West Virginia, the final frontier.
These are the voyages of the GSP Raft Trip.
Its continuing mission, to explore strange new beverages, To seek out new camp life and new campfire incarnations, To boldly raft where no one (or perhaps a whole bunch) have gone before.

That's right GSP's, it's time to start planning for the 30th Annual GSP Raft Trip - The Pearl Anniversary! ("They've Gone Pearl!!!")

It's true, this year will mark the 30th episode of the GSP Raft Trip, in case you old-timers weren't feeling old enough already :) Included below will be a few of the first details for this year's trip, so you can begin your planning. But first, a brief trip down memory lane.

Oh sure, most of us know the story of how it all began, but what group of our colorful and vibrant history doesn't deserve its own opening credits theme song (and by that I mean one of those tunes that will be stuck in your head for weeks, nay years, to come)?

So with that in mind I give you the new GSP musical intro entitled, "The Story". The music accompanying these lyrics will come instantly to most of you simply by reading, but for those who need a hint, one word: "Brady".

"The Story"

Here's the story of a man named Slaney,
Who’d been rafting before but not a lot.
And then one day, he got a phone call,
Could you help fill some empty raft spots?

Here's the story, of Slaney’s buddies,
Who were busy with things like school and brew.
Most of them were double E’s, like their buddy, Yet they knew little ‘bout The New.

Till the day these would-be paddlers met the river, Little did they know they’d be making history.
That this group would somehow form a family.
That's the way we all became the GSP’s.
The GSP’s, The GSP’s.

That's the way we became the GSP’s.

Copyright 2010, New Moon Enterprises, Inc.

So, GSP 2010 - The first details:

Since the 4th of July falls on a Sunday this year, the National Holiday when government workers and most of the rest of us get a day off work will be Monday July 5th. With that in mind, the 2010 GSP trip dates have been scheduled as follows:

Friday 7/2 - Ducky Trip
Saturday 7/3 - Pot-luck dinner
Sunday 7/4 - Lower New Trip

We will be rafting with NARR (North American River Runners) again this year after a successful inaugural trip with them last year, thanks to Ray's recommendation. Rates are still being worked out but are not expected to change drastically from last year, more info. will come in the First Letter.

So mark these dates on your calendar, and stay on the lookout for the First Letter sometime in the weeks to come.

For those of you who haven't made it to WV in a while, on behalf of all GSP's I'd like to encourage you to try to find a way to join us again this year for this 30-year reunion episode of the GSP Raft Trip. We'd love to see some faces we haven't seen in a while!

Your humble 2010 Organizer,
Gene Cowen
gene@gsp.org