6 minute read
River & Trail Outfi tters helps people connect with nature
written by MEG H. PARTINGTON
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KNOXVILLE, Md. - For nearly five decades, River & Trail Outfitters has helped people connect with nature and each other in mellow and wild ways.
Walter “Lee” and Eunsook Baihly, natives of Minnesota and Korea, respectively, started the business in 1972 with canoe and kayak rentals at their Knoxville home, which is still used by the business. Lee combined his experience as an Eagle
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Scout with his love for the outdoors to build an outfitter focused on safety and caring for customers.
Daughter Natasha Baihly was born a year before River & Trail Outfitters came into existence, so it has always been part of her life.
“I have seen it from the beginning,” said Natasha, president of the company. “It definitely was a fun business to grow up in. We definitely had a lot of life lessons.”
Natasha shared those experiences with plenty of other family members. Brother George Baihly, who lives 3 miles from her family’s home in Bakerton, W.Va., helps with the business, and his three adult children matured alongside the business. Her son, William Baihly, 7, helps, too (last year, he bagged face masks for customers so they could follow coronavirus safety protocols).
“It’s been a whole family affair,” said Natasha, who also is an acupuncture practitioner.
Her husband, John Gonano, a former Spanish teacher, now runs the business.
Branching out
Just as the family has grown, so has the business.
With the canoe and kayak rentals established, the Baihly clan added whitewater rafting to the offerings and kept expanding, said Jade Sammons, coordinator of group sales and a member of the marketing team. Tubing, bike rentals, ziplines and camping are all on the outdoor adventure menu for River & Trail Outfitters, which now boasts more than 70 staff members serving visitors from Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia. It has sites in Harpers Ferry and Millville, W.Va.; Brunswick, Md., and Knoxville.
Guided whitewater rafting on the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers is available to those 7 and older who are fairly good swimmers, said Sammons, who began her three-year stint with River & Trail Outfitters as a whitewater rafting guide. If water levels are higher than usual, the minimum age might be adjusted to 12 or 18 and older, she added.
Tubing trips lasting 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours on the two rivers are a tamer alternative to raucous rapids. One of the outings is guided, while two are not, Sammons said.
The mellow water is a “really great family-friendly experience” for ages 4 and older, Sammons said, adding that the acceptable ages vary with water levels.
Those who prefer to experience nature’s wonders from land might find camping in Brunswick to be a comfortable fit. There are cabins, plus room for RV enthusiasts to park their homes on wheels and for those who would rather pitch tents.
Food and drink tours are among River & Trail Outfitters’ adventure options, allowing guests to go kayaking on the Potomac or Monocacy rivers, then rebuild their stamina with appetizers, brunch and/or handcrafted brews and wines.
For those niche tours, the outfitter works with Big Cork Vineyards in Rohrersville, Md.; Smoketown Brewing Station in Brunswick; Abolitionist Ale Works in Charles Town, W.Va.; and Creek’s Edge Winery in Lovettsville, Va.
“It’s been fun partnering with area businesses, too,” Baihly said. “It makes a nice package.”
New this summer is Nature Kids, a series of day camps for ages 7 to 13 to learn about river ecology, art and leadership while exploring three national parks and two rivers in the region.
“We’re really trying to move slowly and keep a pulse on the community” when it comes to expanding, Baihly said.
Above: Tubing is one of the activities offered by River & Trail Outfitters. Submitted photo.
Right: Jenn Sirbaugh of Hedgesville, W.Va., enjoyed a recent river trip with some friends. Submitted photo
Time to play, learn
Licensed by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources and a member of America Outdoors, River & Trail Outfitters is serious about its commitment to helping others explore the natural world safely.
All of the guides are certified by the West Virginia DNR and are certified in basic first aid and CPR. Many have also completed training in lifesaving, EMT, swift water rescue and/or wilderness first aid. They are versed in river safety, boat handling and water rescue. The water staffers teach guests how to paddle efficiently and how to get back in the boat if they fall out.
“They’re also learning how to be a teacher,” Sammons said, adding that they go on 12 to 14 training trips before leading one.
Most staffers are college students and itinerant professionals in the business, Baihly said, though some as young as 14 help at the outposts by inflating tubes and assisting visitors with life vests. A few employees hail from foreign lands, so the staff gets to learn about other cultures, too.
Baihly said working for her family’s business helps young people build character and a sense of responsibility while exposing them to the real world. Employees interact with all sorts of people, so they learn what to talk about and what topics to avoid.
“There’s a lot of nuance to it,” Baihly said of being a guide. “They’re (patrons are) a captive audience to you for three to four hours.”
The outfitter is also serious about educating people about their natural and historical surroundings, so guides share their knowledge as they point out significant sites along the way.
“Most people do enjoy learning while they recreate,” Baihly said.
Customer perspective
Jenn Sirbaugh of Hedgesville, W.Va., relished being informed while taking her inaugural foray into the whitewater. She, two co-workers and their spouses donned wetsuits and spent a 75-degree day in mid-April on the rivers in Harpers Ferry. She worried that they were overdressed, but
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as the 60-degree water began moving more rapidly, it provided refreshing splashes.
Their guide catered to the scientific interests of the group.
“She knew we were all sciency people,” said Sirbaugh, a lab technician at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, W.Va. “She went over a lot about the geology of the rocks.”
Their trip leader also pointed out several species of ducks, as well as a cormorant, blue heron and turtle, the latter of which was particularly enjoyable for those aboard who study herpetology, the branch of zoology concerned with reptiles and amphibians.
“We were pretty excited to see a turtle,” said Sirbaugh, 30.
The day’s lessons included where the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers meet, local Civil War history and details about the talcum powder billboard painted on the face of Maryland Heights.
The entire experience was memorable, even the shuttle to the rafting site, during which staff members chatted with guests and told jokes.
“They really made it fun, even the bus ride,” Sirbaugh said. “They’re going to have a hard time stopping us” from visiting again.
Enduring goal
Baihly said her longevity with the family undertaking has been fueled by “the amazing and interesting people you meet from the customer-service side.”
Like most businesses that have been around for almost 50 years, River & Trail Outfitters has seen its share of rough times. Baihly recalled that the 1970s were economically difficult, but her father, now deceased, said the businesses that survive downtimes deal in boats and beer.
River & Trail Outfitters began with boats and has transformed over time, but its core values have not. Preserving and enhancing the health of humans and the Earth is an enduring goal, which the establishment seeks to do by teaching people about environmental concerns, leading river and trash cleanups, recycling and supporting organizations concerned about local waterways and trails.
The water and land excursions offered are meant to help overstressed children and adults refresh and refocus.
“I think nature’s a very healing, soothing thing,” Baihly said.
For more information, go to www.rivertrail.com or call 301-834-9950.
