Middle Youghiogheny River, SW Pennsylvania

[Waterdog]

Starting this as more of a destination report then a trip report but I paddle this river a lot as well as the Lower Youghiogheny R.. The Tip Top Yough and Upper Yough run North from Maryland to Yough lake (reservoir). The outflow is dam release by the Army Corp of Engineers and is bottom release. The water is cold into August and it is becoming a premier trout fishery. I plan on fly fishing it a lot this year. The Middle Yough is classified as a CII and the Lower is CIII/IV. The two sections are separated by a river wide water fall in the town of Ohiopyle PA. There is a bike trail path (rails to trail) that parallels the river and actually starts somewhere near Pittsburgh and runs to at least Cumberland, MD and maybe the DC area. I use this trail to self shuttle by bike and it is a nicely packed level riding surface. One of the reasons I run this river so often is that there's play spots on it and it is at runnable levels almost all the time. The town of Ohiopyle is primarily a whitwater outfitting town and so the dam releases every weekend except for the driest of times.

So I thought I'd get some pics over the weekend as I was social distancing by way of paddling during the current pandemic. In a typical year, Ohiopyle is pretty dead except for Summer, even then the weekdays are a good bet. So I figured last weekend I'd get an early start and as expected I did not see many people and no one was paddling. The Middle section is about 11 miles long and I only saw two fisherman.

Its about a two hour drive from Altoona PA and easily done to and from with one tank of gas. Easter Morning I got gas, wearing my latex gloves, and that was as close as I came to anyone all day. I haven't been into a convenience store since early March due to the virus. That means I have to make my own coffee and a quick breakfast sandwich from Sheetz is out. I left home about 5:30 AM and dropped my boat and paddling gear off at the put-in known as Ramcat Rapid.

Bell Rockstar laying along the river with my gear tucked underneath. You can see the bike path in the background.



Next I set out for the takeout in Ohiopyle. You have to drive from the town of Confluence to Ohiopyle and it's about 20-25 minutes on a two lane road over the mountain. Now it was time to make a hardy breakfast for the shuttle back to boat. I nearly despise riding a bike, but its the only way to make this happen when solo so I so it. Its 10 miles of flat trail, and early morning in the offseason or during a pandemic you will likely see deer and occasionally have to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing into one. But back to breakfast, this can't happen without some energy. Since I can't get a ready to go sandwich, I make a full blown breakfast behind my truck with Skottle. Eggs, potatos, and sausage, while I finish my copy. total time is 20 minutes from unpacked to cleaned and packed...and its hot.











Next was to put on my paddling clothes and get out the bike. So up until this weekend I had been using a mountain bike I bought used for $100 back in 2003. Out of 21 gears, only seventh gear works. If you put too much pressure on the pedals the chain skips, and the seat killed my arse. This weekend I took my Wife's old bike. For some reason I failed to take a pic of it but it is a 1999 GT Paromar(?) that is silver and purple. This baby is way too small for me, but the gears work and the pad is super cushy gel. That thick padded seat was heavenly, but my knees were killing me. This is the year I will probably get a bike that fits but I'm putting that gel seat on it. The ride is 10 miles and takes about 50 minutes.

While I was cooking breakfast I realized that the fresh battery I put in the camera wasn't so fresh and I would be limited on pictures. I stopped at several interesting spots on the trail and took some pics of the river and some kiosks that are along the trail.

Elephant Rock. This is a popular place for white water rescue training in the summer.



Some boogie water.



A view of the packed trail.



Some interesting informational kiosks along the way.











A flat section, perfect for summer swimming or just resting the paddle on your lap, closing your eyes, and listening.



Rock and Mountain Laurel flank the trail.



Another rapid, closer to the put in at Ramcat.


Finally I'm back to my boat. The black gold is pretty stealthy looking in amongst the dead leaves and bare trees.





Finally on the river.



I will stop here since the camera died shortly after and the pics aren't that good. These were all from Easter Sunday. I will go through my other pics and upload some of the actual river and maybe some wildlife shots from other trips. There are three Bald Eagles that live on the river for sure. One is huge and I have seen it dining on some seriously large trout and one of the others diving into the river and coming up with a nice fish. I don't know if I have good enough pics of these but I will post if so.

Any questions about the river or area, let me know.

Cheers.

Barry

 

[RickR]

Great Trip Report, Thank You! Looks like a wonderful day trip. I like the bike shuttle and the big breakfast to start!

 

[Big Al]

I'm jealous

 

[goonstroke]

Great trip report. I went to school in the burgh, and whenever I see cool outdoor stuff in Western PA I always think why didn't I know that was there?

Don't mean to bike-tangent in a paddling thread, but I just fixed the shifters on my daughter's (formerly my wife's) 1990's mountain bike. All 21 speeds working, although on a cold morning who knows maybe 14. The below the handlebar indexed shifters have these spring loaded rocker cam dodads, and when the factory lubricant dries out (10 years?) they get stuck. Ample quantities of WD-40 and patience freed them up. A satisfying little pandemic project.

 

[Guest]

Great report. Takes me back to a time when we were young and energetic paddlers with time to spare, and there were loads of other similarly inclined around to have a blast with. When I tripped with the local trail club, the Middle Yough was a favorite for the canoes, and the advanced kayakers would do the Upper.

This was back before everyone had a digital camera in their phones. I seem to recall that some local was taking pictures of the paddlers as they went by, on spec, and I paid for this print somewhere once we got off the river, but the particulars are hazy. The area was so popular with paddlers that it supported a thriving local merchant ecosystem.

Anyhoo, the Middle Yough was a fun trip with my late, great royalex Wildfire. Good times!

 

[Waterdog]

Thanks for looking. I didn't get any new pics this past weekend. The river was nearing 8' and I don't know if it would be safe to solo it at that level. I'm working on some other pics from summer/fall to add. I'll also add some information on Paddling levels with my next round of pics.

DaveO, that is flipper rapid. they still take pictures from that rapid. This is the same spot with Bell Yellowstone Solo.



Cheers.

 

[DuctTape]

Thanks for sharing. Brings back high school memories. A group of us canoed a portion of the river, and then rafted another portion. I recall some serious drops on the rafting portion, and one rock which apparently is referred to as "pinball"?

 

[dbogey]

Barry - great writeup and I'm loving that stove you cooked on. Breakfast looks delicious. I'll have to put that on my "to buy" list. I'm fairly new to paddling and live in Pittsburgh. I couldn't tell you how many times I've been to that area to do photography and hike. It's an awesome playground for all types of activity!! I'm in the market for a solo canoe and have found a Swift Osprey in expedition kevlar for around $800 that I think I'll pick up and use for my solo trips up to Algonquin and other areas. Is the Middle Youghiogheny a good area to learn how to paddle rapids? We've done some long flatwater trips but are heading to Wabakimi this summer and need to be able to navigate through some class I/II rapids?

 

[Waterdog]

Hey DuctTape - the Lower Yough has a rapid called Dimple about 1/2 way down and Dimple Rock is at river left and the rock directly adjacent to it is Pinball. Good place to eat lunch and watch rafter carnage.

dbogey - good to hear yinz get out Ohiopyle way. You’re right there’s plenty of stuff to do besides paddle. I have hiked the Laurel Highlands trail and do the OP section fairly often. There’s also Black Bear Nature Reserve just outside town near Fallingwater that is good for an overnight.

As far as learning and practicing paddling on moving water, the Middle section is probably the best place in Western PA.

I’d start at about 2.5’ on the American Whitewater gauge (Confluence). Until you’ve been down it a couple times and your confidence is up I recommend not paddling it solo above 3.5’ or so. It just keeps getting bigger and faster, I paddled it this past Sunday at 5’ solo. I did see some whitewater kayakers. There’s plenty of boulders for slalom and eddy hopping even at 2.5’. Perfect for practicing braces, entering and exiting eddys, and ferries as well as upstream attainments. **above 3.5’ or so it only takes a couple inches for the river to get more pushy and hydraulics get bigger. Ie. I noticed there’s a big difference between 4.75’ and 5’. I’ve been on it at 8’. At about 7’ and up it’s still class II, but some rapids then have Class III consequences.

finally, if you wanted to, there is Riversport in Confluence just above Ramcat rapid who could offer lessons for half or full day.

Cheers,

barry

 

[dbogey]

Here's a few from a couple of years back. Natural water slide and the falls. This was the same day someone went to the base of the falls to take photos and slipped into the water and was swept away and unfortunately died.

 

[Waterdog]

Nice Pics. The slide is Meadow Run and dumps into the Lower Yough above Entrance Rapid. When meadow is runnable as in your photo, the Yough is typically rockin’ at 8’. The highest I’ve ever canoed the Lower is 6’ and I’ve been on it at 8+ feet but you have to sign a waiver to access it at that point. I rarely run that stuff anymore and only in outfitted WW canoe, I sold or gave away all my kayak gear.

barry

 

[stevet]

As an aside, not too far from Ohiopyle is the Frank Lloyd Wright house “Falling Water”. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. Best “house by a creek” I have ever seen!!

 

[Waterdog]

It's been a busy summer for work and a dry one for paddling this year so far. With the remnants of Ida came substantial rain and everything came up...way up. The middle yough shot up to 9+ feet in 12 hours and now is dropping even faster. I'm hoping it will be at 3' or higher tomorrow. I know it's short notice, but if anyone in driving range of Ohiopyle wishes to join me for a paddle you are more than welcome. At 3' it has some push to it in sections but it is a solid class II or II+, so one should be confident paddling moving water. I don't have a time set up at the moment, I usually put on at Confluence about 10-11Am. I also usually stop along the way for about 45 minutes to cook a lunch and relax.

Any interested members can message me and I'll check in this evening. Or if you see me (I'll probably be in an Hemlock SRT or Bell Rockstar, and I drive a white Tacoma) give a shout out or join me. Either way, enjoy your weekend!

Barry

 

[Waterdog]

No takers yet but if you’re in the neighborhood I will not be driving my Tacoma but a white jeep instead. It will have the SRT on it. I dropped my truck off at the mechanics and left my credit card with my wife. Who knows what that will lead to?