Pennsylvania's 2008 River of the Year will be featured July 17 to 20 in the Youghiogheny River Sojourn, which will offer a unique opportunity for an interpreted whitewater raft outing, a Family Fishing Event and three other days of paddling and an optional bike ride on the parallel Great Allegheny Passage.

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council is sponsoring the sojourn and also is developing an official water trail along the Yough.

The Youghiogheny River, known simply as the Yough or "Yawk," was selected as River of the Year by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources because it has remarkable scenery, its whitewater section is known around the world and it is incredibly rich in history, including a history of mining that created significant environmental degradation from which the river has mostly recovered.

The Sojourn will be limited to 120 participants because of limited camping space and logistical issues, so register early. The general itinerary is as follows:

· July 17: park in Ohiopyle State Park and depart on a shuttle to Youghiogheny River Lake near Confluence; after safety briefing, set off on an 11-mile paddle in duckies down the Middle Yough to Ohiopyle on class I and II river that cuts through Laurel Ridge. Lunch will be provided on the river and dinner will be served at the Ohiopyle State Park campground. There will be an evening presentation on history along the Yough.

· July 18: breakfast will be served before the 8:30 check-in for a seven-mile whitewater adventure down the Lower Yough, which is class III and in high water class IV water from Ohiopyle to Bruner Run; the run will include lunch and three interpretive stops along the way to explore geologic and other features. Boaters will be shuttled to Ohiopyle State Park Campground for dinner and camping. For people who do not want to do whitewater, will have an option of bicycling on the Great Allegheny Passage. There will be an evening interpretive hike.

· July 19: boaters will drive to Dawson for a brunch at the Cochran House and a historical tour and then we will put-in at Layton for a 10-mile canoe paddle to Cedar Creek. At Cedar Creek Park campground, an early dinner will be served before a "Family Fishing Event" in which the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission will provide rods and other gear for participants. A fishing license is not required for participation. A snack will be offered later in the evening.

· July 20: breakfast will be served before a natural history hike. There will be an 11:00 am departure for a 10-mile canoe paddle with a stop at West Newton, where lunch will be served at the Trailside Restaurant. After lunch we'll return to the river to continue the paddle to Buena Vista, where there will be an optional tour of Milestone Hydroponic Greenhouse.

All registrations for the Sojourn must be made on-line through the Youghiogheny River Sojourn webpage.

5/30/2008