Is it raining, is it snowing, is the wind blowing at Yellow Creek? Now you can get live weather information for the southeast shore of the lake. Read more about the Friends of Yellow Creek weather station project here.
Messabout
IUP Sailing Club and FOYC invite members to enjoy the second annual Messabout at the Sailing Base.
Sailors from PennState Erie and Pitt will join IUP for informal races. There will be social sailing, paddle boarding, and a BBQ.
FOYC supports the sailing base, providing free group lessons in sailing during the summer and access to a community “fleet” of sailboats and paddleboards.
Work then Sail – Wednesdays @ 5pm
6/1, 6/8, 6/15, 6/22, 7/6, 7/13
Enjoy the evening breezes at Yellow Creek this summer with your fellow sailors. BBQ available for grilling at sunset after sailing.
- Beginner? – enjoy free, group lessons facilitated by a certified US Sailing instructor.
- Experienced? – brush up on skills, sail with others.
Try it free! Community Sailing at Yellow Creek provides sailors access to FOYC club boats (including four sailboats and SUPS). Season membership, which supports the maintenance of the sailing base, is $100. Free US Sailing skills check-out available.
Participation: Free to FOYC Community Sailing members; 1 free sail for non-CS members. Adults or children 10 and up with parents. You must be able to comfortably swim 50 yards in clothing. For insurance purposes, you must be an FOYC basic member ($14) to participate to try it.
Weds @5pm (6/1, 6/8, 6/15, 6/22; 7/6, 7/13). Please register online if you plan to attend.
Limited to 12 beginners.
Email Ken Sherwood, via friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.com for more information.
Volunteer Trail Work
We had a strenuous, but very productive work day on Saturday 4/2/16. The weather was perfect for trail work, it was sunny and stayed in the mid-50s throughout our working hours. We had fourteen volunteers come out for a combined total of 73 work hours. We had a crew of four LHORBA members head up from the Johnstown area that were a huge help. Our thanks go out to Maynard Witherell, Fran Chappell, Rich Maher, and Rob Dorchak. They were were joined by FOYC/ LHORBA members AJ, Vickie, and myself. Lisa Meadows, the Environmental Education Specialist here at YC was a big help and really promoted our event heavily too. She attended and is largely responsible for the remaining seven volunteers who came out to lend a hand.
Under Max’s (Fran’s dog) close supervision; Rich, Rob, and Fran did a fantastic job replacing two of our time-weathered bridges on Damsite Trail. After discussing bridge design with Rich, we have some lumber left over, so we’ll probably be constructing another bridge with it soon.
With the three LHORBA amigos focused on the bridges, this allowed Maynard, AJ, Vickie, and I to focus on the Damsite Trail extension, further bench cutting/defining of the Damsite reroute, and working on signage. The preliminary layout for the Damsite extension was roughed in, but there is still a significant amount of bench cutting and other work before we can call it complete. I’ll update the map soon to highlight where this is located.
Many large trees were also cut that had fallen across the Damsite Access Road that parallels the lake.
I’ll post again if/when we plan to hold another organized trail day in the coming weeks or months. It would be great to get some more LHORBA members out that ride Yellow Creek frequently to help us finish the Damsite Trail extension. I think it’s going to turn out to be a really fun, alternative way to ride down to the spillway.
You can also see one of the new trail markers funded by Friends of Yellow Creek. Keyed to the map, this signage should help experienced riders and first-time visitors enjoy the trails.
Aaron Kovach
Volunteer – Spring Thaw – Trail Work Day – April 2, 10am
Our annual “spring thaw” trail work day is less than two weeks away, so please join us if you can.
When: Saturday April 2nd at 10:00 a.m. until mid-afternoon (or as long as you want to stay)
Where: We will meet at the first parking lot to the right after entering the “Day Use Area” entrance. Click on these coordinates 40.570422, -79.018380 to view the location on Google Maps. Once there, we’ll divvy up into smaller groups.
What to bring: Gloves, hydration, light snacks, your favorite trail tool. Dress appropriately and prepare to get dirty! Also your bike if you would like to ride afterward.
I’ll make arrangements to get the club trail tools, but if you have something in particular that you like; rake, shovel, rock bar, etc. bring it along.
Please come give us a hand!
We have a lot of projects planned to work on including:
- Completely replacing the last two bridges on the western end of Damsite Trail.
- Also on Damsite Trail, we will be constructing a heavily switchbacked reroute that will lead up to the Bear Cave Loop. This will keep us in the woods by avoiding the climb up what was formerly Cresswell Road and also alleviate some drainage issues.
- Complete a minor reroute on 1400 to avoid a drainage issue.
- If we receive our PNDI clearance in time, we also have another reroute we would like to cut in on Long Haul that will keep the trail in the woods instead of briefly dropping down onto the access road.
Did I mention that we would like your help?
Any questions, please contact me or A.J.
Thank you,
Aaron
Volunteers – Tree Planting – April 13
FOYC is pleased to be collaborating with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and DCNR to improve water quality at Yellow Creek. You are welcome to join us in planting some 300 young trees along the banks of the creek and other marshy areas at Yellow Creek. See the flier below for details. Volunteers are requested to pre-register with the park by contacting Lisa Meadows (limeadows@pa.gov)
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Riparian (Stream-side) Tree Planting
Volunteer Information
A riparian restoration project involves planting approximately 200 tree and shrub seedlings per acre. All planting are done by hand and plants can be bare-root, livestakes, and/or small (approximately 1-3 year old) potted trees and shrubs all native to Pennsylvania.
Prior to planting, volunteers are educated about the importance of trees for water quality and wildlife and how the Watershed Program of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) is implementing projects to help improve areas in need of stream restoration. A demonstration will be done on how to plant the trees properly and safely.
Volunteers should plan to be outdoors for the day, roughly 4-6 hours, and dress accordingly based on the local forecast. Sturdy shoes or boots should be worn and gloves are recommended. Stream side areas can be wet, so waterproof/resistant gear is advisable.
Volunteers should pack a field lunch and have enough water to stay hydrated for the day.
Dress and Gear Check-list:
Suggested Protective Gear
- Work gloves, gardening gloves are acceptable
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellant
Proper Dress
- Dress for the weather, layers will help regulate body temperature depending on activity
- Pants, long sleeves, and hats protect from the sun and insects
- Sturdy work boots (preferably waterproof) will help keep feet dry and comfortable