Just in our backyard here at Wilderness Voyageurs is the beautiful Middle Youghiogheny, the perfect place to learn to whitewater kayak.  This river begins at the outflow of the Youghiogheny Dam and meanders through 10 miles of lush Pennsylvania Mountainside.  Since very little land along the river is developed this stretch of water can be incredibly peaceful.  With plenty of calm water stretches as well as several class I and II rapids, the day has the perfect balance of excitment and relaxation.

This group of fathers and sons decided to see what all the hype was about and take a 2-day kayak lesson with Wilderness Voyageurs.  The first day was spent learning stroking technique as well as getting to know how the boat responds to these movements.  Like most beginners, these guys found the hardest part was trying to keep the boat going in a straight line.  That afternoon we headed out to the upper section of the Middle Yough where skills such as ferrying and eddy turns were practiced.  The second day was spent on the entire Middle Yough, practicing our strokes as well as maneuvering through class II rapids.  However, mostly we just enjoyed our time on the water and the beautiful scenery of the Middle Youghiogheny.