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Ohiopyle's third annual Winterfest offers all sorts of fun
Sunday, February 01, 2009
By Ben Moyer, Special to the Post-Gazette

Henry David Thoreau, who knew all the seasons well, once wrote, "Winter has a concentrated and nutty kernel, if you know where to look for it."

Thoreau was of a reflective bent, but winter's more active "concentrated kernel" will be easy to find at the third annual Winterfest at Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County, Feb. 7 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sponsored by Friends of Ohiopyle, a volunteer organization that promotes Ohiopyle's recreational opportunities and protects its resources, Winterfest introduces people to the popular park during winter. With more than 60 inches of snowfall in the Laurel Highlands already this season and more cold predicted, Winterfest 2009 should offer an ideal setting for "off-season" fun outdoors.

Last year's fest drew more than 300 adventurers to the wintry woods and fields around the base of Sugarloaf Knob. Again this year, bonfires and a warming hut offer comfort and camaraderie. Participants will find volunteers eager to share the enjoyment of snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, dog sledding and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Ice cube treasure hunts and building snow forts will prompt even the youngest of visitors to forget the chill.

"Winterfest is a chance for folks to get out and be active during the long winter," said Stacie Faust, assistant park manager and Friends of Ohiopyle member. "This event has a great atmosphere. People are walking all about, enjoying hot food and drinks, taking their kids down the sledding hill, checking out the sled dogs and the horses, or trying on skis or snowshoes for the first time. We try to make it a very family oriented event."

The animals are one of the most popular parts of Winterfest.

"A lot of people say they come just for the sleigh rides," said Jerry Yeager of J&H Riding Stables at Seven Springs Resort. "We take a team of Belgian draft horses for the day and we can take five people at a time. It's really a nice ride through the woods and across fields.

Families really enjoy it. Some of the older folks, though, seem especially drawn to the sleigh rides and the horses. They remember it from when they were kids or their parents talked about it. The horses are very gentle; people can touch them and take pictures. It's the hit of the day," Yeager said.

The sleigh ride course, Faust said, will be changed somewhat this year.

"We are going to move them to a new location ... so families have a chance to experience the serenity of nature away from the other events," she said.

The sled dogs impart a "far northern" aspect to Winterfest.

"We bring in two or three dog teams and do demonstrations and mock races," said Deb Simko of the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club. "Our dogs are available to meet the public all day long. We'll explain dog care, nutrition, the different types of sleds and harnesses and how we train our dogs, with or without snow."

Winterfest is also a way to learn a new skill, a way to enjoy winter from that day forward.

Cross-country skiing popularity surges and wanes with the weather. This year's conditions have renewed its attraction and the Hilltoppers Cross-Country Club, a youth ski group from Kirkland, Ohio, will be teaching the basics.

"We're going to focus on kids a little more this year. We'll have a 'snowball biathlon' to introduce a bit of good-natured competition and fun," said Tom Cook, Hilltoppers program coordinator and coach. Biathlon is the Olympic event in which skiers stop along a course to fire a rifle at targets. The Winterfest biathlon will substitute snowballs for rifles.

Cook said people who don't cross-country-ski are missing a great winter opportunity in Western Pennsylvania.

"[The Laurel Highlands] is an area with a lot of cross-country potential, but a lot of people don't know about the opportunities here. The ridges often have snow when other places don't. At Winterfest, we try to make it a short, fun experience, and then they might go out and try it on their own."

Friends of Ohiopyle and their volunteer partners believe that not having equipment should not be a barrier against sampling outdoor activities. Loaners are available.

"It's a great opportunity to try an activity before investing in the equipment," Faust said.

Pete Greninger, outreach specialist at REI: Pittsburgh, will be at Winterfest sharing his enthusiasm for snowshoeing.

"We'll bring up our fleet of 20 pairs of snowshoes for people to use, free of charge. People really enjoy it," Greninger said. "We've sometimes had a waiting list throughout the day. Snowshoeing is such a great activity because if you can walk you can snowshoe. Skiing isn't necessarily for everyone; snowshoeing is. Come out and give snowshoeing a shot."

For the hungry or less adventurous, the Ohiopyle-Stewart Community Center in "downtown" Ohiopyle will host a craft show and a hot soup and sandwich sale throughout the day.

To reach Ohiopyle from Pittsburgh, take the Turnpike to the Donegal Exit; go east 2 miles on Rt. 31 to Rt. 381 at Jones Mills. Follow Rt. 381 south to Ohiopyle. Sugarloaf Knob and Winterfest are 3 miles east of (and 1,500 feet above) Ohiopyle on Rt. 2012 (the Ohiopyle-Confluence Road).

First published on February 1, 2009 at 12:00 am