Joyce and Jimmy invited Norma and me to spend the weekend camping with them at Tub Run Yough Lake Campground in Pennsylvania. This is located where Tub Run flows into the Youghiogheny River Lake, in the heart of the Laurel Highlands.

This was an opportunity for Norma to spend time with her nieces and for me to paddle in an area I had never been. When I think of the Youghiogheny River, I picture challenging whitewater. But this section is dammed, creating a calm, peaceful lake.

Norma and I left in the mid-afternoon. It took a little over three hours to get to our destination. By the time we arrived, the sun was setting and we had just enough light to pitch our tent.

The tent I brought is my Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) Forester. It is about 20 years old. It is my car camping tent. It is just big enough for two people my size and it barely fits a two person air mattress. It is at least a three person tent but in my experience, tents are like rafts and chicken coops in that you want something that can accommodate more. If you use it for the number that the manufacturer claims it will support, then you won't be happy.

The EMS Forester has served me well. Unfortunately, age has caught up with it and it has some issues...mainly the zipper. I expect I will purchase a new tent this year. I've heard Big Agnes, Half Dome, and Quarter Dome are all good. For our upcoming kayak camping trip to the Apostle Islands, we will be sleeping in Big Agnes tents provided by the outfitter, so we'll see how we like that.

Up until now, our summer in Savage has been very mild. But the dog days of summer have started. So it was good to be in the highlands where it was about 10 degrees cooler.

It rained during the night but according to Jimmy and Joyce, it didn't rain nearly as much as it did the previous night.

The overnight rain got Tub Run gushing.
A small stream flowed past the bathroom which was built on a hill. Near the top of the hill, I found a Giant Leopard Moth.

I kept my eyes open for snakes, turtles, frogs, and other interesting critters but saw none. There were a few mosquitos but not many.

We were set up at a trailer site so we could be next to Joyce and Jimmy who brought their trailer. There were a lot of big pickup trucks because so many others also brought trailers or power boats. A little further south were the less expensive tent sites where we would have stayed if it was just Norma and me. But being near Jimmy and Joyce's family was more important than saving a few bucks.

I brought my bubble making equipment to keep the kids entertained with giant bubbles. The older one really got into popping the bubbles. The younger one not so much.

We ate a good breakfast and then set out for our first adventure of the day.

The six of us drove out to the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). We parked just north of the Robert Brown Road (highway 281) bridge and between Ramcat Road and the Youghiogheny River.

We posed for a picture (see photo at top of page) and then started biking north.

Along the way, we passed where George Washington camped on May 20, 1754.
He was seeking for the British a navigable water route to the Forks of the Ohio (Pittsburgh), where the French were building Fort Duquesne.
- from sign "Washington at Turkeyfoot"

We biked along the Youghiogheny River where we saw several whitewater rafting groups. After all the rain, the river looked a little muddy.

Several small streams flowed under the trail into the river.

We passed a few rocky cliffs and a couple of painted walls.

I'm guessing we only biked about five miles. It was a good distance for the olest niece. The youngest was on a seat attached to the bike so she didn't have to work.

We went to Outflow Soft Freeze for lunch then back to the campsite.

I took a short nap.

I drove and the rest of our group biked to the boat ramp at the southern end of Lakeside Loop. Here, Jimmy and I launched. He was on my Cobra Expedition while I was on the SUP.
Jimmy stayed with me for the first part and then headed back. I continued, exploring the Youghiogheny River Lake. I made it up to Horseshoe Bend and returned on the opposite side of the lake. Then I paddled to the highway 40 National Pike Bridge where I saw the Somerfield North Boat Ramp on the east side. If I return, I'll probably launch here.

I've never cared much for reservoirs or man-made lakes and this reminded me why. There was a lot of boat traffic and very little wildlife. I saw two green herons and that is all. The place seemed rather artificial and sterile.

I helped a fisherman who cast his line into a bush on the shore.

I saw a few streams and trickles that flowed into the lake.
Along the edge of the lake, there were some interesting rocky sections.
I got in 12 miles.

Back at the campground, Jimmy's parents, Jim and Lori, joined us for awhile.

The older niece and I did some Wing Chun play sparring.

I scarfed down dinner, got washed up, and then sat around the campfire with the group until bedtime.

Norma and Joyce made a hearty egg and sausage breakfast while I packed up and then made more bubbles for the elder niece.

After one last trip to Tub Run, we headed our separate ways.

Back in Maryland, Norma and I stopped somewhere at the Big Savage Mountain Trail though I'm not exactly sure where. We did a short hike. The trail was very green, shaded, and wooded. There were lots of ferns but no overlooks. The trail doesn't stand out and we were very dependent on the blazes. It was a nice walk but not particularly interesting and only moderately scenic.

I drove Norma out to Dulles Airport for her trip to Istanbul, Turkey. Then I headed home.

This trip wasn't one of the more scenic, active, or interesting trips we've done. But it was good to get out and spend a little time with Jimmy, Joyce, and the kids. They are very much a part of my family. Norma and I don't have kids so her nieces and nephews are the closest thing we've got. She likes doing stuff like organizing short hikes or bike trips with them to help share some of who we are. We hope that a few of the good things about us will rub off on them.