http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:37:36 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en One of the thrills building into the beginning of a rafting season is picking out the t’shirt selection for the summer.  We see shirts with artistic swirls of water & rafts, the traditional collared shirts with embroidered logos, and the catchy sayings like: “Paddle Faster, I Hear Banjo Music!”     Our ... http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog/songer-whitewater-rafting-tshirt-design-contest Remember going to the museum with your family?  Boring and awful?  Just wanted to get back to the swimming pool at the motel? [caption id="attachment_731" align="alignright" width="224" caption="Paddling, no matter where, no matter when, is a good thing."][/caption] My family (that would be Melanie, Dave and me) went to the WV State Cultural ... http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog/paddles-of-the-past-the-history-and-culture-of-west-virginia-whitewater One of our favorite things to do out on the river is surf white water. And people who haven't had the chance to surf West Virginia don't get it.  That's understandable.  It's not something most folks think about.  :-) [caption id="attachment_722" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Surf west virginia, y'all!"][/caption] How in the hell do you ... http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog/how-to-surf-west-virginia White water rafting is like a wet roller coaster with no seat belt. But safer.  And wetter. [caption id="attachment_715" align="alignright" width="300" caption="You must be at least this tall to ride this ride"][/caption] We get asked the "What's it like?" question a lot.  Even on the river.  "What's the next rapid like?" It's tougher to ... http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog/whats-white-water-rafting-like What, you thought all we did was go rafting? Nope.  We're pretty avid snow junkies, too.  The New River Gorge is kinda-sorta central to the ski scene in West Virginia (or at least it is for us), and it's a good place to lay your head while planning your next day ... http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog/west-virginia-ski-area-review ‘Twas the night before rafting, and all through the gorge The waves were a’crashing in rapids so large. The moon in the sky, so big and so bright Shone down on whitewater that cold winter’s night. [caption id="attachment_704" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Christmas Lights"][/caption] There were no hoots and hollers from summertime rafters No raft videos playing ... http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog/twas-the-night-before-rafting Not many folks want to go rafting in the New River Gorge during the winter. That's understandable.  The water is freezing cold.  So's the air, most of the time.  We get some snow, too. [caption id="attachment_699" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Like this, but with snow"][/caption] Winter rafting is not exactly a day at the beach. We ... http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog/the-essential-gear-for-winter-rafting So, how’s your Christmas shopping going?  Personally, I’m making myself crazy.  I’ve begged family members for ideas, I’ve looked at web sites, I’ve tried to compare prices- no luck.  The New River Gorge was too pretty for me to spend the day inside a mall, so… I went to Chicago. [caption ... http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog/shopping-and-rafting-and-gifts-oh-my Yes!  The Boy Scouts of America are coming to West Virginia. In a big way.  It's official now- the Scouts are going to build a new permanent home in Fayette County, near Fayetteville. The Scouts purchased 10,000 acres and will build a new high adventure base camp. Located adjacent to ... http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog/its-official-boy-scouts-coming-to-west-virginia This isn't in any kind of order- they're all equally good reasons to get up here. 10.  Cabins Does anything say Thanksgiving better than having it at a cabin up in the mountains for family and friends?  The answer is nope. [caption id="attachment_670" align="alignright" width="300" caption="It's Thanksgiving (don't tell these guys)"][/caption] 9.  Turkeys ... http://www.songerwhitewater.com/raftingblog/top-10-reasons-to-come-to-the-new-river-gorge-for-thanksgiving