Whitewater Rafting on West Virginia's New & Gauley Rivers

A certain mixture of whimsy and derring-do is required to shove off down (or up) the New River or Gauley with scant protection aside from a helmet, life vest and one's compatriots. It's a choice that could be so easily avoided, but that wouldn't make sense to the proud and colorful characters who've long been shooting these rapids, some of the most popular and treacherous in the country. Here, Jay Young, a rafting guide turned writer, leads readers through the local lore and history of the rivers, where much to the delight of those brave enough to face these rapids the ordinary almost never occurs.