Gauley

The Lower Gauley is a different experience at higher levels. Commercial raft trips put on (or used to anyway) at levels up to 15k or so. The river changes character above about 7000, and there was a fatality at high water sometime in the early 90s, but it's pretty awesome, not that hard, and lots of fun at higher levels. Rapids that are very different above 9k or so include Canyon Doors (chaos in its first drop), Lower Mash / Diagonal Ledges (all one awesome rapid; scout or follow someone who knows the route, and stay way the heck to the right!), Heaven Help you (scout!), Stairsteps (benign, but ten or so of the biggest pyramid waves east of Lava Falls), and PSH (the highwater hole is on the inside of the left turn).