ACE launches first New River raft trip of 2014 Saturday

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — ACE Adventure Resort will launch the first New River whitewater rafting trip of its 2014 season at noon Saturday, according to communications director Beth Gill.

Three customers from McLean, Virginia, have booked the first trip, which will depart from the ACE visitor center at Minden, near Oak Hill, W.Va., at noon under sunny skies and mid-50s temperatures, Gill said.

Resort officials had been monitoring a notable increase in requests for vacation information, according to Gill, and a Tuesday broadcast of a Travel Channel program featuring the resort spiked inquiries.

In 2010, The Travel Channel named ACE the largest adventure resort in North America, based on the number of guests it accommodates, the size of the facility, and the number of adventures it provides.

Gill said cabin fever and the approach of warm weather may also be responsible for the increase in inquiries, even though several school groups have had to delay plans to make up snow days. Several new large groups reservations have also been booked, she said.

Established in 1981 as American-Canadian Expeditions, ACE annually hosts more than 50,000 rafters on the New and Gauley rivers and offers more than a dozen additional outdoor-recreation venues, including a mile-long zip-line course along the New River Gorge.

For more information on ACE Adventure Resort, visit www.ACERAFT.com.

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