By Jay Young
Renowned for its world-class whitewater and rock climbing, not to mention hiking, fishing, mountain biking and a whole lot more, the New River Gorge becomes a virtual ghost town in the winter.
There exists, however, a hearty local community of outdoor enthusiasts who don’t let little things like snow and cold keep them down. In fact, a subset of the outdoor community here comes alive in winter to ski and snowboard and, in the meantime, bides its time for the eventual gift days—those afternoons when, between snowy bouts, the sun shines strong and temps rocket into the 40s and 50s.
Invariably, we see a few them every winter, and when they pop up, climbers by the Subaru-load head for Summersville Lake. A popular water-soloing location in the summer, Whippoorwill, for example, dries up in the winter, the bottoms of climbs poke out of the lake bed and a surreal climbing environment enjoys its day in the sun. Even with temps only in the high 30s, it’s not uncommon to spend several hours of the day at Whippoorwill climbing in short sleeves on rock that radiates warmth.
Though it was first visited by climbers in the 80s, Whippoorwill didn’t really rise to prominence until the middle 00s, when local climbers began a renaissance of sorts of new climbs and winter recon trips. In those years, Whippoorwill yielded a host of moderate climbing, and word soon spread of its easy access, short walk-in and warm, sunny cliffs. When Mike Williams’ guidebook, New River Gorge Rock Climbs, hit shelves in 2009, the new Whippoorwill was in it and the floodgates opened wide.
For non climbers, the lake bed also offers once-a-year hiking opportunities with outstanding fossil hunting!
To get to Whippoorwill, head north from Songer/Adventures On the Gorge on Route 19, as though you’re headed for the Gauley River. Go past the turn for the Gauley, and then begin looking for Whippoorwill Rd., which is not much more than an inlet of asphalt on the left. After turning left, hang an immediate right and follow the roadlet downhill until you see a dirt road leading left into the woods. Park here and hike the dirt road to the top of a gully that will lead you to the lake bed.
