You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘trail running’ tag.
This past weekend I went for a couple of trail runs in the New River Gorge. Every time I find myself on the New River trails, I’m blown away that this amazing place is right in my backyard in Fayetteville, WV. I can leave my house, head two blocks to the Fayetteville Town Park and hit the Fayetteville trail head, which connects with the network of biking and hiking trails in the gorge.
The Fayetteville Trail as it heads out of the Wolf Creek drainage.
On those moments when I’m sucking wind and take the time to look around instead of watching for roots and rocks on the trail, I take in the smells, the sounds, and, of course, the sights. Sunday was particularly enjoyable. a skim of snow had fallen that morning. The snow was wet and sticky and clung to the hardwoods, the pines and the rhododendrons. The trails were wet, but not snow-covered. The moist ground dampened ambient sounds and provided a silent cushion on which to run. I felt like I was seeing these trails for the first time and did my best to be in the moment, even when my lungs were on fire, my hands tingling. It’s pretty cool that each run can be an whole new adventure.
My old boss and business partner, Chris Dragan, used to preach to the guides at Wildwater that we should treat every trip down the New River or the Gauley River as if it was the first time. The goal was to keep the excitement at a peak so that our guests would feed off that energy and enjoy the river as much us we our first time white water rafting.
I know of all the things I do here at Wildwater, raft guiding is still my favorite. By far. Nothing beats getting in the raft, interacting with excited rafters, paddling world class whitewater, seeing the smiles and hearing the squeals of delight. And that’s just from me. I still can’t believe I live here in New River country.
There is no greater sense of satisfaction than watching someone in my raft totally immersed in the moment, smiling and content. If you have any stories about your first time rafting — the time you thought, “yeah, this is for me” — send them my way. I’d love to hear them.
