NOTE: This is the same itinerary as last year.

Summary

This will be an overnight paddling and camping trip from Bonnie Brae Boat Launch to the Tionesta Boat Launch on the upper Allegheny River. This is a fun and relaxing trip floating down the river then camping overnight on one of the islands. If you use your paddle then you are doing something wrong.

Itinerary

1. For convenience, consider camping Friday night at Buckaloons.
2. Saturday morning we'll launch from Bonnie Brae Boat Launch around 10am. Prior to that we'll need to shuttle some cars to the Tionesta boat launch. 
3. Now the fun part...We'll spend all day Saturday floating down the river to Hemlock Island which is just north of West Hickory. If you need to bail early (too much fun in the sun???) or just want to make a day trip out of it, you can paddle about another mile to the West Hickory boat launch.
4. Sunday we'll pack up and float down to the take out at  Tionesta Boat Launch where we'll have to retrieve the un-shuttled cars from the put in.

Note: 

Things to note:

1. This is an adult-only trip mainly because we won’t be behaving like adults ourselves.
2. Please REGISTER! This will give us a headcount, provide us with contact info in case anything changes, and help us start planning the shuttles. 
3. There are a few different fees for this trip. Yeah it sucks but it’s literally the price we have to pay to be in an area that is safe and convenient for this trip.
   1. The put-in and take-out launches are state run which require launch permits. You can get more info about these permits here: http://fishandboat.com/. There’s a small fee for the permit and a slightly bigger fine for not having one. We haven’t had anyone check us for permits in the past but that doesn’t mean they won’t this time.
   2. For Friday night I'd recommend camping at Buckaloons. There are usually a few spots available if you get there in the early evening and it's actually a pretty nice campground. I'd recommend reserving a spot in advance but note that you'll have to book the whole weekend even if you just want it for the one night.  Otherwise you can pay for a single night when you get there, if there is a site open for you. (https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/allegheny/recreation/recarea?recid=6115&actid=29)
   3. I have reserved campsite #51 at Buckaloons it will have space for 14 more people and 3 more cars.  Let me know if you want to jump in on this and split the cost. 
4. You are responsible for bringing everything you need for this trip including your boat, food, drinks, water, stoves, tents, etc. The ECP is NOT supplying anything other than the snazzy name for the trip. (Has anyone ever noticed that I spell floatilla wrong on purpose????).
   1. If you need a boat, try the ECP Listserv as there are many ECPers with canoes and kayaks that would be willing to let you borrow one for the weekend.  You can also try searching for local outfitters up near Warren, Tionesta, and Tidioute or try places like REI or LL Bean in Pittsburgh.

This is always a super fun trip that the ECP has been doing for over 35 years and I hope to see some new faces on the water. Be sure to register if you are planning to come along!  

Custom Google Map of the key locations: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1aPoZEm6WDdpyrKo4d5aVsg2qvkw&usp=sharing