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Source: The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va.迷你倉Aug. 14--The noise downriver begins as a low and gentle rumble, before it amplifies to a pulsing roar and, finally, ends like a thunderstorm on a sheet-metal roof."OK, everybody, helmets on," asserts raft guide Graham Story.The force of the current on the lower half of West Virginia's New River swiftly pulls our boat of eight downstream. But, for a moment in the slack water above one of several imposing rapids, the raft hangs suspended. Then, with the speed of a roller coaster, it quickly enters the sleek, sharply tapered tongue -- a sliver of smooth, green silk unfurled before the churning white water. The seconds seem like hours as we plunge toward the mighty abyss.Imagine a piece of flotsam caught in a whirlpool; the boat rocks freely from side to side. Those of us onboard are plastered by the wall of colossal foam, as we eagerly paddle forward, in unison, at the urging of Story, who barks his orders with urgency to keep us from being washed into the rocky depths below.We endure the intense pounding unscathed, only to find ourselves begging for more.The day began a little after 10 a.m. with an introductory session aboard Adventures On The Gorge's roughly 20-minute bus ride to the launching point in Thurmond. It's about 10 miles from Fayetteville, which sits on the precipice of the New River Gorge, a 500-meter-deep trench carved out by the raging New River through the Appalachian Mountains of southern West Virginia.Our trip leader Brian "Squirrel" Hager, who's been rafting this white water wonderland for more than 30 years, spoke to the fidgety crowd, trying to calm everyone's nerves and elicit a few laughs.He exposed us to the possible dangers, noting that heavy rainfall has made the water level high -- eight feet above normal, to be exact."There are going to be massive waves today," Squirrel said. "And if for some reason I've scared you to death, that is not my intent. This is good family fun [laughs]. It might not sound like it with me up here talking. But on any river trip you do -- anyplace, anytime, anywhere -- there's always potential for injury, serious injury or, even, death. There's no way to sugarcoat that."After arriving at the put-in, enthusiastic hoots and hollers echoed through the valley on the riverbank while our outfitter's crew readied the gear and a half-dozen boats for the day's adventure.The Class VI guides promised us a rafting experience that was much more than a mere roll down the river. They're an intriguing bunch, a cross between burly Southern gents and genuine adrenaline junkies, who motivate their clients with open-mouthed smiles and pep rally cheers.We donned our helmets and life jackets, an oar resting in the hands of each brave and bold rower. The weather was primed for takeoff: skies were crystal-clear, with temperatures hovering in the mid-70s.While the other boats filled up, we drilled Story with an arsenal of questions: "How long have you been working for this company?" "How many times have you tipped over?" "What should we do if the raft does tip over?" "Could you possibly try to keep this thing from tipping over today?"Once all the rafts were in the water, there was a brief rehearsal. We spent a few moments discussing the techniques Squirrel explained to us on the bus: "high-siding," when you jump to the downstream side of the boat to prevent flipping, and pulling a "long swimmer," or a person who has fallen overboard, up to safety.At this point, there was no turning back. The foaming, growling chaos was upon us. We braced for the worst, clenching our plastic paddles like swords before a medieval battle."Let's go forward-five," shouted Story, as he steered the boat from behind and through the gushing insanity. "Now three more. And three more. And go, go, go."The first surge hit the raft with a strong uppercut, then lifted us just above the waterline and danced the boat over a train of consecutive waves at a rapid appropriately named Surprise. Water flooded our peripheral vision. The boat tossed and turned, until we were spit back out into the calm."Whoa, that was awesome," declared Kent Belan, who made the trip to West Virginia from Georgia with his daughters, Kelsie and Lynsie. "Oh, man."In addition to racing white water, the area surrounding Fayetteville offers outdoor enthusiasts one high-octane thrill ride after another, from tree-top canopy tours to cat-walking beneath the New River Gorge Bridge, 850-feet above the rapids, to ATV excursions over mountain trails with stunning vistas.It takes about three hours to get to Fayetteville from Lynchburg, a splendid drive that showcases the lush green horizons and rolling hills of these two states' picturesque countrysides. Just take Virginia 130 west off of U.S. 29 north and, after short stints on U.S. 501 and I-81, you'll hop on I-64 for roughly 100 miles. Then, it's a 20-minute ride, on West Virginia's U.S. 19, right into town.If you're hungry, the Secret Sandwich Society has a selection of uniquely designed grinders, like the POLK (roasted chicken breast, served with the restaurant's signature bacon jam and aioli) or the COOLIDGE (roasted pork loin, topped with homemade pimento cheese spread, oven dried tomatoes and onion). The words incredibly delicious come to mind.Back in the water, our group was gearing up for an afternoon of ripping swells after our Class IV adventurists fed us a superb meal -- included in the price of the tri文件倉 -- along a sandy stretch of the riverbank."I'm so excited," Lynsie Belan said. "I want to get thrown out of the boat."There still were plenty of rapids left to tackle, like the Middle and Lower Keeney, Double Z, Greyhound Bus Stopper and Miller's Folly.The sound of water barreling over the submerged boulders that hide beneath the surface continued to increase. Suddenly a boiling, spray-laden vortex of rocks and fluffy white ferocity loomed ahead. It was the untamed, rugged beauty we'd been waiting for."When I say row," Story softly muttered, "you all row as hard as you can."Other commands and instructions soon followed, making it crystal clear that these had to be taken seriously.The five boats in front of us changed into four, then three, and so on at regular intervals. They didn't just disappear. First, the body of the raft did and, for a split second, you could only see the top torsos of the rowers above the waterline.Seconds later, these, too, were gone and the body of the next raft was out of sight. It was as if the whole string of our boats was heading down a giant escalator, tossing like leaves down a huge, slippery stairway.Hair-raising action, constant motion and a bit of risky business summed up the second half of our trip, but the group, all grinning from ear to ear, immediately started talking about the next time."The rapids, like the third one before the end, where we got smashed, and [Kelsie] knocked into me, that wave just slammed us, boom," said Cody Jetton, a North Carolinian who also braved the waters of the explosive Toro River on a recent trip to Costa Rica. "That didn't happen there. This had some harder waves. It was like, bam. I'd do it again. We might make it an annual affair here."------THE SITESAdventures On The Gorge, 1 Ames Heights Rd., Lansing, W. Va., (888) 406-4679, .adventurewestvirginia.com; rafting trips start at $79Gauley River National Recreation Area, Victor, W. Va. (turn off of U.S. 19 onto U.S. 129 toward Summersville and follow the signs), (304) 465-0508, .nps.gov/gari; open year-roundThe Mystery Hole, 16724 Midland Trail, Ansted, W. Va., (304) 658-9101, .mysteryhole.com; open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (last tour is at 5:30 p.m.)New River Gorge National River, New Haven, W. Va., just north of Fayetteville off of U.S. 19, (304) 465-0508, .nps.gov/neri; open year-roundTHE SHOPSMarathon Bicycle Company, 104 E. Maple Ave., Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-2337, .marathonbikes.com; open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. SundayMountain Art Glass, Hinkle Road, just off U.S. 19, Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-1859; open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through SaturdayNew River Antique Mall, 100 High St., Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-4680; open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. SundayStudio B Art Boutique Wine & Beer Gallery, 309 Keller Ave., Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-9100; open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. SundayWater Stone Outdoors, 101 Wiseman Ave., Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-2425, .waterstoneoutdoors.com; open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through SundayTHE EATSCathedral Cafe, 134 S. Court St., Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-0202; open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and SundayDiOGi's Mexican Grill, 312 N. Court St., Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-3647, .diogismexicangrill.com; open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and SaturdayDirty Ernie's Rib Pit, 310 Keller Ave., Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-4822, .dirtyernies.com; open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. SundayGumbo's Cajun Restaurant, 103 S. Court St. Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-4704; open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through SundayPies & Pints Pizzeria, 219 W. Maple Ave., Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-2200, .piesandpints.net; open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and SaturdaySecret Sandwich Society, 103 1/2 Keller Ave., Fayetteville, W. Va., (304) 574-4777, .secretsandwichsociety.com; open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and SaturdayUPCOMING EVENTSNew River Gorge-ous Trail Run & Walk is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 in Minden, W. Va. There are three race options: a 13.1-mile (half marathon) run, a 7.8 mile-run or a 5-mile walk. All of the courses wander through deep hardwood forests and offer spectacular views of the New River and the historic town of Thurmond. For more information, call (800) 787-3982 or visit .aceraft.com/trail.Bridge Day is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in Fayetteville, W. Va. The 876-feet tall New River Gorge Bridge serves as the launch point for what's billed as six hours of safe, legal B.A.S.E. jumping. This is the only day of the year that traffic is shut down and spectators can safely walk across the world's second longest single-arch bridge. For more information, call (800) 927-0263 or visit .officialbridgeday.com.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The News & Advance (Lynchburg, Va.) Visit The News & Advance (Lynchburg, Va.) at .newsadvance.com Distributed by MCT Information Services存倉