Getting out on a river -- the perfect activity for a hot summer day. It's a great way to get together with friends for a mini-"corona-cation" break. As the typical kayak paddle is 7-8 feet wide, you are naturally spaced out. The fresh air, blue sky, tree-lined slopes, waterfowl (and occasional adrenaline-rush as cooling waves come crashing into your lap) truly serve to lift the spirits. And in lieu of the more social post-river ice cream tradition, coming back to homemade ice cream cupcakes, followed by a nap and some comet gazing, is almost as good.
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| Map showing named rapids in blue (maroon dots). Red dots show where we pulled off to watch for our group coming through the rapids. |
Working and living with coronavirus-mandated social isolation has inspired many people to refine their cooking skills, leading to a delicious gain in confidence. I never would have thought it would be so easy making restaurant-worthy dishes such as Malaysian Turmeric Salmon, free-form vegetable tarts (crostada or galettes), General Tso's cauliflower, Chinese barbecue pork, Hot & Sour soup, deep dish pizza or Dan-dan noodles. Gordon Ramsey's basic and elevated MasterClass lessons played through my mind while improvising, adapting and using every scrap of food to create beautiful and delicious dishes such as harissa-spiced cauliflower or clean-out-the-fridge veggie pasta basted in browned butter.
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| Ice cream cupcake, iced with two frostings. Jump to Recipe. |
Yet worrying about friends and family, and not being able to easily interact with parents and grandparents can really get you down, especially after canceling spring break and summer vacation plans. Fortunately, with the long summer days capped by pleasantly warm evenings, there are many outdoor opportunities for exercise, recreation and just enjoying the natural beauty of our world. Nothing beats getting outside, soaking in the sun and appreciating glimpses of wildlife, while enjoying the desultory breezes, green hills and flowing water.
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| Stargazing on a warm summer night |
The Youghiogheny River in southwestern Pennsylvania offers something for everyone, from placid float trips to advanced whitewater, and everything in between. The river extends 134 miles from West Virginia through Maryland to Pennsylvania, before joining the Monongahela River that runs south of Pittsburgh.
The rapids are most difficult in the Maryland portions of the Yough. In Pennsylvania, the Lower Yough downstream of the famous Class IV Ohiopyle Falls, is the most popular stretch of whitewater east of the Mississippi. There have been a few deaths on this Class III section of river, most often at Dimple Rock, so selecting a responsible outfitter is important. Further downstream, near Connellsville, the river is placid, without rapids, and good for float trips.
For our day trip, we selected the Middle Yough, a 9-10 mile stretch from Confluence to Ohiopyle. Water flow is controlled by dam release upstream from Confluence, PA, and conditions can vary depending on river height. So do check the gauge before setting out. The river was at 2.8 feet for our trip. It was a sunny, cloudless day, with a high temperature of 97°F.
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| Upstream of Ramcat |
Just downstream of Confluence, PA, the Ramcat boat access point in Ohiopyle State Park features an ample parking area with men's and women's outhouse restrooms. After crossing the bike trail, we carried our kayaks down the ramp to a nice shady, beach-like launch site. We were among the last members of our group of 9 adults plus 2 dogs to push off. We paddled across to the right half of the river in preparation for our first challenge: the Ramcat rapids.
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