Happy New Year to all FOYC members, fans, and supporters. Have you resolved to get more involved with your community? Or to spend more time outdoors in 2024?
Please follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfYellowCreek or join our email list if you’d like to get involved.
Yellow Creek weather is provided by FOYC from a Davis Vantage Pro2 station mounted near the ELC classroom on the south shore of Yellow Creek Lake. More weather information.
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Thanks to friends, volunteers, and donors for a great season of youth, college, and adult community sailing at Yellow Creek State Park. We’re ending the season with a great step forward for 2024.
Last week, we were able to purchase and pick up six FJ sailboats from Middle River, Maryland. These Chesapeake hulls will be a great addition for our youth and college sailors–beginners who are just learning and experienced folks who want to try racing.
Donors over the years to FOYC sailing and the foundation account for IUP sailing made this possible. We were able to pool resources to purchase a joint fleet; each organization taking responsibility for half.
Thanks especially to Nathanael Arthurs, who helped facilitate the purchase. And to all the volunteers who helped us unload, organize, and put the boats away for the winter.
We are always looking for new sailors. Are you a youth or adult who wants to learn how to sail? Are you an experienced sailor looking to get back into the sport, perhaps even teaching others? Please contact FriendsOfYellowCreek@gmail.com
We want sailing to be accessible to all with modest participation fees. Our expenses are ongoing, including insurance, new sails, and equipment repairs.
If you are able to contribute, both community sailing at Friends of Yellow Creek and the sailing club alumni IUP Foundation invite tax deductable donations. Write FriendsOfYellowCreek@gmail.com or IUPSailingClub@gmail.com
Donations are accepted any time via:
FOYC PA Parks and Forests Foundation
IUP Foundation Alumni Sailing Club:
Friends of Yellow Creek remembers our founding board member, Patrick F Gates, 86 of Nanty Glo, who passed away on March 17, 2023. Pat was an enthusiastic, no-nonsense volunteer. H was always ready to help, whether planting trees, registering bike racers, or building picnic tables. When we rehabbed a pontoon boat for the Friends group, Pat showed up with a battery he’d purchased for us at Walmart — “I thought this would be useful.” He also made connections and sought donations from other groups for the park. Pat was born April 10, 1936 in Hollsopple. Pat was a United States Marine Corp Veteran and retired from Bethlehem Steel. True to form, Pat made sure to renew his own membership for 2023, signing up in December, beating all the rest of us. Here he is pictured after helping us sink posts for a canoe rack at the lake.
Families have enjoyed being part of the sailing base this season. Many have joined us for the Windy Wednesday “Learn to Sail.” But some days the wind isn’t there. Community Sailing Base members can also enjoy access to kayaks and paddle boards.
Above we have two, new 9-foot SUPS. These inflatables are ideal for youth or smaller adults. They are also easier to carry.
The last YC Race of the season takes place on August 26th. More information and registration here. Yellow Creek State Park has the reputation of having some of the best mountain biking trails in the state. These are largely designed and maintained by our Friends of Yellow Creek volunteers and members of LHORBA. Participation in YC Monthly Races helps raise funds for trail work such as bridges and culverts, as well as other park projects.