2nd Annual Rafting Trip - Pittsburgh Area - May 21st

Following the success of our rafting trip last year, we're excited to be offering a similar weekend of fun this year! The second annual OX rafting weekend will be May 20-21, 2011. Like last year, we're looking forward to a good mix of undergrads, recent grads, and alums who are a bit more seasoned, having fun away from our normal stomping grounds in State College. The event will take place in Ohio Pyle State Park, south of Pittsburgh. The main event would take place from Saturday morning through the early evening. Family and friends are welcome to participate as well, though it should be noted that Ohio Pyle is primarily a Class 3 paddle, with some class 4 rapids in certain areas, and therefore not suitable for young kids. Optionally, a group of brothers will be camping out the night before in Ohio Pyle State Park, Friday May 20th, and socializing around a campfire.

Whitewater Rafting on Saturday, May 21:
We are looking at two options for rafting. We can do the same run as last year (the lower yough) at a cost of approximately $65 per person (plus $5 parking fee) for the rafting trip, or try a more difficult section (the cheat river in Albright, WV) at a cost of approximately $95 per person (plus $5 parking fee). Either way, the trip will take 4-5 hours and includes a lunch break around the halfway mark. We could potentially do both if there is enough interest to split up, but we'd rather go as one big group. Depending on how many people we have for the trip, we'll either be starting at 9:00am, 11:00am (our preference), or 1:00pm – We will not know for sure until we have final numbers and can make the reservation. For more details on what to bring and what's included, go to http://www.laurelhighlands.com/faq/index.cfm We'd like to mention again that you are welcome to bring family and friends to this event.

Camping on Friday, May 20:
Cost is $15 per person for the night. We'll be in a group campsite with tables and a fire ring, and room for everyone's tents. We will bring some basic camping snacks for around the fire, and alcohol is permitted, so BYOB if you are of age. We'll be able to set up the site as people arrive throughout the late afternoon and evening. We'll head into town around 7pm for dinner at a local restaurant, to be determined at a later time. You will need to bring your own tent, sleeping bag, etc. Water and bathrooms are available a few minutes walk from the camp site.

If you are planning to join us for one or both of the events described above, click here to let us know, so we can confirm how many will be in your party. We will be making the reservations on Monday, April 18th, so make sure to message us by Sunday, April 17th, to confirm. If you are camping please bring cash if you will be joining us. For rafting, we'll be setting up a reservation with the rafting company, and you will have 48 hours to call up and pay with a credit card (we will post the info for the confirmation on this page once it is made).

If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to send me a message. Also, let us know which section of the river you'd like to do. We're going to have a ton of fun this weekend, so I hope you'll join us.

I'm pumped for another go at this river and look forward to a great turnout and a great weekend.

Theta Chi for Life,

Robert Blumstein '07