Pine Creek Report

Ambridger · 04-25-2022, 11:09 AM

On Saturday, April 23, myself and three members of the Allegheny Canoe Club (Burt, George, Bob) paddled 17 miles from Ansonia to Blackwell on Pine Creek, in north central Pennsylvania. The weather was pretty nice, with temps in the mid 60's and skies that were partly cloudy. The water level was around 2.8, which fell within the "good" level of 2.5 - 4.5 and the water temperature was around 52 degrees. There were just a few spots where we scraped on rocks hiding just below the surface. The level seemed just about right for interesting action spots at Owassee, and at Split Rock to a lesser extent. I am happy to report we had no carnage. I did utilize a splash deck cover for the first time, and it definitely was helpful at Owassee. There are some good YouTube videos of Owassee, and they were of help in knowing what to expect. I had also stopped into Pine Creek Outfitters the night before and they had a nice crib sheet that diagrammed the rapids. The folks at PCO were pleasant and helpful, and the store is well stocked with hiking and boating gear, including rental gear. PCO also provides shuttle service, however we did our own, which involved about a 90 minute round trip. I stayed at the Frome Acres Resort ... a Route 6 roadside, mom & pop, motel. The motel sits next to their restaurant, Baxters Bakery & Restaurant. The folks at Baxters were also overwhelmingly friendly, and made a damn fine breakfast. They also assisted in providing ice, sandwiches to-go for lunch on the river, and filled my thermos with hot chocolate (just-in-case I went for a swim). Normally I would have made a run to a Sheetz or something, however the area up there is pretty darn rural, and a run to anywhere is time (and gas) consuming. And there is no cellular service in most of the area, including through the Pine Creek valley, (I can't remember the last time I saw so many pay phones) which I was aware of, so I planned ahead with Jodi as to when I would be checking in. I usually carry a PLB (personal locator beacon) on my life jacket, and was sure to have it for this trip; thankfully I have never used it. I meandered home on Sunday, checking out a handful of state parks that I hope to spend more time at someday. All told, it was a great weekend, and I was able to scratch another adventure off the bucket list. My thanks to the ACC guys, and my thanks to Jodi for holding-it-down at home, truly making this trip possible.

DustinSW1627 · 04-25-2022, 05:15 PM

Thanks for the detailed report. I was really hoping to be there but started the new job today. Figured I better prepare. Sounds like a great trip.

04-25-2022, 11:09 AM	#1
Ambridger Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Ambridge, PA Posts: 252 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Pine Creek Report On Saturday, April 23, myself and three members of the Allegheny Canoe Club (Burt, George, Bob) paddled 17 miles from Ansonia to Blackwell on Pine Creek, in north central Pennsylvania. The weather was pretty nice, with temps in the mid 60's and skies that were partly cloudy. The water level was around 2.8, which fell within the "good" level of 2.5 - 4.5 and the water temperature was around 52 degrees. There were just a few spots where we scraped on rocks hiding just below the surface. The level seemed just about right for interesting action spots at Owassee, and at Split Rock to a lesser extent. I am happy to report we had no carnage. I did utilize a splash deck cover for the first time, and it definitely was helpful at Owassee. There are some good YouTube videos of Owassee, and they were of help in knowing what to expect. I had also stopped into Pine Creek Outfitters the night before and they had a nice crib sheet that diagrammed the rapids. The folks at PCO were pleasant and helpful, and the store is well stocked with hiking and boating gear, including rental gear. PCO also provides shuttle service, however we did our own, which involved about a 90 minute round trip. I stayed at the Frome Acres Resort ... a Route 6 roadside, mom & pop, motel. The motel sits next to their restaurant, Baxters Bakery & Restaurant. The folks at Baxters were also overwhelmingly friendly, and made a damn fine breakfast. They also assisted in providing ice, sandwiches to-go for lunch on the river, and filled my thermos with hot chocolate (just-in-case I went for a swim). Normally I would have made a run to a Sheetz or something, however the area up there is pretty darn rural, and a run to anywhere is time (and gas) consuming. And there is no cellular service in most of the area, including through the Pine Creek valley, (I can't remember the last time I saw so many pay phones) which I was aware of, so I planned ahead with Jodi as to when I would be checking in. I usually carry a PLB (personal locator beacon) on my life jacket, and was sure to have it for this trip; thankfully I have never used it. I meandered home on Sunday, checking out a handful of state parks that I hope to spend more time at someday. All told, it was a great weekend, and I was able to scratch another adventure off the bucket list. My thanks to the ACC guys, and my thanks to Jodi for holding-it-down at home, truly making this trip possible. __________________ Properly worn life jackets save lives. Wear and fasten your PFD!

04-25-2022, 05:15 PM	#2
DustinSW1627 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 106 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Sorry I missed it Thanks for the detailed report. I was really hoping to be there but started the new job today. Figured I better prepare. Sounds like a great trip.