The weather here has been crazy...just four days before this posting we had snow. Snow in late April sucks. Add to that the continous rain and cold temps and this has been a crappy Spring. We had planned on a group trip down the Tionesta but with the projected weather of rain and cold temps we cancelled that trip. But as luck would have it Saturday turned out to be warm and sunny with temps on the mid 60s, Sunday how ever was cold and wet so the weather gal got it half right. Anyway on Saturday Michelle and I decide to take advantage of the good weather and the higher water levels and go for an afternoon float. We chose to float down Oil Creek as it is just a hop, skip and jump from the clanhold. We were starting in the town of Titusville, PA and taking out in a little bit of nowhere known as Petroleum Center. Notice the oil theme here. Well Oil Creek flows through the "Valley that Changed the World" where Colonel Drake drilled the first production oil well and sparked the oil rush. We floated right past Colonel Drake's derrick and through the Oil Creek State Park where the only development is a bike trail, a rail line and some abandoned oil buildings.
Paddling down Oil Creek can only be done in early spring or late fall as through the summer months the water levels drop and you'd be hiking the creek instead of floating it. Its an easy Class I and on this trip the water level was perfect with a swift flow. Paddling was optional other than for course corrections as the creek carried us along at a good clip. Here's some random pics of our day....
What a beautiful day on the water.
Paddling down Oil Creek can only be done in early spring or late fall as through the summer months the water levels drop and you'd be hiking the creek instead of floating it. Its an easy Class I and on this trip the water level was perfect with a swift flow. Paddling was optional other than for course corrections as the creek carried us along at a good clip. Here's some random pics of our day....
What a beautiful day on the water.
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