The Songer Splash Report
River Rescue Training Course
06/03/08Songer Whitewater senior staff go over River Rescue Techniques in one of several courses done throughout the season.
[More]Guide Trainees and a little bit of swim practice - West Virginia style
05/01/08We came into work early this Saturday planning on another training day on the Lower New River. While we do love the Gorge, this would be nearing double digits for how many times we’d all been down this classic stretch. There was definitely nervousness in the air when L.J. and Fidge, our guide trainer’s, told us that today we’d be paddling the formidable Lower Gauley at 5,500 c.f.s. – or nearly double the typical Fall dam release levels!
[More]Fun Events for a Great Songer Spring and Summer
04/23/08We have Cherry blossoms floating through the air and into the office window - that helps build the anticipation for warm weather and lots of visitors! This is an exciting summer for Songer Whitewater with new river access points, equipment and staff. Our training class is a diverse group of characters who will add additional eclectic personalities to the Songer family.
[More]Spring is here and it’s time to Discover the Meaning of Wild and Wonderful
04/09/08We couldn’t have asked for better weather to kick off the season last weekend! The New River was pumping over 18,000 cubic feet per second through the gorge, making for huge wave hits and some nervous guide trainees! We even got out on the Gauley River for some bonus spring time runs – a good month before our favorite river to the north normally starts to flow at rafting levels. Check out our Spring Gauley Party Package the first two weekends of May.
[More]Why Choose a Songer Vacation
01/25/08Simplicity begins with the website communicating what we have to offer in an easy format. We maintain a small office staff who are trained to coach you through the planning process. With one phone number and one “songer assistant” you can arrange lodging, meals, activities, payment plans, get directions and have confidence when relaying the information to the rest of your party.
[More]Limited Time Offer for Rafting in 2008
01/02/08It is the Songer tradition to offer rafting in the 2008 season based on last year’s rates if you reserve your trip by Feb. 1st with half the deposit. You will find there will not be a huge increase in any of the trips with some trips staying the same rate.
[More]Happy Holidays with a Rafting Gift Certificate!
12/12/07Gift certificates are available for the 2008 rafting season and what a great gift they make by giving someone an adventure experience!
[More]Deluxe Cabin Rentals
11/27/07Songer Whitewater has 6 cabins for nightly rentals this winter. Each cabin can accommodate 2-10 people and has it’s own hot tub, a fully equipped kitchen, all linens provided and a great setting. From now until the end of March, you can rent a cabin for $175 a night Sun.-Thurs. and $200 per night for Friday and Saturday night.
[More]The End of Whitewater Rafting in 2007
10/26/07As the height of our season winds down, we throw a party to say our final good-byes and get in one last good visit with fellow employees we won’t see for months and months. We call these awards the Barney Awards. The name originated 15 years ago when we purchased our first purple raft that resembled the color of the children’s character Barney the Dinosaur. The 25 awards consist of some awards you would be honored to receive and some awards you hold your breath in hopes you don’t get! Ballots are cast by every employee so it truly is a company feeling on who receives which awards.
[More]Bridge Day; West Virginia's largest one day festival!
10/12/07Have you even seen someone parachute through the air and dance their way back onto the ground? It is amazing how your adrenaline will pulse in rhythm with each brave soul hanging onto strings steering themselves to safety.
[More]Approaching the End of Gauley Season 2007
10/01/07Wow!! It’s hard to believe the first 4 weeks of Gauley Season have come and gone. It seems like yesterday that we were waiting for day one to arrive. As always it has been filled with fun, folly, great times, and unbelievable rafting. How could it not be when we are running one of the greatest rivers in the world! Thanks to all our friends who came and enjoyed the experience with us. And of course we still look forward to all who are rafting in the remaining weeks. It’s not like Gauley season is over yet. Not by a long shot!
[More]Gauley Season in West Virginia
09/10/07The moment we all have been waiting for has arrived! Welcome to the 2007 Gauley River Rafting Season!!! It’s as time that both customers and raft guides look forward to, and as always, it never disappoints. For 22 days each fall, the Army Corps of Engineers draws down the summer pool at Summersville Lake and readies it for winter flood control. While most reservoirs in the U.S. draw down their level each fall, Summersville Dam in unique because the release of water from the lake is scheduled for utilization by whitewater boaters. Federally mandated to be more exact! That’s right; Gauley Season is a federally mandated party on the river.
[More]Stocked and Ready!
08/30/07Today you will find a maze of boxes in the store filled with new Gauley River shirts, new splash jackets to rent and wetsuits. Songer stickers are being neatly placed on new paddles, helmets and even a few new life jackets!
[More]77 degrees of Happiness
08/13/07The heat has taken a break from the mountain state giving us a feeling of Fall. These last few weeks of August are a great time to raft the New River where you will find slightly cooler air temperatures and really warm river water. August is our “Family Fun Month” where we offer a 10% discount off the regular rates.
[More]Guest Feedback about 30th Anniversary Party!
08/08/07Dear Eddie, Dave M, L.J. and all the Songer friends,
Thank you so much for the truly royal treatment last Saturday at your exciting 30th anniversary celebration. Your customer service always is outstanding, making me feel much more like your partner in rafting fun. I deeply appreciated your many generous gifts at the celebration, and I look forward to celebrating #50 with you!
Big Water, Baby!
07/30/07Whitewater rafting on the New River the last couple days has been a true treat! With recent rains up and down the east coast, the New River which originates in North Carolina has had a consistently higher flow.
[More]Songer Happenings
07/16/07What great memories this summer will leave me with! Let me tell you about some of the events that have kept us in stitches; Songer Olympics, throwing first year guides in the pond and our Independence Day Celebration.
[More]Songer Whitewater Guest Feedback
06/29/07Hi Everyone at Songer,
This is just a quick note to let you know a little bit about my trip to Songer this past weekend. I was with the bachelor party which raised all that heck on Thursday and Friday night (kidding, we weren’t that bad!:) I wanted to say thanks and call out a few people who were especially helpful during our stay.There is something to be said about Southern Hospitality and whatever it is, Scott and Judy, the people who made all of the food for us, definitely have it. Not only was the food great, they were extremely nice. “Hey man, we gotta git you a tater.” Heck yeah man, those were some good taters! Thanks a lot Scott and Judy, you guys rock!
