Wake up with the Allegheny River...

Allegheny River canoe rentals with free trip planning!

We're getting into the spring swing at Allegheny Outfitters and Indian Waters, assisting folks in planning their 2010 Allegheny River canoe and kayak trips. Thus far, we've had trips range from 2 hours to 2 weeks, combining canoeing, kayaking, backpacking and biking. Let us know if we can help you get out there! Until then, here are some spring river pictures. See you on the river...

Allegheny River near Warren, PA

Spiny Softshell Turtle

Muskrat hole along the Allegheny with evidence of a tasty meal...

Hector Falls, Allegheny National Forest

Hiked down to Hector Falls today in the Allegheny National Forest. If you're looking for one of those "hidden treasures" in the ANF, this won't disappoint.

Green is starting to cover the forest floor and flowers are popping up through the fall leaves. I was surprised at the steady water from Hector Run trickling over t...he 22-foot tall falls considering we haven't had rain in quite a while. The kids had a blast checking out the falls, Hector Run and climbing through the other large rocks in the area. We're excited to return this summer!

From the upper gate this hike is roughly 2 miles downhill. The upper gate was open, so we were able to park in the lower section, making for a super quick hike of just a few minutes... and more time to play!

Spring fever in the form of a stonefly!

I've told myself I'll attempt to dip at least a finger in the Allegheny every day I live next to it. Before making my walk down to the river Sunday morning my husband came through the door full of excitement and announced that winter stoneflies are in full swing. As a fisherman, this sort of thing is second nature and of no big surprise to him, not to take away from his enthusiasm, of course. To me, though, this is an amazing event that I'm excited to share...

We (my husband, three kiddos ages five, six and nine, and myself) were quick to throw on our snow pants and boots and rush out the door to check out our latest river action. Yep, you guessed it... we've got spring fever pretty bad! All summer long we see critters of all shapes and sizes along the river on a daily basis, but spring makes us really appreciate the Allegheny River more than ever.

Stone flies are quick little buggers - on a mission as they scurry across the snow faster than my digital camera can focus in on their tiny little bodies (under 15mm). A slight wind swoops them away faster than you can bat an eye. Luckily we found one that was dormant, having just shed it's skin to become an adult. After snapping numerous pictures, we decided to do some research to figure out just how these little critters can hatch and survive in such harsh conditions, and what exactly it means that they are prevalent along the Allegheny River year round.

Here's what we found:

Nymphs climb out of the water and shed their skins to become adults. This is usually in late winter. The adults live just long enough to mate and lay their eggs. The nymphs hatch shortly and feed for a while before going into diapause (a hibernation-like state) from mid-spring until fall. Their main period of growth and activity is fall and winter.

The defining need of winter stonefly nymphs is for very high levels of oxygen in the water. Warm temperatures, excessive organic matter, and many pollutants all reduce oxygen levels. The result: they're only active in the coldest part of the year and are very sensitive to pollution.

Their main interest to humans is as an indicator species: you can tell that water is unpolluted if stoneflies live there. They also provide food for trout - though not as much as species active when trout are themselves more active in warmer parts of the year.

All in all, it was a super fun adventure... the kids all tracking down and following stoneflies in every direction to see where they might nest to shed their skins. At one point while walking through the path we'd made through about a foot of snow across the lawn, my six year old exclaimed, "be careful... share the road with the stoneflies... don't smoosh them!" We did finally capture a stonefly shed it's skin on tape. Please check it out on YouTube here.

Ahhh... what a life along the Allegheny River.

North Country Trail - Allegheny National Forest: North Branch Sugar Run (321) to Route 59, Pennsylvania

What a day... a beautfiul 3.5 mile hike from North Branch Sugar Run to Route 59 on the North Country Trail. Five minutes in we realized we'd underestimated the snow depth and wished we'd brought the snowshoes. (Note to self: keep those in car at all times!) Temperatures in the mid 30s made for a super challenging hike through wet, knee-deep (and sometimes waist-deep) snow the entire trail. The adventure of a winter forest more than made up for the hard workout.

The trail takes you alongside and across Hammond Run (pictured above), a beautiful stream that boasts a couple pristine camping spots. Enormous hemlock trees towering over the trail warranted a break to take them in (above). Numerous geocaches along the way can add an extra adventure to the trip.

Snow covered trees made spotting blazes tough in spots (below). Beginner hiking tip: a tree with a double blaze (two paint marks) indicates a change of direction, or that the trail is leaving an obvious path. After you spot a double blaze, watch carefully for the next blaze. If you go more than a few steps without seeing a blaze, you may have left the trail. Stop and retrace your steps.

Starting from Sugar Run Road (321), total elevation change was roughly 800'. The uphill climb could easily be turned around to work in your favor by hiking this trail in the reverse direction, beginning your hike at Route 59 and ending at North Branch Sugar Run.

Woodchuck Shadows

It looks like that woodchuck in 'Punks-a-tawny' is right about his prediction of a late spring, the temperatures are creeping up but it keeps snowing, leaving the woods a sticky, mushy mess that makes offroad mountain biking futile.  Treehugger Rob and myself had a nice 20 mile mountain-bike-ride-on-a-road down Dunn's Eddy road early this morning, every branch of every tree was carefully stacked with wet, heavy snow.  Without a doubt there is just a bit of spring in the air because the crisp, squeaky dry cold snow of February is already feeling more like mushy wet March snow.               

WNYMBA Swap Meet

On March 28th, the Northern Allegheny Mountain Bike Association (NAMBA) will be attending the WNYMBA Swap Meet in Williamsville NY. They are participating in this event as a fund raiser for trail building and advocacy projects, and are looking for donations of old bikes, parts, gear or any other biking related items. This is an easy way to help the cause.

If you would like to donate please email Brad at bluezman_65@yahoo.com, or call (814) 688-0531. Arrangements to pick up donations can be made.

North Country Trail - Allegheny National Forest: Willow Bay to North Branch Sugar Run, Pennsylvania

A super day for a winter hike! Blue skies and temperatures around 25 degrees made for a comfortable trip. We set out to hike the North Country Trail from Willow Bay to a parking area near North Branch Sugar Run, in what was supposed to be a 10 mile trip, but turned out to be more of a 15 miler after taking the scenic route through Hopewell.

I've finally got the winter clothing down to a science... I was dry and comfortable the entire 9-hour hike with only a couple light layers. Plenty of snacks and a 70 oz Camelbak kept me hydrated and energized.

It's amazing how much movement goes on in the woods during the winter... footprints of all shapes and sizes running in all directions. There are some busy critters out there...

Numerous campsites along the trail will make for some excellent camping this spring and summer. A couple sites are set along a promising fishing stream, many others are just along the Allegheny Reservoir.

Through quite a few elevation changes, the trail gave us a nice workout when it was all said and done. A number of trail maps were no longer readable due to animals, so having the GPS handy as a backup is recommended (especially on a winter hike when there's not quite so many daylight hours). Portions of the trail were on somewhat of a steep mountainside, which made for tricky footwork in the snow, and stunning views of the Allegheny Reservoir at the peaks.  

I'd absolutely recommend this trail. Be safe, take a friend along for company, and let someone know where you're hiking and when you plan to return.

Subaru Leave No Trace Trainer Course offered

Allegheny Outfitters is partnering with the Subaru Leave No Trace training team this spring to offer a two-day condensed trainer course. Participants will learn basic concepts and prepare to teach Leave No Trace curriculum in a variety of settings including schools, camps, parks and wilderness areas. Cost is $75 per participant, which covers all training materials, meals for the weekend, group equipment and canoeing/camping fees. Course dates: May 8-9, 2010. Learn more here.

XC Skiing

Cold. Cold. Cold. The last week has been a cold and nasty one but at least the snow gods gave us some more of the white stuff. With the new snow on the ground I decided it was time to go out and use the new skis that I've been drooling over for two weeks. So I headed out to Gardner Rocks in the afternoon. The snow was not that deep but there was a decent base on the road so I didn't destroy my new skis. Had a great ski and hope that we receive much more snow so that i can get out in the woods and do some off trail skiing.

Ice Fishing - Allegheny Reservoir

Tom's Run Loop & Tanbark Trail

 

Heart's Content Echo Forest - Tom's Run Loop

Heart's Content Tom's Run Loop 1-13-2010

The four of us rode up to Heart's Content in the Allegheny National Forest for a winter hike on 1-13-2010. We parked next to the trail head and took a look at the maps on the edge of the parking lot to help us decide which trail to take. Since the snow was about a foot deep and only one of us had snowshoes we decided to take the 3.5 mile Tom's Run loop. This trail, like all of the trails at heart's content, doubles as a cross-country skiing trail. We weren't the first to take this loop since last time it snowed so it was easy to find the start. We headed down the branch that enters the large stand of red pines first. I was told that this stand of evenly planted evergreens is called the echo forest for its symmetry. We pretty much stuck to the trail except to check out a few large boulder outcroppings that are hard to see and a tough hike to get to in the summer months. We did find a porcupine den that showed some cool signs of activities. I think we got some pictures and I will post them if any of them turned out. As we were ending the trip my boots were starting to get to me. My hiking boots took a turn for the worst this summer so I had to use my heavy winter boots. The extra weight took a toll on my legs and reminded me how important equipment is in the winter. The hike that normally would have just be the beginning of a workout turned out to be all I could handle comfortably.