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Trip Number: 12317A
Price: $525
Deposit: $100
Capacity: 16
Staff: Marty Joyce
Highlights:
- Enjoy an overnight raft trip on some of the best whitewater in the country
- Work with the Park Service to rehabilitate trails and restore 100-year-old
cemeteries
Includes:
- All meals (except one dinner)
- Commissary gear
- Campground fees
The Trip
Photo: Marty Joyce
We are going to the New to see the Old in a Wild and Wonderful State. The New
River has been on its present path for over 65 million years and formed before
the Appalachian Mountain Plateau. Unlike most of the world's rivers, it flows
northward. The area we will visit, the New River Gorge National River, encompasses
53 miles of the New River and its narrow gorge, which winds through the Appalachian
Mountains from Hinton to the New River Gorge Bridge near Fayetteville. Although
people have lived along the New River since prehistoric times, the portion of
the river within the National River was largely unsettled due to impassable
rapids and the steep gorge walls. In 1873, the railroad was completed through
the gorge and access was provided to the rich seams of coal embedded in the
mountain. This opened the area to timber, mining, and several boomtowns (now
ghost towns). The coal mining industry thrived for the next 80 years, until
the coal gave out. As the coal diminished, people began to leave the area, and
the forest reclaimed many of the abandoned towns and communities. Look in your
pocket for the state quarter for West Virginia and you will see the longest
steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. This bridge spans the gorge where
we will be working.
We will develop a sense of place and pride as we work with the National Park
Service in the Gorge. The spirits of miners, lumberjacks and railroad workers
(the John Henry statue is a few miles up river) will be our soul mates as we
toil in the gorge for the new heritage of high adventure tourism. In 2006, over
1.1 million people visited the Gorge; not for resources, but recreation. No
doubt, with deepest reverence and reserve, we will work to restore cemeteries
to honor those whose sweat made the Gorge a center of export for an industrial
revolution. Their bones are felt in the mountains, stamina in the trees, and
self-reliance in the streams.
Every Monday morning
When the bluebirds begin to sing
You can hear John Henry a mile or more
You can hear John Henry’s hammer sing.
The Project
Photo: Marty Joyce
This will be the second year for a service trip to this area. We will work
alongside park staff constructing and rehabilitating trails, restoring 100-year-old
cemeteries, and perhaps eradicating exotic species. A number of the cemeteries
have become overgrown due to no upkeep over the past 50 years. We will be removing
vegetation to open up these quiet spaces under the Appalachian canopy. Many
tombstones have toppled. We will be resetting these, learning new skills for
cemetery preservation. Last year we also set graveyard boundaries and mapped
gravesites using GPS devices.
We must be flexible as the Park Service may have other projects and priorities
which may arise before our trip begins. We can plan on driving about 30 miles
each way to the work sites -- some days will be shorter and other days longer.
We will be off-road on jeep trails for up to an hour in order to reach remote
sites. Typically settlers established towns on the New River but buried their
dead on the ridges above, out of the reach of floods. So it may take some jockeying
with high-clearance vehicles to reach the work sites. The National Park Service
is able to carpool participants from the main road.
Sleep on sweet baby and take thy rest.
God called thee home He thought it best
Itinerary
Photo: Marty Joyce
Day 1: We will meet at out National Park Campground across
from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center at 5:00 p.m. for dinner. Detailed instructions
and maps will be sent prior to the trip. The camp site is within a stone's throw
of the New River Bridge.
Days 2-3: We'll start our service work, taking the lead from
the direction of the National Park Service.
Days 4-5: We'll take a break from the work to enjoy an overnight
rafting trip on some of the best whitewater in the country. The first day will
be on the Middle New River, and second day will be on the lower New River.
Days 6-7: We'll continue our service work.
Day 8: We'll say our good-byes after breakfast, when the trip
ends.
Getting There
Photo: Marty Joyce
We will be camping at a National Park Group Site across from the Canyon Rim
Visitor Center on Route 19. The nearest airport is Charleston, WV, which is
about two hours away. Some may find it advantageous to fly into Dulles. The
drive is longer, but airfares may be cheaper and schedules friendlier. Because
of our remote location, there is no public transportation. Specific details
will be sent to participants prior to the trip.
Accommodations and Food
Our base camp will be at Burnwood, a National Park Service campground. There
are flush toilet facilities, water, and electricity at the site but no showers
(shower "privileges" are available at the outfitter we use for the
rafting trip about six miles up the road). We will set up a community kitchen
at the picnic shelter, which is large with plenty of picnic tables. Cooking,
dishwashing, and related commissary duties will be done by the participants
with direction from the leader. Breakfast and dinner will be at the campsite
and lunch will be "on the trail." One day we will treat ourselves
to dinner at a savory restaurant in Fayetteville (not included in the trip price).
Our campsite is within earshot of Route 19 as it crosses the New River. The
reward is a verdant view of the gorge and bridge, which is a ¼ mile hike
from the campsite. The drawback is traffic noise through the night.
Camping during the overnight raft trip is primitive (no toilet facilities)
right on the New River. We will practice Leave No Trace when on the overnight
and during the week.
Trip Difficulty
Photo: Marty Joyce
This trip is suitable for adults and teens (age 13 and older) who like a challenge
both in a work project and whitewater rafting. Participants should have some
camping experience and be in very good physical condition to enjoy this trip.
We will work four days and take two off to enjoy the river. The minimum age
for rafting the New River is 12, so rafting expertise is not a prerequisite.
The first river day will be a descent in duckies (inflatable rafts). We will
end this paddling day by a Class III challenge at Surprise Rapids. The next
adventure day will be paddling in six- or eight-person rafts, with some frothing
to a Class V. Pinball, Lower Railroad, Keeney, Dudley's Dip, Hook 99, Greyhound
Bus Stopper, Kaymoor, Thread the Needle Rocks, and their brethren will test
our resolve to stay dry and in the rafts.
The work project is strenuous and involves heavy trail work, constructing trail
walls, removing vegetation, cutting saplings, lifting headstones, and digging
footings for bases. We will be using hand tools only, like pulaskis, mattocks,
pry bars, pruning saws, and rakes. There are no "light duty" projects.
With that said, this trip is suitable for well-motivated workers in very good
physical condition. We may have to walk a couple of miles uphill carrying tools
to the worksites. Team work is essential, safety paramount, and no one is expected
to perform beyond his or her physical capabilities. Help is always available
-- no one can lift and re-mount a 400-pound headstone without willing assistants.
Bear Him in Memory Ye kind friends and true
As one who loved the orders cause and you
Join his fond name in three link chain
Although on earth we cannot meet again
Equipment and Clothing
Photo: Marty Joyce
The Park Service will provide all the tools and work gloves. Group cooking
and cleanup gear is also provided. However, please plan to bring the following:
- Dry bags or plastic trash bags to keep things dry in the raft
- Poly base layer to wear under life jacket
- T-shirts, shorts, and work/hiking boots (you must wear boots on the work
projects)
- Canvass shoes/sneakers/water shoes: an old pair for muddy excursions and
rafting
- Long-sleeved shirts: lightweight for sun and mosquito protection, heavier
for chilly nights
- Light jacket/sweater: for cool evenings
- Long pants: protection from sun, poison ivy, ticks, and knee protection
while working
- Sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Fishing equipment (a license is required)
- Camera and binoculars; waterproof camera for raft trip
- Daypack, canteen
- Rain gear: prepare for rain, equip for rain (rain jackets and pants)
- Camping gear: tent, sleeping bag, personal toilet items, and personal eating
items (spoon, cup, plate)
- Amulets, talisman, charms, and other preventive measures
References
Websites:
Conservation
Photo: Marty Joyce
The New River Gorge National River was authorized by Congress in 1978. About
60,000 acres of public land are now protected along with 53 miles of river with
a diverse portfolio of plant species. We will practice Leave No Trace principles
during our visit and leave all areas a little better than we found them.
The gorge is
still recovering from intensive resource extraction. The New River watershed
starts in North Carolina, meanders through Southern Virginia to Southern West
Virginia. Water quality is an issue mostly from impacts outside of the park
like mining, logging, manufacturing, agriculture and disposal of human waste.
Invasive species, both plant and non-native fish, are also a problem. The most
recent concern is vacation homes on rim overlooks.
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The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.