Splish! Splash!

Wow! What a crazy week! Time for a breather and to post some more pictures from our rafting trip.

Duane and I, along with a fellow North Dakotan, Marlo,who Duane used to work with, and Mitch Mismash all hopped in the Jeep after church on the 22nd and away we went to West Virginia where we met up with the rest of Mitch's family. It is a beautiful drive into the Blue Ridge Mountains and onto the New River Gorge. There is this really cool bridge that spans the gorge.

This is a steel arched bridge that for a long time was the longest of that type in the world. Now it is in third place, sigh.

We hit a monster rain storm on the way there and pulled into set up camp just as is blew through Babcock State Park where we stayed. Babcock State Park is a beautiful place. Have you ever seen this picture before?

It may look familiar to you as it is in a lot of senic views in calendars. This is the Glade Creek Grist Mill that is located in Babcock State Park. Beautiful isn't it? Historical working mill. Did we have time to go check it out? No. Am I bummed out about that? Yes. Yet one more year of rafting where we come back and say, "We need a day of relaxation to wander around and check out stuff!" Oh well, maybe next year!

We rafted on the New River and the Gauley River. Both rivers were AWESOME! The water on the New was up to 6'. Yeah Baby! The highest that we have ever been on in that river.  We had a great guide, Mike, who made sure we hit the best spots while going down the river.

Musical Side Note: Super Massive Black Hole by Muse

I love this song. Gets the blood pumpin just like white water rafting!

"Ooh baby don't you know I suffer (seriously, why am I doing this again?)

Ooh baby can you hear me moan (no, I do it quietly in my mind).

You caught me under false pretenses (that calm spot may not be so calm!

Stay in the boat!)

How long before you let me go? (what Mike and Duane have said as the get "Maytaged")

Ooh Ooh Ahh Ahh You set my soul alight 

Ooh Ooh Ahh Ahh You set my soul alight (cause it's so FUN!)

Glaciers melting in the dead of night (well these rivers are not from glacier water but they were pretty darn cold!) and the super star sucked into the super massive (super massive white water!)

Glaciers melting in the dead of night and the super star sucked into the super massive, super massive black hole (make that super massive roiling boiling, rolling white water!)  

Not sure why the pictures aren't crisp and clean in this slide show and I am not doing it again. With my ever so impressive techno skills it only took me blankity blank blank hours to figure out how to get music with the slide show! So here are some of my favorite shots with a clearer perspective.

Check out the happy face on our guide. We nailed the rapid at the best spot possible! It was WICKED!

I have no picture from the Gauley river.

Please, don't cry. It's okay.

Just imagine the above with a few more rocks.

It takes skills to navigate those rocks and we got 'em!

Well, we had a guide with skills who made us look good!