| You are hanging onto a sheer rock face, hundreds | | | | North American River Runners on the New River. |
| of feet above the ground. You grope for your | | | | Beginners can learn on tamer sections of the |
| next handhold or foothold as you slowly make | | | | river, while advanced kayakers canget wet (really |
| your way to the top. Suddenly, a little voice | | | | wet) in currents and the Class III rapids. Check |
| speaks to you: “are you absolutely out of | | | | out their website at if you dare. |
| that little bitty thing you call a mind?” | | | | - Mountain Biking for those of you who prefer to |
| The answer of course is yes in a way. You have | | | | stay dry (but don’t mind getting muddy, |
| bitten by the adventure travel bug and there is | | | | cut and scraped) The Fayettville Trail stretches |
| no cure. All you can hope to do is keep feeding | | | | 2.8 miles from town, while another trail called the |
| the bug until you are too old and gray (hey wait a | | | | Cunard-Kaymoor Trail is 7 miles and takes you |
| minute, I am getting old and gray myself) to keep | | | | around the Summerville Lake. |
| it up. | | | | - Rockclimbing. For the seriously brain damaged |
| But at least you will have plenty of stories to tell | | | | among you, the locals call it simply, “the |
| your kids – unless you let go of this rock | | | | Discombobulated.” I can’t help but |
| face. | | | | think that is what happens to you if you fall off |
| I am thinking these thoughts because I just read | | | | this 511 foot sheer sandstone wall that rises |
| an article called Adrenaline Nation in the April 2006 | | | | above the New River Gorge. I hear the view is |
| Outside magazine about the little town of | | | | awesome if you ever make it to the top. You |
| Fayettville, West Virginia. It seems to me that this | | | | can check it out at |
| little town has more opportunities for adventure | | | | - But when the day is done, you will want to eat. |
| vacations than any other area of the U.S. (I | | | | Outside magazine recommends Smokey’s |
| welcome any disagreement to this point as your | | | | On the Gorge, a place known for its gormet |
| feedback will probably give me other places to | | | | buffet with wild boar ribs and a spectacular view |
| check out). | | | | of the New River Gorge. |
| For example: | | | | If I still haven’t convinced you to steer |
| - Whitewater. There are several Class III and IV | | | | clear of Fayettville, you might want to check out |
| rapids open all Spring and Summer in the area. | | | | these other websites. Perhaps sanity will prevail: |
| And in September and October, the Summerville | | | | [ |
| Dam opens to create Class V+ rapids for those | | | | COPYRIGHT © 2006, Charles Brown. All |
| of you with stomachs of steel. | | | | rights reserved. |
| - You can also take Kayaking classes offered by | | | | |