Holy. Moly. I know I’ve got rental cabins and everything, but it’s Gauley Season.
You know the river I’m talking about? On of the 10 best white water rafting rivers in the world? With more than 100 rapids on it? And 5 (some people say 6) Class V rapids in between all those other ones?
The infamous Pillow Rock rapid on the Gauley River.
How can I explain it? Gauley Season is just a special time around here. First of all, the weather changes. Summer is awesome, but the humidity can be, um, thick. When it’s time for the Gauley River, all that humidity disappears like mist below Sweet’s Falls (that’s one of the Class Vs).
Then, the leaves start changing. They begin maybe the weekend after Gauley Season starts, which is always the weekend after Labor Day, and tend to hit their peak on Bridge Day Weekend, which is always the last or right after last weekend of Gauley Season. And if you’ve never seen the leaves turn in the Mountain State, all I can say is please please please please please come to see them. They’re that good.
But if there’s one thing about Gauley Season that’s better than anything else, it’s the people. Better than the river itself, even.
No, not really. But close. I love the people of Gauley Season. Everyone’s in a better mood, excited, super-friendly… like we’re all sharing a great secret or something.
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.
Walk in the woods
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.
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.
Some of my favorite folk- Birders!
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.
That's a golfinch in those fingernails.
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.
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