Spots are still available for Saturday’s white water rafting trip to Ohiopyle State Park in southwestern Pennsylvania. Youngstown State University’s Adventure Recreation program will take up to 12 students on the trip.
The deadline to sign up is Wednesday in the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center’s administration office.
Joy Polkabla-Byers, director of campus recreation and student programming, said the $45 price tag for the trip covers rental and guide costs. The department will cover the cost of transportation.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to just get outside, and it provides a social connection for the students involved,” Polkabla-Byers said.
Participants will raft in the Lower Youghiogheny River, which is considered to be a course for intermediate rafters.
Rec Center staff member Tommy Marshall is co-organizing the trip. He said participants will be split into rafts, each containing four to eight people, and they’ll spend anywhere from two to four hours on the river. Marshall said newcomers to white water rafting shouldn’t feel intimidated.
“Most people going have no experience,” he said. “Of course, there is risk involved, but it’s very safe.”
Though a guide will not escort participants through the course, guides will be positioned alongside the river to assure safety. Risks associated with white water rafting include drowning and contact with rocks located above or below the waterline.
With the trip so late in the year, Marshall stressed that participants need to dress for the weather.
“The water temperature is very cold this time of year,” Marshall said. “In the past, students have shown up with bathing suits and flip-flops, and they end up freezing through the entire trip.”
Wet suits are available for rental at the launching point.
