Have you ever wanted to have a one of a kind experience, while at the same time acquiring a new passion? Are you looking for an adventure that will expose you to a fun and exciting sport? If you answered yes to any of these questions, Wilderness Voyageurs has what you are looking for: Kayaking Instructions! Spend a thrilling day, or two, with our expert staff, learning the ins and outs of this extremely popular, and very addicting, whitewater sport. We also offer an exciting experience for scouts through our whitewater merit badge program ( learn more about this at www.wilderness-voyageurs.com/whitewater_merit_badge.htm ). Our staff works side by side with you, making sure that you learn a great sport in a fun and safe atmosphere!

Among our highly trained and expert staff,  Losh Lawrey is seen here teaching future kayakers about the water. To learn more about him, and our other guides, head on over to this link: www.wilderness-voyageurs.com/staff.htm

Now is the perfect time of year to visit Ohiopyle and enjoy the many activities that the trail has to offer.  The leaves are out, the flowers are blooming, and the big crowds have not yet arrived...all which makes for a nice relaxing day or a high adventure day, whatever floats your boat.  Here at Wilderness Voyageurs, we offer shuttle services, bike rentals, instructional bike trips, and a wide variety of biking gear at our Outfitter Store.  Click on the pic below to connect to our Bike Tour and info page, and we'll see you on the trail!

This weekend the Freshman class of Delaware County Christian School made their way to the lovely Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania for 2 days of outdoor fun, yesterday they had a high water rafting trip on the Lower Youghiogheny,  Today was  fly fishing instruction on the Yough.  The guides, Bill, Dave and Robert, started the class off with a casting session up on the hill.  Then everyone made their way down to the river to try things out for real.  Below, the class is learning how to cast. 


                                                                                                    


now it is time to head for the water


 

Want to know when 2009's Beer and Gear is happening? What about our beginner and intermediate group kayak instruction weekends?

You knew we had scheduled kayak lessons for groups, right?

Well, we've got news for you: Wilderness Voyageurs has a complete events calendar for 2009, from our mega extravaganzas like Beer & Gear, to every scheduled Upper Yough release.

So whether you're planning your next High Adventure Outdoor Activity or just like to keep up with the goings on in Ohiopyle, you should contact us to get one of these babies.

Call 800 272 4141 or send an email to rafting@wilderness-voyageurs.com and we'll hook you up!

See you on the water, along the trails, and upon the cliffs,
Lou

Today I went out to photograph a kayak instruction lesson, taught by Max with his student, Navarre.  The weather was still kind of rainy and cold, and both instructor and student were feeling it.  I caught them running the loop, where I was also waiting to photograph a raft trip.  They came through Cucumber Rapid and hung out for a while to play around in the rapid.  After running the loop twice, they decided to call it a day.  Below is a pic from the lesson : )
                                       
                                                     Jill

Last fall a group of Wilderness Voyageur's finest river rafting guide and kayak instruction staff; Bob Petty, Max Cadorette, Dave Fusilli and Susan Hollingsworth, made the trek to the Green River Narrows for the annual Green River Race.  There were halloween costumes involving butternut squash, waffle houses and some amazing creeking.  This year, 2008, only one from the group was able to continue the tradition, even stepping it up with more rivers and a lot more runs on the Green.

Lou, river guide and assistant store manager, and I made the drive south, starting off with a weekend on the Russell Fork in KY/VA at the 1000 cfs release level with local friends Drew and Jeff.  After several months with low water on the Youghiogheny it was so refreshing to see some new rapids; like the boof at Tower and El Horendo, huge hits in Triple Drop and the box at Climax.  Fall foliage in the Laurel Highlands was just beggining to drop off when we headed to this canyon, able to enjoy the colors for another few weeks in warmer weather.  The Russell Fork is known for its plethora of dangerous undercuts, seives and other nasty features which means that your game has to be on, even in some of the littler stuff.  This section of river can also be lapped, we were able to squeeze in 3 runs one day, allowing us to become more familiar with different lines (maybe not at Fist) and explore new features.

Saturday was the big Russell Fork Rendeverous, a big party preceeded by the race.  Lou opted for a second run while I hung out with friends at Climax rapid, the finish line. 

Next stop, Green River Narrows...

Jeff spent the next week or so with us on the Green while Drew took off for a last-minute adventure to Panama.  We might have been jealous but its hard when you are on the Green every day. 

Lou hit up Go Left, one of the "Big 3" rapids on the first day, not even bothering with the sneak.  He also managed to squeeze in several runs down Sunshine, some pretty, some not so pretty.  I finally tempted both with great success as well. Our friend Jeff even got in the spirit and ran Gorilla for his first time, smoothing it of course.  River levels were low, although we couldn't tell. 

To the left is a shot of me at Sunshine.  You can see how the rapid got its name by the intense white-out of the rapid. 






A big highlight was seeing a Shredder, made by Laurel Highland's local Tom Love, going down each of the big 3.  Here is a shot of him at shunshine.  It's really amazing to see how river culture spreads so quickly.  Shredders began right here in Ohiopyle, PA with Tom on the Upper and Lower Youghiogheny and now can be found on rivers all around the world! 



The following saturday was race day on the green, an event worth seeing even if you aren't a kayaker. 

Lou opted for a day on the Cheoa in South Carolina with former Wilderness Voyageur's reservation director and Ohiopyle local Seth Custer.  The run was great, also easy to lap multiple times in one day. 

As for the race, hundreds of people hike in (a short hike that takes forever) to heckle and watch the lunatics in kayaks on one of the most extreme races in the world.  After hiking in last year, I made sure to get on the water in time to make it down in my kayak.  The race is quick, around 5 min, but dangerous.  We saw some bad lines at Gorilla and the slides, but no big injuries (yay!). 

A few other Youghiogheny locals made it out for the race.  Here is Jesse just below Gorilla...so close to the finish line.  He and I will be working together as teachers and coaches for the World Class Kayak Academy starting this spring.  Hopefully we can instill our passion for extreme raceing on the future classes at WCKA. 





The trip was lots of fun; meeting new friends like Chris and his Wrec Center or Robert at NOC, biking out of take-out, trail running with local Danny Mongo-our store's Werner Paddles Rep and of course some of the best whitewater in the south. 

Trips like this just ups the experience and knowledge levels of our staff here at Wilderness Voyageurs; whether that be refining the skills of our kayak instruction staff or increasing the gear connections for our outdoor gear store.  Hopefully this trip will become an annual trek, getting more and more guides to improve thier own skills and enjoy other rivers! 

Here is a shot of Susan, Danny and me after a superb kayak run down North Carolina's Green River Narrows. Susan, who is Wilderness Voyageurs' lead kayak instructor, had a number of career laps under her belt by this point, and Danny, who is our Werner Paddles rep, lives in the area and paddles like it's his job (actually it sort of is). But it was my first time, and I freakin' loved it.

The river was much narrower than I expected, and the rapids were much steeper. But at only a few hundred cfs it's not pushy and totally good to go. Boofs are everywhere, and the slides are fast and forgiving. Of the Big Three scary rapids for which the river is famous, 'Gorilla' and 'Sunshine' got the ol' portage. But 'Go Left and Die' looked all right, and Danny and I decided to fire it up. It was the first time in that rapid for both of us and we both smoothed it - sweet!

Hopefully in the coming days we can post some action shots of these high adventure trips - there are some truly spectacular rapids on this river, some of which we may even decide to run! Stay tuned.

Lou

This season's kayak instructions were a huge success.  More people than ever took on the challenge of whitewater kayaking with more enthusiasm and determination than I could have ever expected.  Whether it be improving on their whitewater roll or heading down Class II for the very first time, everyone put forth their best effort and many are hooked for life! 

This summer was the first for our Begginer Weekend Specials. The first weekend of every month saw brave adventurer-seekers dawn these crazy skirts, sit in these surprisingly unstable boats and learn how to float down the river with style and grace. 

While not everyone was filled with style and grace immediately, most everyone picked up on it by the end of the 2 day clinic.  We met for breakfast each morning to discuss the day's activities and talk about yesterday.  This time was great to mesh as a group as well as present questions to the instructors and other students. 

It was great to have so many people stay for 2 days.  I think they would all agree that this isn't the kind of sport many people pick-up in one day.  But if you take the time to learn the basic skills, the rewards are endless.  With a group lesson perfect strangers were able to help each other and learn from each other as they both experienced new and sometimes unfortable and frustrating moments as well as sharing in the joy of mastering new skills.  It also looks like many of them will be back for more lessons later this fall and next season.

Look forward to more beginner weekends as well as intermediate weekend dates next season!

Even before moving to Ohiopyle in April, I decided one of my goals for the summer was to learn whitewater kayaking. How fortunate I was to pick Wilderness Voyageurs as my choice of employment. Since then I am 100% convinced that Wilderness Voyageurs in the Laurel Highlands is THE place to learn whitewater paddling. Several places to practice your skills are all within walking distance of our base on Garrett Street. We have a fleet of fabulous new demo boats from Liquid Logic, Pyranha, and Wavesport to suit any paddler of any ability. And best of all, we have some multi-talented river guides and store staff who excel at the fine art of kayak instruction. On that note, I want to thank those who have graciously spent their free time showing me the ropes: John, Josh, Brian, Astrid, Susan, and others on staff have given me invaluable help and encouragement.

When I think about what I love about kayaking and why I still return to the river after a particularly frustating swim through Entrance rapid (three times so far...), so many things come to mind. I love experiencing the subtleties of water that one doesn't notice in a raft, and the many ways a rapid can be picked apart into eddies, holes, waves, pourovers, etc. Being on a beautiful river and seeing nature from a new perspective doesn't hurt either. The rush I get after a successful run on the loop, knowing that I am overcoming my initial fear and getting stronger each day. It reminds me of skiing through the trees on a powder day.

So if you've ever had a desire to learn whitewater kayaking, consider Wilderness Voyageurs for an instruction tailored to your ability. If you are already a class II/III paddler with a roll, join us for our Friday night loop runs at 6:30 - meet us in front of the store. Or stop by and demo one of our boats. Hope to see you on the river!

Andrea

Did you know that you can request specific Wilderness Voyageurs staff members on your trips? It's true. If you have a friend who works for us, or you had a really good experience with a particular guide in the past, you can ask for them on your next trip. Whether it's class 5 rafting mania, a gentle float down the East Coast's beautiful Middle Yough, or an adrenaline-pumping day of Mountain Bike instruction, odds are your favorite guide will be able to accompany you.



For more info about our guides, check out our staff page (under construction). Or you can read this post or this other post by Susan to learn even more about the new guides.

How do you do it? Simple: mention the guide's name when you make your reservation and we'll do our absolute best to get that person on your trip. Already have a reservation? Give us a call (800 272 4141) to add that favorite staff member to your adventure.

Cheers
Lou

This past Saturday, July 26, the town of Friendsville, MD hosted the annual Upper Yough Festival at the community park. The Fest was held in conjunction with the Annual Upper Yough Race and drew a crowd of families and expert boaters alike.

I was working the Wilderness Voyageurs outdoor gear booth on the festival grounds for most of the day; I got to listen to live blue grass music, eat some awesome food from the local vendors, check out a climbing wall, and talk to a lot of cool people. Volunteers ran kayak instruction clinics, white water rafting demos, and even fly fishing lessons.

Here's to the town of Friendsville for putting on a great festival. For those who missed it, come in 2009, the fourth Saturday in July. And for more information on the Upper Yough, our store in Friendsville, climbing, kayaking, rafting, fishing, or what have you, go to www.wilderness-voyageurs.com

See you on the river,
Lou

Yough River Rafting - is there a better way to build camaraderie in within a company? After this weekend of East Coast Rafting, I don't think so.

And this past weekend the Compendium Blogware team gave the Lower Youghiogheny a try. The team building began on the 6 1/2 hour ride from Indianapolis to Ohiopyle; we traveled in-style aboard a 40 ft Entertaining RV. Saturday morning Wilderness Voyageurs set up a breakfast buffet and then we embarked on a day of high adventure. Team work on the river is a must - too many chiefs and no Indians will always fail - but without any trouble, we divided up into teams and successfully navigated through the rapids. Beyond just rafting - we stopped at dimple rock rapid to watch the excitement of rafts maneuvering through the rocks, swam through Swimmers Rapid and jumped off of Jump Rock. Although all but two people fell out and a raft completely flipped over in Double Hydraulics - EVERYONE had a great time.
After the trip we reminisced about the day over a great meal catered by The Firefly Grill and a few beers. Finally,  we made our way to the Falls City Pub to listen to the musical delights of Wizdom, a reggae band from Pittsburgh.

Needless-to-say, our team is buzzing today with excitement of the weekend - telling and retelling stories of their experiences. You can feel a rejuvenated vibe in our office and a real sense of team. Everyone is already planning the next company outting - maybe we can include some kayak instruction next time?       
                                 

Yesterday 25 staff members from Wilderness Voyageurs went to Valley Falls State Park on the Tygart River in Northern West Virginia. Valley Falls is a beautiful spot of river with 2 excellent waterfalls for beginner and intermediate paddlers to hone their waterfall technique.

Many of us took creek and river-running kayaks, a few of us were in playboats, and some of us even took inflatable kayaks (duckies). Everyone had a blast, although not everyone stayed in their kayak (the park rangers, who don't allow swimming or wading, were not exactly happy about this!). Check out these photos for a taste of the action:

(Above) A wide shot of the bottom drop. Left to right: Brian & Andrea, Rob, Brandon, Beau

Jared Callahan in mid air perfectly on line. Go Jared!

Rich showing perfect position and posture as he is about to "huck" the falls.

Susan, WV's lead kayak instructor, is planning a waterall clinic to Valley Falls later this summer. For more info, check here.

Happy boofing
Lou

Kayaking for beginners can be pretty overwhelming at times..spinning out when paddling forward, catching an edge when crossing the current, lifting your head at the end of the roll, and so much more.  Luckily, with more time on the water and proper instruction these frustrations begin to fade allowing confidence to increase each day on the river. 

During a beginner lesson one of the most important concepts I like to teach is catching eddies.  Understanding how to enter and exit an eddy allows a beginner kayaker to break apart a rapid in order to better plan out the next move.  Hopping from one eddy to another also allows a kayaker to better ferry across currents, perhaps to avoid an obstruction downstream.  Eddy lines are also great tools when learning to bury the bow and stern for various playboating moves.

When entering an eddy I think of three things: Speed, Angle and Lean (S.A.L.)

SPEED:
    Having momentum when entering an eddy is key.  Speed will carry your entire boat over the unstable eddyline, rather than just your body.  Not having speed will allow the stern to be swept right on top of the eddy line, often ending in a flip.

ANGLE:
    Entering the eddy perpendicularly will allow the boat to cross the eddyline smoother and faster.  This means turning the boat from facing downstream, using a downstream sweep stroke for instance, to square up to the eddy line. 

LEAN:
    When turning into an eddy a kayaker will lean into the turn, similar to leaning into a turn on skis or a snowboard.  This means leaning upstream while crossing over the eddy line to "hook" into the top of the eddy.  Remember to continue to paddle all the way into the eddy as to not get stuck on the eddy line!  Also, you'll want to aim to enter the eddy just behind the obstruction, or at the top of the eddy.  Here, the eddy line is most defined and narrow and where the current is the calmest in the eddy. 

Good luck and keep eddy hopping to improve those whitewater kayaking skills! 

Be sure to check out Wilderness Voyageurs Kayak Instruction where we can personally tailor a day of instruction to meet your needs and improve your kayaking technique whether it be on the Middle Youghiogheny, Lower Youghiogheny or even the excitin Class 5 white water Upper Youghiogheny River!

You see that kayak on the river all the time.  It boofs like a master, it smooths all the hard lines, it surfs like a king.  Its not all the paddler, that boat was sculpted to perform.  Its about time you got in one and tried it for yourself!

If you are looking to upgrade your kayak, or even just wondering what that boat feels like on the river, come try one of our 38 Demo kayaks. 
Pyranha Kayaks:

    Burn: S, M, L
    Everest
    Ammo: S, M, L
    Recoil: S, M, L
    Rev: S, M, M/Long
    Speeder

Wave Sport Kayaks:

    Project: 45, 52, 62
    ZG: 48, 54
    EZG:  42, 50, 60
    Fuse: 35, 48 (coming soon 56)
    Habitat: 74, 80
    Diesel: 65, 75

LIquidlogic Kayaks:

    Ronin: 49, 59
    CR: 80 (coming soon 125, 250)
    Remix: 47, 59, 69, 79
    Jefe: Chico, Regular, Grande
   






Remember that trying new boats only makes you a better kayaker, more easily adaptable to different conditions and different boat styles.  You never know when you will need to borrow someone else's kayak.  Also, manufacturers are constantly innovating old boat designs so that they perform better for today's kayaker.  Don't get left behind because you are so attached to that old kayak. 

The demo fleet is also available for our kayak instruction.  Learn how to use these boats better from first-timers to upping-the-anty on the Upper Yough. 

It has never been more easy to explore your kayak options right here in Ohiopyle, PA!

I just wanted to write and thank Josh and Kaila for guiding me down the Upper Yough. (yes, this is the before picture)  I'd had some Kayak Instruction from Josh in the past and was pretty comfortable paddeling the lower Yough in Ohiopyle.  What wasn't sure of was my ability to do a high adventure run on Class 5 white water.

Well I'm happy to report that the Kayak Instruction and the great Wilderness Voyageurs guides made it a very fun (I didn't say relaxing) day.    Kayak Lessons aren't just for beginners I guess :-)

Lou?  Will you take me to the Top Yough this summer?

Duh??   I know silly question.   Kayaking is a blast!  We are blessed in Pennsylvania to have a terrific resource in the Yough river.  Unlike a lot of rivers where the water dries up in the Summer, the Youghiogheny in Ohiopyle is dam controlled and therefore has great water all summer long.

Kayaking is a great sport and accessible to anyone who is able to swim.  Wilderness Voyageurs offers instruction in all forms of white water as well as flat water paddling. We offer multi day lessons as well as one or two hour introduction sessions.  Come on down for some High Adventure and take some Kayak Lessons.  For more information please send us an email....  :-)

So you might be inclined to think that Kayak Instruction is just for the hard core adventurer.  The reality is that White Water Kayaking is a great family activity.  If you are looking for great Pennsylvania Family Trips, consider kayak lessons in the Laurel Highlands.  

Jimmy here was just 12 years old and was able to paddle the Loop in Ohiopyle pretty quickly.  In his mind, this was a High Adventure Trip....something he never felt in a Disney park. 



If you are getting tired of the same old family activities...dare to be different.  Come to the Yough River for some family kayak instruction.

Rock climbing is one of Wilderness Voyageurs' primary outdoor activities, and several members of our staff are truly devoted to the sport. I was lucky enough to get a week's vacation to Red River Gorge in eastern Kentucky, where the climbing is just fabulous. Dozens of crags dot the landscape, all containing classic routes on mostly overhung, pocketed faces. Here is a picture of me belaying my friend Ned on a 5.10b sport climb. Truth be told, most of us, including Ned, were climbing strong in the super-human 5.12 range. I was able to toprope a 5.12a with a single rest (which surprised the heck out of me!); the rest of the week I stayed in the 5.8 to 5.11 range and had a blast.

Our finest moment of high adventure involved a Tyrolean traverse across a river. Someone had to wade to the other side and fix a rope so the rest of us could zip-line across. Stetson volunteered and immediately started undoing his pants. Some witty fellow remarked, "Hey, Stetson, why do all your plans start by taking your pants off?" Well, the traverse was brilliant fun. Here's a photo for your enjoyment:


Now, don't think you have to go all the way to Kentucky to enjoy excellent rock climbing. There's plenty of it right here in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern PA. Wilderness Voyageurs boasts the best rock climbing instructors in the state; we make a perfect outfitter for Pennsylvania family trips to the crag! Already a climber? The Wilderness Voyageurs outfitter store carries a selection of basic outdoor climbing gear and is currently expanding its offerings in that category.

Bottom line? If you want to climb in a place as awesome as this:Southwestern PA is a great place to start!

Lou