Summersville Lake at 300 feet deep obscures long stretches of steep gorge walls cut by the Gauley.  For all but about 20 days a year an earthen dam holds back the waters that historically raged through here.  At the base of the dam, three 9ft diameter valves direct flow through the huge nozzles that charge the raging Gauley during let-down in the fall.  Even today with just one valve open there is a roar in the rocky riverbed and the mist cools the air as water from deep in the lake spills out.  Rafters after the wildest rides put in here just below the dam in September and October.  It must be amazing and I suspect more than just a little frightening!

Corp of Engineers operate Battle Run Campground within the dikes of the lake.  Locals claim that it is periodically flooded to levels well above rooftops.  This week though, despite a LOT of rain, all is well in the campground.  We have a water front site and have launched kayaks (we left the motorboat in Pt Pleasant for now) a couple different times.  It is a pretty busy place but nice for water play.  Long Point is a 100+ ft cliff that folks say serves as one of this lake’s “jump rocks”.  We took the ridge trail up onto it but never even considered the quick way back down.

We have opted for early morning Kayaking.  It seems best for wildlife, a smooth lake and calm winds; plus, highs have been bumping 90F and setting off lots of thunder showers in the afternoons.  It has mostly been quiet paddling watching the many mallards that call this place home.  We have watched Pileated Woodpeckers forage along the shore, surprised deer on the bank for their morning drink, and studied a giant blob of a bird in the treetops.  It turned out to be a red tailed hawk.  I am pretty sure that this is the only kind of paddling I will ever be doing on the Gauley.