By Crys Bauer

Early in May, staff and board members from the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (WVHC) had the pleasure of tabling at the 30th annual Cheat River Festival. Along with several other non-profits focused on West Virginia conservation and preservation, the Conservancy had a great time catching up with old friends, meeting new friends, and celebrating the successes of our partner and host of the event, Friends of the Cheat (FOC).

While I have been attending Cheat Fest for many years, this was my first experience spending time in one spot with a sole focus on connecting with festival goers and spreading the word about the Conservancy and everything we are doing to protect West Virginia’s wild and wonderful charm.

I am always excited for every opportunity to get out into the public (and out from behind the computer) and meet members of the Conservancy, but being provided the privilege of blending my professional and personal world at an event that I hold so near and dear to me brought into perspective how much overlap there is in my passion for the local communities and for the watersheds and mountains of West Virginia.

For those who don’t know, I began traveling to the Mountain State when I started raft guiding on the Shenandoah River almost 18 years ago. After a handful of training trips, it didn’t take long before I utterly abandoned the life I once knew in Maryland and moved full-time to West Virginia. I didn’t know much then, but I did know one thing for sure—this haphazard job that I just stumbled into after reading an ad in my local newspaper had changed my life forever—for the better.

Less than one year later, I heard about the Cheat River and decided to take the next step and start training for the upcoming whitewater season. I can still vividly remember that first trip down the mighty Cheat Canyon and will never tire of retelling the stories of watching senior guides pack up their small raft, leave it on shore, and jump in other boats to continue downstream after losing a short-lived battle with one of the first hydraulics on the river. I remember thinking, “What did I get myself into?!” 

But just as before, little did I know exactly what I had stumbled upon. 

The truth is, not only did I find a lifelong passion—being on the river—but I also found myself out there.

I found myself in the water and learned how essential it is to go with the flow.

I found myself in the people and the entangled connections that introduce you to some of the most kind, humorous, and vivacious individuals.

I found myself in the verdant green that slowly penetrated the cold canyon walls in spring and the reminder that recovery is an important process of vitality. 

I found myself in the perseverance in the river, the people, and the mountains. 

It seems really cliche, but nowadays, I reflect a lot on my now-what-seems-like-extremely-long tenure in the whitewater community. From that reflection, one thing is extremely evident—lessons learned in outdoor recreation and adventuring in the wilderness can slowly permeate your everyday life, molding your morals and personal qualities before you can even realize it.

Slowly but surely, I went from river rat to environmental advocate. I wanted nothing more than to share my experience and passion with those who may not have had the privilege of experiencing it on their own while also doing everything I could to protect these precious resources for future generations to experience. 

This transformation of mine is funny, though. The thing about my experience on the Cheat River, during that first training trip, and every day I have spent on the river since is that I am not unique; these enthralling ventures, which will live rent-free in my head until the end of time, is something I share with many individuals and drives a lot of people to take action within themselves and the local community to protect what cannot protect itself. Many of those who have been through similar adaptations find their way to the banks of the Cheat River the first weekend of every May.

And that’s why I love Cheat Fest so much. Not only is it a gathering of the whitewater community, but it is also a gathering of like-minded individuals who have all shared in an extraordinary experience within the Cheat Watershed and have decided to actively support and celebrate those at the forefront of protecting and preserving West Virginia’s one-of-a-kind ecosystems.

Because of organizations like FOC and events like Cheat Fest, the Cheat River, with its challenging rapids and stunning scenery, has made a remarkable comeback despite seeing more than its fair share of environmental challenges over the years. It truly showcases what can be done when a group of concerned citizens get together and begin fighting for the health of our environment and local communities.

WVHC is delighted to partner with FOC and sponsor the 30th annual Cheat Fest and the Rick Gusic Cheat River Massacre-ence, one of the largest mass-start kayaking races on the East Coast. 

As a paddler, environmental advocate, and all-around lover of West Virginia, I am beyond excited to see my professional and personal worlds continuing to merge and to be allowed to share with so many individuals the impact that West Virginia has made in my life and why I work so hard to protect West Virginia’s invaluable landscapes. 

So, don’t forget to mark your calendars for next year! I can’t wait to see you all and celebrate the growing successes of the Cheat River at the hands of organizations like Friends of the Cheat on the first weekend of May!