A friendly group of whitewater rafters and kayakers didn’t let a dose of April Fool’s Day snow get in the way of river fun Friday.

On a windy, snowy morning, three boats with 18 Adventures on the Gorge guests, along with a few kayakers, dunked their paddles into the water and got to work officially christening the company’s 2022 spring rafting season. on the New River.

They shared the river Friday with clients from New & Gauley River Adventures.

Among the AOTG customers who advanced on Friday despite less than ideal weather was Northeast Ohio resident Michael Filiaggi.

“This is my first time whitewater rafting and going down to West Virginia, so I’m really excited,” he said minutes before the groups set up at Cunard Access. . After taking the plunge, of sorts, on Friday in the Lower New River, Filiaggi is set to tie the knot soon.

“I’m getting married later this month so it’s for my bachelor party.”

He didn’t let Friday’s weather bother him too much. Saying he wouldn’t describe himself as “concerned”, he said the weather “just makes it a little bit more interesting.” We are all looking forward to it and ready for the adventure.

“My dad and my brother, they’ve done it before,” Filiaggi said. “My dad has probably been on the river a dozen times, and some of my future wife’s family is with us, and we’re all new to this.”

About his state of mind before leaving the launch area, he said he was “open-minded and ready to have fun”.

Friday boaters on the Lower New called at Cunard and planned to exit at Fayette Station in the shadow of the New River Gorge Bridge, said Jay Young, marketing photographer and videographer for AOTG.

“We’re going to run about 6 miles today,” Young said. Discussing Friday’s river level and the classification of expected rapids, Young said:

“Officially the ratings don’t change, but they do change a bit with the water level. We’re at about 3.5 feet today, which is a bit low for spring; it would be super high for the summer.

“I think we’re going to see some solid rapids in the Class IV range, with the biggest being a set of three rapids called the Keeneys and another called Double Z.”

Young said considerations are being made for unpleasant weather. “(It was) nuclear snow on us earlier this morning,” he said with a laugh. “We try to make sure everyone has the right kind of clothing because the weather today is not exactly a scorching hot day. It’s a bit chilly.

Another aspect Friday concerned the plan of attack to accomplish the trip safely and with the least possible discomfort. Young said,

“We are going to run pretty fast. We’re not going to stop for lunch; we’re not going to hang around and take our time.

“We’re going to get on the water, we’re going to paddle hard, …and get off before anyone gets too cold.”

Young himself was fired up and ready to go.

“Personally, I’m just completely excited,” he said. “When we come to the end of the season in October, a lot of people are like, ‘Wow, I need a rest.’ I’m usually like ‘I’m ready to go again, let’s do it again.’

“So I’ve been waiting all winter for this, and I’m ready to rock.”

After the trip was over, Young said the ride was “super smooth.” After snow was “dumped” on participants in the first 15 minutes, the weather improved the rest of the way, he said.

“We’ve seen a surge in interest in outdoor adventures over the past two years, and many of our customers have said they want to make rafting and other activities a regular occurrence,” said Roger Wilson, CEO of ‘AOTG.

“We are ready for them, and look forward to our classic rafting experiences and more.”

Most spring rafting occurs on the New River, with rafting on the Gauley River considered more opportunistic because flows are dependent on water discharge from Summersville Lake.

The New River has lower and upper sections. Upper New River rafting begins in mid-May and is considered more family-friendly.

AOTG also offers rafting trips on the Gauley River from mid-May.

A new option this year for AOTG customers is to sign up for the “Best Ride of the Day” and let the guides choose.

On any given day, the best run might be the Upper Gauley, Middle Gauley, Lower Gauley, Upper New, or Lower New, as well as the less frequently run Dries on the New River, Cherry, or Middle Meadow River , according to a press release from Mesereau Public Relations.

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