Songer History
In 1978, the whitewater rafting fad swept across the United States. Sontheimer and Gerwick thought they might catch that wave and decided to start a rafting company in West Virginia’s New River Gorge area in Fayette County. As the story goes, Sonthemier and Gerwick were hardheaded entrepreneurs who argued over the name for the new company until they finally decided on Songer Enterprises, using the first three letters of each man’s last name. No longer a hobby but a business venture, Songer took the river.
Sontheimer and Gerwick operated the company until 1982 when Susie and Bob “Fish” Seiler moved to southern West Virginia from Pennsylvania to manage Songer. Susie and Fish had experience on the Yough in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, and thought that if the summer went well, they might purchase the West Virginia company from its owners. By the end of the year, they had made the purchase and renamed the company Songer Whitewater.
For the first few years, Songer Whitewater grew slowly. The Seilers operated the business from a small cottage on the banks of the New River, with their home serving as their business office. Not only did they operate the summer and fall business on the New and Gauley rivers, but they started each spring by hauling their rafting gear to the Cheat River in northern West Virginia.
As they grew their business, they gradually added equipment and purchased property. The first move to a more prominent site came when Songer Whitewater purchased an old motel on Route 60 beside Massey’s Truck Stop. Next, Songer Whitewater moved to Laurel Creek, sharing property with The Rivermen, another popular rafting company. During this time, Susie and Fish were divorced and Susie maintained the business, running the company with the help of Mike Keas and “Wildman.”
As Songer grew, developing a loyal customer base and a reputation for customer care, Len Hanger and
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Our commitment to personalized service and to our relationships with you, our guest, will
never change. -Len Hanger Owner |
Rick Smith founded New River Scenic Whitewater Tours in nearby Hinton, Summers County. in 1980. Isolated from the growing New and Gauley rivers outfitters, Len and Rick were on their own to learn the basics of whitewater rafting. They found those basics in William McGinnis book, “name of book”. Enlisting Len’s childhood friends and classmates and “Big Hippie” Rich’s friends, NRS developed a tight knit team of guides who offered rafting trips on the Lower and Upper New River. With a base in Hinton, NRS drew guests from Pipestem and Bluestone State Parks, busing them across White Oak Mountain on old Route 3 to Beckley and on to the New River Gorge.
During this time, Len and Susie met at whitewater rafting outfitter meetings and developed a friendship. In 1987, they married, becoming partners in life and in business. Len joined the Songer Whitewater team, concentrating on river operations and guide training while Susie managed reservations and finances. Their partnership brought direction to Songer Whitewater and a commitment to offering better products on the river and at the Laurel Creek base camp, which Songer Whitewater was still sharing with The Rivermen. Both companies experienced consistent growth in the late 1980s. As they grew, the base camp became too small for their separate operations.
In July 1990, Songer Whitewater relocated to Milroy Grose Road, leasing the semi-closed New River Gorge Campground. With its own identity and a larger facility, the business grew. During the winter of 1990-1991, Len and Susie built a new headquarters and office, using lumber provided by Susie’s father’s sawmill. The rustic building, which replaced an old barn that had been the campground store, fit well into the rural flavor of the area and the rafting industry. For the next ten years, the company grew rapidly, upgrading the property and facilities as customers’ service demands grew. Once again, Songer Whitewater found it was outgrowing its space.
In 1999, after weeks of searching new properties and walking potential base camp sites, Len and Susie purchased property on Miller Ridge Road in Hico. In the summer of 2000, Songer continued to operate at its Milroy Grose Road property while Len and Susie worked through the rezoning and planning at the new property. The Miller Ridge Road property was the first undeveloped land to be rezoned under a new county management plan to keep the scenic vistas in Fayette County unique. Songer Whitewater’s development of that property set the tone for future tourism developments in the area. The new base camp was built from start to finish in seven months, causing Jon Dragan, one of the founders of the state’s whitewater rafting industry, to say, “I am impressed. I did not think you could do this in such a short time.”
The Miller Ridge Road 100-acre base camp offered upgraded camping and, for the first time, deluxe cabins on site. Customer response was overwhelmingly positive; Songer Whitewater was a leader in its industry.
Since that time, the whitewater industry has changed. Guests are interested in more adventure and are looking for activities in addition to whitewater rafting. The challenges of maintaining good customer services, growing outdoor recreation options and marketing to changing, diverse markets requires innovative planning and cooperation.
On March 25, 2011, Songer Whitewater moved into a new chapter. The company joined Adventures on the Gorge at Ames Heights Road, forging its traditions with those of Class VI-Mountain River and its former partner, The Rivermen, at Adventures on the Gorge, an outdoor destination resort offering the best of New River Gorge recreation.