Allegheny Almanac

2011 Outdoor Expo in Warren, PA

 

See PHOTOS OF THIS YEAR'S 2011 WARREN OUTDOOR EXPO at this link

Find out about WINTERFEST! held at end of January on Chapman Lake in Clarendon, PA.

 People make nearly a million visits to the Pennsylvania North Country every year to enjoy the great outdoors and last year, on the last day of hunting season, in Starbrick, tourists and natives got a chance to find out how to enjoy it even better. Starbrick, Pennsylvania is just west of the city of Warren on Route 6.

This year the show has been expanded to two full days on Saturday, January 15 and Sunday, January 16 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days and has moved to the Warren Mall just north of Warren on Market Street. Grizzly Gary, a local TV and Radio personality, will be broadcasting live. He is following the growth of this show at his web site at http://www.grizzlygary.com/content/261-WARREN-COUNTY-OUTDOOR-TRAVEL-SHOW

 On hand last year at Wild Wind Sporters, just down the street on Route 6 from the Pennsylvania tourism headquarters, were experts from Allegheny Outfitters, the Pennsylvania Hunting and Fishing Museum, Disabled American Veterans, United Bow Hunters, the Cherry Ridge Hunting Lodge, Buck Haven Wildlife Art, and Somerby Safaris South African Outfitters.

Attendees also got the inside word on local wildlife from coyote trapping expert Darin Freeborough and Doug LaBolle of Killer Calls, local guides who can save sportsmen and women tons of time.

The show was the first of its kind in Warren and is sponsored by the local Council on Tourism. Depending on the success of this week's show, plans are already in place for an even bigger exposition next year.

According to the local chamber of commerce this year's show will feature a huge number of exhibits and vendors, including:

Council on Tourism
Warren County Visitor's Bureau
...Grizzly Gary Outdoors
PA Hunting and Fishing Museum
Somerby African Safaris
Animalistic
Indian Waters
Chapman State Park
Wild Wind Sporters
Wild Woods Animal Park
Allegheny National Forest
Army Corps of Engineers
Warren Main Street
Big Foot Traders Group
Ruff Acres
Hunt of a Lifetime
Warren Conservation District
Northern Allegheny Mountain Bike Association
Gumbo Calls
Jones
Kalbfus Club
Council on Sportsmen
Outdoor Film Festival
United Bow hunters
Trout Unlimited
Allegheny Cyclery
Indian Waters
Gro Warren
Nesmith Insurance
Pennsylvania Kinzua Pathways
PA Fish and Boat Commission
Art Farm USA
Relay For Life of Warren County
Historical Society: Gun Display
Buckhaven Wildlife Art
Chapman State Park
Hog Wild BBQ
Garry Kell-Fly Fishing
Todd Bowersox Seven Springs Fly Fishing
Eugene Jaurt: Sprankle Baits
PA Wilderness
Little Power Shop
McNutters
Stonehill Chocolates
Pennies Country Scents
Bear Hollow Game Calls
Forecon, Inc
Sprankles Baits LLC
Gary Kell the Fly Fishing Coach
Renosky Lures
Fishtail Charters

The well-attended event last year filled the over-sized parking lot at Wild Wind Sporters and spilled across the street into the Amish Crafts business.

One vendor commented that she was surprised at the turnout for the impromptu event last year. "We just found out about it a couple days ago."


The show was considered a test trial for our area, a prototype highlighting growing services in the Kinzua region for visitors and residents. Organizer John Papalia of the Warren County Visitors Bureau agreed that next year they needed to look into obtaining more space. If last year's success is any indication, local outdoor enthusiasts can look forward to quite an extravaganza this week.


Above photos of 2010 Outdoor Expo are copyright 2010 by Allegheny Almanac

 --Chris Lareau

 

Lake Effect Snow makes for hazardous driving conditions

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced a snow advisory for Warren County for January 28 and 29:

THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM EST
FRIDAY.

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION DURING THE LATE MORNING
HOURS TODAY ACCOMPANIED BY OCCASIONAL SNOW SHOWERS AND SCATTERED
HEAVY SNOW SQUALLS. MORE PERSISTENT...LAKE EFFECT SNOWS WILL BEGIN
THIS AFTERNOON AND LAST THROUGH THE NIGHT. THE WEST TO NORTHWEST
WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL GUST UP TO 40 MPH AT TIMES CREATING
BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW.

SNOWFALL WILL ACCUMULATE 2 TO 3 INCHES BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...
AND ANOTHER 2 TO 5 INCHES OVERNIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THE
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE HIGHEST IN THE SNOW BELT NORTH AND WEST
OF THE CITY OF WARREN.

IN ADDITION...VERY POOR VISIBILITY IN FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW IS
POSSIBLE. WIND CHILLS WILL DROP TO AROUND 10 DEGREES BELOW ZERO
EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY MEANS LAKE-EFFECT SNOW IS FORECAST
THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT IN SOME AREAS. LAKE-EFFECT SNOW
TYPICALLY FALLS AS NARROW BANDS OF HEAVY SNOW WITHIN A LARGER
AREA OF LIGHTER SNOWFALL. GIVEN THE NATURE OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW...
VISIBILITIES CAN BECOME REDUCED VERY RAPIDLY...SOMETIMES TO NEAR
ZERO OVER ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE. PLAN ON EXTRA TRAVEL TIME
BECAUSE CONDITIONS WILL REQUIRE YOU TO SLOW DOWN. STAY TUNED TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION
FOR THE LATEST UPDATES. ADDITIONAL DETAILS CAN ALSO BE FOUND AT...
WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE.

January Thaw

by Reg Darling

My Aunt Gert (Gertrude Miner) died on January 5, 2010. She was ninety years old.

 One of the many great good fortunes of Gert’s life and one of the most important lessons she taught me was the extraordinary depth and wholeness of her sense of home. She taught me that a relationship with a place—with a creek, a rock, a tree, or a little village in Forest County—could have the same passionate intensity and spiritual commitment as a relationship with a lover or child.

Trout fishing was a form of prayer for Gert.

When spring comes, I’ll drive out Route 337 and take Heart’s Content Road to Forest Road 116. I’ll follow 116 down Bobb’s Creek to Mayburg and park near the bridge. I’ll spend an hour or two or three fishing there—or perhaps just sit a while. Then I’ll drive down Route 666 to Cougar Bob’s. I’ll ask for a Jack Daniels and water and tell the bartender to go heavy on the Jack Daniels and light on the water. I’ll drink a toast to Gert, venison, brook trout, campfires, and the music of creek water flowing over polished rocks. Gert will be there with me, smiling.

Reg Darling is the author of two novelistic memoirs about our area. You can enjoy more of his writing or buy one of his books at his web site.

Photo of Windhound Farm from 1974 is copyright 2010 by Reg Darling

 

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