Not everyone gets it (a few really don’t get it: “there are bugs and noises outside the cabin, and the woods were very dark, so we left”). We don’t offer a paved environment, room service, valet parking or street lights lighting up the woods at night. So I guess that means to be prepared to, um, stay in a cabin.

I think (actually, I know) people request a particular cabin from year to year because that cabin in the woods makes them feel comfortable and at peace with the surroundings. They keep memories there, and add to them year after year. It makes us feel good to know they trust us to keep things just so and welcome them back. Very cool.

Each of the cabins has its own personality, and you can see it in the guest book comments. There’s a theme in each one (working on those posts, I promise). They all have the same basic features, but we’ve given them all their own unique touches of wood working and art. What’s the quote about the guy who loves what he does so much that he never has to go to work? That’s me.

I believe our guest come back to the same cabin over and over because it is here they find it easiest place in the world to relax. Just a guess.

And for the record, my own personal favorite cabin is whichever one I fall asleep in when I’m supposed to be doing yardwork 🙂

The Most Important Thing About Birding (Hint: It’s Not Birds)

The most important thing about a birding trip is not the birds. Really.

Here’s why: All kinds of things can influence the birds you see and hear. So let’s focus on stuff that really matters on a field trip: the people.

It’s like soup; too much of one ingredient is boring. I love time alone in the outdoors, to be sure, but being with a group of fellow bird nerds/naturalists when everyone gets a good look at a fun bird? And it’s a lifer for someone in the bunch? And everyone is smiling and giddy? You can’t help but be excited too.

The fun of birding in a group comes mostly from these moments. They’re contagious. People are dancing smiling laughing when they see something that’s -how can I put it- exotic for them. It’s fun to share these moments. Who you’re with is way more important than what you might see.

I’ve been on dozens of field trips under every type of circumstances, from research and banding to formal surveys and counts to paid private guided field trips. And with the most bizarre groups you can imagine. By far the best groups have beginners in them; If you go out with a bunch of really good birders it can get boring real fast. I think it’s because they all know every peep and who made it and why. There’s no give and take about what is going on around you.

Also sometimes I think they are afraid to say anything because they might (heaven forbid) make a mistake. I promise you if you are on a trip with me I will miss ID a bird at some point during the day, every day. And it’s usually something really obvious and easy like last year when I called a chirping Cardinal a Chat (this is a major bird nerd no-no). Everyone looked at me like I had lost my mind, and by that point in the week, I had.

But I’m not a hired gun. No degree. No life list (that’s another story). So maybe it’s okay for me to make mistakes. Personally I like to see the pros make a mistake once in a while it shows they are human too. Perfection is way overrated.

When you have a good field guide, and some beginners, and you mix them in with other levels of interest and experience, it’s more fun. Makes me smile just writing about it.

The most rewarding bird trips for me are when we’re giving back. You don’t have to be a great birder to be a ambassador for nature. You don’t have to be great at anything. “Showing is better than telling” a 4 year old told me, as I was talking too much to a school group I did a bird presentation for. She wanted more action.

I get really excited when out on a field trip and I see a new bird or bug or critter of some kind. Even plants. But when I see someone, young or old, really getting excited about what’s around them, maybe for the first time ever? That’s a wonderful feeling.

The New River Birding and Nature Festival sponsors hands-on learning experiences for local schools. These are the trips that give me the best feelings of all.

Share what you know, right?