There is big water this week down in Friendsville, Maryland, on the Upper Yough River. Water levels are still on the high side, so now is the time to come down and experience the extreme excitement the Upper Yough has to offer. Also, the Upper Yough is very close to the Washington D.C. area, making it a quick trip for anyone who wants to paddle. Check out some of the fun that was captured this week below:

High water on the Yough again today brought out many rafters....and snakes!  While taking photos this morning at Cucumber Rapid, I had the pleasure of hanging out with this little cutie :)

On Wednesday night we got a crazy amount of rain, taking the Yough River levels from 1.6 to 10.3 overnight!!  Totally insane for such a short amount of time!  Due to the high water yesterday, the Yough was closed to commercial rafters for safety reasons.  Our Lower Yough trips were relocated to the Casselman River, so that everyone could still have an awesome day rafting. 

Water levels are still on the high side here at the Yough River. That means more fun and excitement for the rafters and whitewater enthusiasts out there! Now is the time to take the thought of a great whitewater adventure and turn it into a reality.

After many rainy days here in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania, the sun made an appearance once again today.  Temperatures in the 80's and high water from all that rain,  made for perfect rafting conditions today on the Yough River.  Below are the lucky ones who got to take part.

The Lower Yough peaked at around 3 feet today, making for some thrilling white water rafting. Though it was not the sunniest of days, the higher water levels made up for it by giving some unexpecting rafters a ride they won't soon forget. Check out some of the action below:

Even with all this rain, the water is starting to clear up.  No more muddy water on the Yough!  Now if it would just warm up.  Although, colder temperatures didn't keep anyone from having fun!

Earlier today, a van pulled out of the Wilderness Voyageurs parking lot carrying eager fly fisherman to the Middle Yough for an exciting and relaxing day of fly fishing. The water was slightly colored this morning, and green drakes and sulphur flies were sighted. The first fly of the day was an olive wooly bugger with a crystal hackle. Check out what flies are hatching at www.wilderness-voyageurs.com/flyfish_hatches.html and also get some information about water conditions and a few tips for fishing on the Yough.

May 29th, 2009   Youghiogheny River, Pennsylvania Fishing report

Water Conditions: The tributaries are running at a good level with a slight bit of color. Water temps are around 62 degress on most mornings. The Yough is also at a good wading level with a bit of color as well. With a dry weekend forecast, fishing conditions should be
excellent.

Tip of the week The green drake hatch is going well. Large numbers of drakes have been sighted each night this week at dark. During the day we are doing well March Browns and Yellow Sallies. Make the switch to drake nymphs and emergers at early evening.
 

Stop in at our new shop in Friendsville (301-746-5335) ; open Mondays, Fridays & Saturdays, or Ohiopyle (1-800-272-4141) which is open daily. Call for up-to-the-minute stream conditions any time that rain is in the forecast.

www.wilderness-voyageurs.com/flyfish_hatches.html

The rain seems to like Ohiopyle, and today was another rainy day on the Yough.  With the river at 4 feet, the river became more adventuresome, and plenty of fun was had by our trips today!  Roeper Middle School traveled all the way from Michigan to go down the Lower Yough, and all this rain made their river experience a HUGE one!  Who says you can't have fun on a rainy day? 

Roeper Middle School Enjoys The Rain

Memorial Day weekend is coming to an end, and many people came here to Pennsylvania for their family trip.  Today, I was lucky enough to take photos of the rafters going down the Middle Yough.  The Middle Yough is perfect for family trips, it's exciting yet relaxing, and the scenery is amazing.  Even the bus ride to Confluence, where the put-in is located, offers breath taking views of farmlands in the Laurel Highlands.  The Middle Yough is 9 miles of class I and II rapids, making a great day of fun for both adults and kids. 


Kids listen to the pre-trip talk up over Memorial Day Weekend

Everyone knows that the temperatures around this time of year tend to rise to the overly unbearably hot range during the hours when the sun is high in the sky. Hmmm, what can I do to beat this sweltering heat, one might ask oneself. Well, one could take the easy way out and retreat into the confines of one's home and sit in the breeze of a household fan. Or, one might consider filling up a tall glass of ice cold water and sitting in the shade of one's awning that hangs above one's porch. However satisfying these options may seem, the best way to beat the heat is, by far,  paddling down the rapids at the Yough River. Cool water splashing all around, wonderful winds blowing down the river, and tons of summertime fun are just a few of the things to look forward to when you take a trip down the Youghigheny. So, if you're sweating up a storm and want to get out of the house, call up Wilderness Voyageurs to have fun/cool off!

Hello, everyone! Well, I had another perfect day taking pictures of Wilderness Voyageurs rafters on the Lower Yough in Ohiopyle. I was able to witness some smoooothe runs through Cucumber Rapid, as well as some great carnage! I even saw a raft guide from another company step on a snake--and luckily--he didn't get bitten. It seemed as if it was all in slow motion. Very cool. I hope to see you on the river, again, soon! Take care and happy trails!

Gabby

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


 

All the recent rain contributed to some fun filled adventure for all our trips this weekend on the raging high waters of the Yough.  With trips on the Upper and Lower Yough today, as well as the Cheat, many customers took advantage of the upside of rain.

                                                          Jill

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

It is that time of year at Wilderness Voyageurs, guide training is going into the third weekend here on the Yough River.  Once a year we host a multi-weekend guide training program.  One of our senior guides, Scott Downs, spends his weekends whipping the river-guide wannbies into shape.  The training program is rigorous and definitely puts physical limits to the test, not to mention the fact that Scott is no softie.  We train our guides to be prepared for any situation that can occur on the river.  Scott takes his job very seriously.                
Jill

Today when I made my way down to Cucumber Rapid to photograph the Lower Yough trip, I was amazed.  The water was raging, and the rock that I normally stand on to take photos was completely submerged in water.  The river hardly resembled what I was accustomed to, and it was difficult to get a good angle on the rafts due to the lack of options for standing.  The trip consisted of two rafts, and I think it's safe to say the customers experienced a high adventure trip!  Also, the sun was finally shining today after many days of rain, so that was an added bonus.  

                                                  Jill
                                                           

Today was my first day as Wilderness Voyageurs' photo girl extraordinaire.  After making my way down to Cucumber Rapid, I had the opportunity to take some practice pictures of a few kayakers.  Shortly after, the moment I'd been waiting for, my first trip came through.  The trip had five rafts with customers, who all seemed to be having an exciting adventure down the Lower Yough.  Since it was my first day, I took tons of pictures just to make sure I got some good ones.  They turned out great and I'm excited for my next day of photographing! Here is my favorite pic of the day, notice the swimmer in the bottom left :)

                                   Jill

Yahooooooo  sums it up!  The day we have all waited for with great anticipation.  Tomorrow we dust off the lonely rafts (they really do miss you)  the other good news for us river rats is that we received over an inch of rain arrived in the last few days.   

The Cheat River, in West Virginia  should be a healthy 3 feet gauranteeing some awesome class 4 and class 5 whitewater rafting.  The Lower Yough will be over 2 feet insuring a fun whitewater level. 

Our first guests of the season are a boy scout high adventure group from the DC area.   These guys work hard to be our earliest rafting trip of the year.  They usuually win.  This year will be the first year in many with out a little snow for their rafting adventure.