You Can Still Enjoy the Water on Inner Tubes, Paddle Boats and
Floating Islands
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
18 September 2011
By Lawrence Walsh,
Still looking for a fun time on the water?
Get a group together to "tube" the Stonycreek River, put your feet
to work on a paddle boat or hang out on a six-person "floating
island."
Coal Tubin, a tubing and rafting company based in Johnstown,
welcomes groups of 10 or more to ride the company's bright orange
inner tubes down the Stonycreek River, the waterway that serves as
a border between Cambria and Somerset counties. The river's
468-square-mile watershed, bordered by the Allegheny Front and the
Laurel Ridge, includes woodlands, undulating farmland, active and
reclaimed strip mines, and former coal mining communities.
Coal Tubin owner Chad Gontkovic said he came up with the name of
the company after finding pieces of coal as large as baseballs
floating in the river.
"They rolled into the river after a heavy rainfall," he said.
Once considered "dead" due to drainage from abandoned coal mines,
the Stony has rebounded and now supports a variety of fish as it
travels 46 miles across the Allegheny Plateau before flowing into
the Conemaugh in Johnstown.
Tubers float on the last few miles leading into Johnstown.
An unguided tubing trip of 3.5 miles usually takes two to three
hours. If the water level is below 3 feet, customers will be
shuttled to the Ferndale Bridge to float a 1 mile section of the
river back to Coal Tubin's headquarters. Repeat trips of that
section are available at no extra cost.
The $10 per person cost includes an inner tube, one shuttle and
all-day parking. Children 15 and under must be accompanied by an
adult. Life jackets are required for children 12 and younger, but
they're also a good idea for adults. The rental cost is $5.
Smaller tubes with seats are available for younger tubers.
Children must be at least 5 to tube.
In addition to bringing a hat, swimwear, sunscreen and water, wear
an old pair of sneakers. The latter will come in handy walking to
and from the river and pushing off rocks that the current may
bring your way. It's not called the Stonycreek for nothing.
The important thing is to relax, settle into a comfortable
position and let the current carry you downstream.
Paddle boats, also known as pedal boats, are an inexpensive fun
activity for all ages. Participants ease onboard, take a seat and
use a set of pedals in front of them to turn a paddle, propelling
the boat across the water.
Most paddle boats allow two persons to sit side by side and pedal
together. Some two-seater paddle boats have three pedals on each
side so one person can pedal from the center if boating alone.
One of the earliest references to a paddle boat was discovered in
the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, who depicted a paddle-powered
craft driven by two pedals. Leonardo, as usual, was way ahead of
his time.
Pioneer Park Campground, a 185-acre recreational area just off
Route 31 in Somerset County, has a small lake set aside for paddle
boats. The cost is $1 per person for a half-hour, $2 for an hour.
Children 9 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Life
jackets are required for younger children.
In addition to paddle boats, Pioneer Park has three fishing lakes
stocked weekly through September with several species of trout, an
Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, miniature golf,
basketball, volleyball, shuffleboard, horseshoes and a playground.
It has more than 300 campsites, a complete grocery store, camping
and fishing supplies, fully equipped cabins that sleep six to
eight persons, a rec hall, a pavilion, shower rooms, laundromat,
game room, ice and firewood.
Pioneer Park is open through Oct. 23.
One of the more unusual on-water attractions is a floating island.
Formally known as a Caribbean Island Personal Floating Oasis, the
one at the Northeast Paddleboard Co. in Boston, Pa., is 16 feet by
16 feet and seats six. It's made of heavy gauge fiberglass, nylon
and foam.
Occupants are invited to "relax on the large sun deck and soak up
the sun or cool off in the mesh bottom seats."
The island includes a canopy, cup holders, built-in coolers, back
rests and a boarding platform.
Sandy Steffan, the owner and operator of the Northeast Paddleboard
Co. , bought one to serve as a waiting area for customers. It's
tied to her dock along a shallow stretch of the Youghiogheny
River.
Paddleboard customers can sit back, relax and watch standing
paddleboarders use long paddles to propel their surfboard-like
watercraft over the river.
Information: www.coaltubin.com, 1-814-254-4393, email
coaltubin@gmail.com; http://www.pioneerparkcampground.com,
1-814-445-6348; www.northeastpaddleboard.com, 412-720-5058.
Lawrence Walsh writes about outdoor activities for the
Post-Gazette.