5 paddlers ready for 300-mile New River journey to promote water trail
Five paddlers will embark on a “grand adventure” down the New River this summer, traveling 300 miles to highlight the New River Water Trail project and the Appalachian communities along the banks, the New River Conservancy announced Monday.
The expedition, organized by the nonprofit conservancy, will travel from the High Country of North Carolina to the river’s confluence with the Gauley River in West Virginia.
Along the way, the crew will identify gaps in recreation infrastructure, highlight areas in need of stronger protection and document sites that may require future cleanup efforts.
Canoeist is pictured on the South Fork of the New River at Zaloo’s Canoes in Jefferson, N.C.
The New River Water Trail is a planned 360-mile, multi-state paddling route intended to support conservation and connect communities along the New River through improved river access, camping infrastructure and recreation development.
The crew is set to launch in June and finish in August. During the journey, members of the expedition — dubbed NRX26 — will stop in communities along the river and host public events.
Their route will take them through the New River Valley on the way to West Virginia.
Canoes are pictured at Upper Shanklin’s Ferry near Peterstown, W.Va., in the New River Gorge.
The conservancy is inviting the public to follow the expedition through its social media channels, where the crew will post updates, observations and reflections from the river throughout the trip.
Meet the paddlers
The crew includes Anastasia Jeffcoat, a conservation biology student at the University of Idaho; Abbey Mays, who has led canoeing programs in urban communities and taught more than 3,000 students about local waterways; David Bernier, an assistant professor of adventure recreation management at West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley; and Lucy Bolin, an outdoor educator and soon-to-be graduate of the University of Tennessee.
Ann Rose, of Lansing, North Carolina, who has previously traveled the New River from her home to the Gulf of Mexico, will paddle sections of the route and drive the team’s support vehicle, assisting with resupply and other logistical needs.
“Our goal is to highlight the fantastic communities of the New, and the river that connects us all together in a way that shows what is possible through the New River Water Trail project,” said Andrew Downs, executive director of the New River Conservancy.
“I believe the trail will become a crown jewel of outdoor recreation in Appalachia, and the expedition is the best way for everyone to see what is possible on the river,” he said.
Ethan Hunt (540) 381-1678
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