Indian Creek

Robert Farmer---As for the shuttle, the people whom I joined decided to take out at the confluence of Indian Creek and the Youghiogheny River. It's a fairly long shuttle, but it definitely beats walking back up, and you can look at Morgan Run while you're there. The shuttle is a lot faster if you know where you're going, so: From Camp Christian, go north on 381 to Normalville, then west on 711 to Connellsville, then south on 119. Just past the Chevy dealer (which may be a historical relic soon) or where the two directions of 119 come together, there is a traffic light---a brand spanking new, shiny, expensive, lah-dee-dah traffic light. Apparently they used up their whole, entire budget on this traffic light and therefore couldn't afford road signs. Well, if you're not from around there, maybe you just don't need to turn there, could be the thinking. Anyway, on the right, there is a tiny sign behind a bush that says, 'Arch Bridge Road,' or maybe two words, not 3. On the left is Dogwood Road or Lane or something. The road that you want to turn left onto actually has no sign, so I'm not going to guess its name, but it goes through the town of Dunbar. Just try to keep on this main road until it comes to a T-intersection. The sign should say, 'Ohiopyle' to the left. That's your route. After the Dunbar mine and a big grassy area, the road goes up a steep hill. Look for the signs for Camp Carmel. Follow these signs to the left. There is one place where it looks like this side road might turn bad and go straight, or go steeply down a freakin' ridiculous cliff with a pretty good road surface. Keep to the good surface down the hill; it's better than it looks from the top. Follow this road basically down to the Yough, where you'll park next to Morgan Run. Camp Carmel, at the Indian/Yough confluence is @ 1/4 mile downstream (left). Carry your boats back here from the takeout. There was some speculation among the members of our group that shuttling through Ohiopyle might be faster than going through Connellsville. This is wishful thinking. The Camp Carmel turnoff is @ 15 minutes from Ohiopyle and @ 12 minutes from Connellsville; and Connellsville is closer to the put-in. There is an obnoxious traffic light in downtown C.ville where traffic gets stuck as you're driving back to the put-in, but you can circumnavigate it via side streets to the right, if you're more clever than a potato. Much of the time for this shuttle involves narrow and/or dirt roads. It might be better to just paddle into Connellsville, and skip the rustic road rallye event, but whitewater boaters seem to be downright phobic about the thought of paddling flatwater, so I haven't been able to sandbag anyone into trying that route, yet.