🔴 This area is water level dependent. It is only climbable most days from December 1st until March 31st! See below for further information.
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This is an easy access area with a short approach, yielding one of the best of the grade in the region, Poached Egg v4. Please note that this area can only be accessed when Summersville Lake is at its lowest level in the winter ("winter pool"). Winter pool is 1575.5 ft (+/- half a foot), check this level at:
https://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wm/?basin/kan/sug
This area is usually muddy, a tarp would be reasonable although landings have been constructed (or can easily be made) under most of the boulders. Wear mud-friendly shoes for the approach.
**Note: Unfortunately all lake bed boulders will need to be re-scrubbed once a year when they come out of the water. Fortunately this is a fairly easy task and you'll be doing a good deed for everyone!
🚶♂️ Approach summary - Somewhat rugged. 7 to 10 minutes.
💎 Notable problems - Oatmeal v1, Poached Egg v4, Maple and Brown Sugar v7, Poached Legg v8
💧 Dry time - Hours to 2 days. Maple and Brown Sugar, Slab of Bacon and Poached Project 2 tend to stay wet for a day or two after rain, the rest of the lines dry more quickly. No additional wait time needed once rock is visibly dry.
🍂❄️🍃 Seasonal Beta - Only climbable mid fall through early April, see water level information below.
🌊 Water Level Beta - *SEE BELOW.
🚗 Drive from downtown Fayetteville - 22 minutes
🚗 Drive from Summersville - 10 minutes
🚽 Bathrooms - There are bathrooms at the main Salmon Run parking however these may be locked in the winter.
📶 Cell phone service - 5/5, excellent.
🐶 Dogs - Dogs are allowed.
*Water Level Dependent:
Salmon Run is only in season in the winter. It also requires the water level to be at "winter pool", the lowest level the lake is dropped to. This is 1575.5 ft (+/- half a foot). Most of the winter the lake is at this level, however after heavy rain the inflow will outpace the outflow and the lake will rise above winter pool. The lake will then slowly be lowered back to winter pool, usually over a couple of days. Check the water level at:
https://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wm/?basin/kan/sug
The US Army Corps of Engineers manages Summersville Lake and every fall they release the dam (causing the Gauley River to rage and bringing an influx of boaters to the area), and every spring they stop up the dam. The water is at winter pool (minimum level) by December 1st and they begin to refill the lake on April 1st. In the summer, Salmon Run Boulders is deep underwater, but in the winter the alien landscape of the dry lake bed is yours to explore. And you should explore it.
