There will be much fun to be  had starting May 1, when Little Kanawha Adventures officially opens their doors at the site of the old bar and tavern at the mouth of Tanner Creek.

The owners of the new business, Katie and Bobby Yarborough from Pittsburgh, say that the Little Kanawha River was a big part of their childhood, and they were surprised to find that no one else had thought of opening the river to commercial traffic.

“We grew up in a small town just outside of Pittsburgh,” said Katie, “Our families lived on the same block and we always vacationed together for three weeks in West Virginia every summer. We rented an old house on the other side of the river almost directly on the Gilmer/Calhoun county line, and we used a johnboat to get back and forth across the river.”

The Yarboroughs said that their business is starting as a canoe rental and livery service with other exciting things coming. “We are offering folks the chance to see the river as we did when we were children,” Bobby said, “We have agreements with landowners along the river to allow camping for customers or  families who wish to go all the way to our last take out, which will be at the Sanoma Bridge in Wirt County. The way the river winds its way through the hills makes that about 50 miles of paddling through some of the most beautiful country in the state.”

Little Kanawha Adventures will host a pig roast/barbecue every Saturday night with live music featuring local musicians in a family friendly atmosphere. The company will be offering canoe and kayak rental and instruction, as well as raft and inner-tube rental for day or multi-day trips. There will be take out spots along the river at approximately five mile intervals except for some of the more inaccessible stretches of the river. There will also be guided trips for fishing, hunting, photography, bird watching and natural lore. They also hope to offer a fly fishing school before the end of summer.

“We fell in love with the Little Kanawha when we were just kids. We even fell in love on the river as teenagers. We know that people from all over the country will fall in love with the river and the area. There are no nicer people anywhere than here,” said Katie.

“Sometimes the best way to appreciate where you live is to quietly cruise the river and let yourself drift back to the time when the river was the interstate of travel and commerce. It sure beats watching TV or updating your Facebook status,” Bobby said.

They couple hopes to build a log cabin bed and breakfast within the next couple of years and plan to utilize local people as their both their guides and construction workers. As the company grows there will be an opportunity for many area people to work there.          April Fool’s