High Adventure Club returns to Gauley Fest
Members of the High Adventure Club walk forest trails in Summersville, West Virginia.
For more than 30 years, a campground in Summersville, West Virginia has served as the venue for a white water rafting festival tat a group of students from Central Michigan University have attended the last few years.
High Adventure Club traveled hundreds of miles this past weekend to embark on the world famous Upper Gauley in addition to attending Gauley Fest. The Upper Gauley is known as "The Beast of the East" for its class five roaring rapids.
Beginners and professionals alike have rafted down the Upper Gauley. Year after year, HAC looks forward to the gut-wrenching feeling of rafts nose diving up to 10 feet and waves barreling into them for 10 miles.
"White water rating is you and all of your friends working together to make it back as dry as possible," said Miranda Andrews, who has attended Gauley Fest twice now.
People with a love for the outdoors come from all over the world to take part in Gauley Fest. This year 24 HAC members attended, four of which were veteran alumni and 10 who were new members. New members had lots of time tot bond with others during the drive.
"We all went down not knowing each other that well, but we came back with more friendships built," Drake Smarch said after attending Gauley Fest for the first time.
After nine hours cramped in a car, participants pitch tents in a camp ground. Campsites were first come, first serve and quickly filled up as groups piled in on Friday evening. For three sleep deprived days, CMU students gathered together under the stars of West Virginia. The smell of fresh cut grass mixed with fair food that filled camp ground as food vender's started up their fryers.
"The people at Gauley Fest are the awesome, adventerous nut case types that you do't have to worry about stealing anything because they are ust that genuine," Andrews said.
Gauley Fest has a lot more to offer than just white water rating. As tradition, HAC also visits Summersville Park. A scenic two mile hike through rocky terrain ad woods ends with a popular cliff jumping spot for locals, becasue of its deep and crystal clear waters. Members accidentally stumbled upon a swimming hole with a near 50 for, ice cold waterfall and a grotto.
"Gauley Fest is a lot of unexpected fun," said HAC president Dejanae Morris.
