18th Annual River Sojourn Being Planned

The Armstrong Educational Trust (AET) and the Crooked Creek Environmental Learning Center (ELC) have begun plans for the 18th Annual Alle-Kiski-Connie Rivers Sojourn to take place May 14, 15, 16 and 17 with overnight accommodations at their outdoor educational center adjacent to Crooked Creek Park.

This four day event, sponsored in part by the Armstrong County Tourist Bureau, Pennsylvania Organization of Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) and the American Canoe Association (ACA), will incorporate elements of canoeing, kayaking and informal education, while it promotes the use of our excellent local waterways as a destination of outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

At its planning meeting, held recently at the Crooked Creek Environmental Learning Center, it was announced that the event will involve a free workshop, May 14th, on River Reading and Paddling (only for those who sign up for one, two, or all three days of the event).

The refresher course will take place on the Crooked Creek Lake, followed by an event orientation and discussion led by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resource Manager Melissa Salsgiver on the Park’s role in the prevention of major flooding in our region and beyond.

The event will involve a total of 28 miles on the river, covering a different section of local waterways each day with at least one interpretative program taking place daily.

On Friday, May 15, the participants will be shuttled to the Conemaugh Dam for a “Dam Tour,” followed by the launch, just below the dam on the Conemaugh River, traveling a total of 12 miles to Avonmore (Westmoreland County) on the Conemaugh and Kiskiminetas Rivers. A lunch break will take place in Saltsburg, including a tour of Saltsburg and a discussion about the Old Pennsylvania Canal and the historical importance of the discovery of salt to the westward expansion of our nation. Back at the ELC, there will be an evening nature program for sojourn participants on Hellbender Amphibians, delivered by the Western PA Conservancy.

Saturday, May 16, according to the planning committee spokesperson, Tom Straub, the program will include a trip on the Kiskiminetas River from Roaring Run Park to Leechburg, followed by a tour of the Leechburg Historical Museum. The group will then proceed back to the ELC for dinner and a game of “Pennsylvania Canal Trivia” and campfire before turning in for the night.

Sunday, May 17 will involve a trip on Crooked Creek, itself, from the dam to the Allegheny River, followed by a program at Garda’s Restaurant to present participants with awards for their roles in the event and to honor the memory of Kathie Males who was the key figure in establishing this unique program 18 years ago. Representatives of her family will be there to share their memories and love of this outstanding individual.

Accommodations for participants, according to the event spokesperson, will be in “dorm style” bunk rooms or space for tents and RV’s provided by the Environmental Learning Center. The cost per day will be $50 per person which includes food, lodging, programs and shuttles or $125 per person for the entire multi-day program, which includes an official event tee shirt.

The Alle-Kiski-Connie Rivers Sojourn is one of about a dozen such events coordinated by the Pennsylvania Organization of Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) and funded, in part, by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and sanctioned by the American Canoe Association.

For more information about this event and a registration flier, visit the sojourn’s new website - www.AKCSojourn.org -or call the Armstrong Educational Trust at 724-543-2599 for more details.

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