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Additional information on this topic provided below.
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X-treme Ohiopyle
By Shannon Carson
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weather is a weird thing. We’ve all had our share of windy
beach days and snowless ski trips. Similarly, when we took a
trip to the 5th annual Ohiopyle Falls Race, the rainy, cold
weather wasn’t exactly ideal.
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falls race takes place only once a year in Ohiopyle State Park,
which is located close to Pittsburgh. People come to the race
from around the country and around the world to ride over the
falls in a kayak or canoe — or to watch others accomplish
this daring feat. The Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources’ Bureau of State Parks deems the falls too dangerous
for year-round, unsupervised riding. But, “at a certain
level and certain times of the year, it’s safe to run
the falls,” begins one volunteer Barry Adams, “so
a group of paddlers got together, went to the DCNR and more
or less got approval to run the falls.” Allowing people
scarce access to the attraction lends the event its unique appeal,
and draws real outdoor enthusiasts to the area.
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is, weather is a weird thing. And on this trip, the weather
made for too-heavy falls. The massive amounts of water flowing
in from tributaries to the Youghiogheny River made for excessive
speed and pressure — the Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources deemed riding over the falls just a tad too
risky this time around.
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fair weather or no, everyone who came to the event had a fantastic
time. I myself am no river rat but had plenty to do. Just walking
around, getting dirty, and breathing the clean air differed
enough from quotidian Philadelphia life to keep me busy. The
Falls Race is three days long, comprising a weekend that highlights
river activity.
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many sections of the river attract a diversity of skill levels,
and bring people back year after year because there’s
always something new to offer. One attendee says, “I can’t
do the Eskimo rolls or any of that yet, but I enjoy going over
the rapids.” Other weekend activities take place on the
trails along the river. The hiking terrain varies from flat
to steep, and from secure to slippery, which means that anyone
with shoes can explore the park. Bikers, joggers, and those
just strolling about expressed their content at Ohiopyle’s
offerings as well.
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wealth of options, as well as the area’s rich culture
and history, are what tipped off Event Director Ed Petresek
that the area was a potential travel and tourism hotspot. “Between
the 300 mile rail-trail, the over 70-mile hiking trail, the
two Frank Lloyd Wright houses nearby, and all of the history
I could go on and on about, this area teems with sport and non-sport
possibility,” he says.
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Nierman, a lover of water and the outdoors, was our indispensable
guide. With her we toured the rapids on foot by hiking from
Entrance to Cucumber to Railroad. It seemed that Cucumber represented
a kayaker’s dream rapid—whitewater everywhere and
lots of surfing options. I loved the view at Railroad, and wouldn’t
pass it up for any amount of surfing potential.
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Falls Race event also packs a schedule full of pastimes less
physically demanding: a film festival, barbeque, day and evening
schmoozing opportunities (sometimes complete with an inflatable
Dodge Neon as big as Clifford the big red dog), and much more.
The Pennsylvania Organizations for Watersheds and Rivers, Falls
Race partner and sponsor, hosted its river sojourns congress
this weekend, at which organizers from all over the state reflected
on the challenges and successes of this year's river sojourns;
these canoe trips traveled the Schuylkill, Juniata, Delaware,
Susquehanna, and many more despite wetter-than-usual conditions.
Out of all the options, I enjoyed the film festival most, because
of the humorous way paddlers rendered their passion for the
water. GreenTreks premiered its Sojourns: A River Adventure
here, a show that illustrates how fun experiences on the river
are essential to fostering environmental concern among citizens.
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of the attendees travel back home with memories of the weekend
that make the environment a part of their personal lives. This
intimate experience will show through the decisions they make
that allow for Ohiopyle Falls Races for years to come. Let’s
call them rain dates.
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For more information check out the following sites:
Ohiopyle
X-treme event
The
sponsoring organization, American Whitewater
Frank
Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater
PA
DCNR
The
Ohiopyle State Park
Watersheds.tv
feature on the Youghegeny River
POWR's
River Sojourn page
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