OHIOPYLE â Eric Martin was driving up Sugarloaf Road to go mountain biking late Thursday afternoon when he noticed a haze in the air and the unmistakable stench of a wildfire in the forest around Ohiopyle State Park.
As co-owner of Falls City Pub restaurant and Wilderness Voyageurs located on the northern side of the Youghiogheny River, he wondered if his businesses could be in danger and began looking for a plume of smoke.
Moments later, the Ohiopyle-Stewart Volunteer Fire Departmentâs whistle began blaring, confirming his fears of a wildfire somewhere in the 20,500-acre park.
His heart sunk when he soon learned the fire originated on the northern side of the river and was only about 3½ miles away from his businesses as it was slowly creeping toward them. It eventually jumped a ridge, he said, and moved about two miles from the borough.
6 resorts within driving distance of the Bethesda area to keep on your radar bethesdamagazine.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bethesdamagazine.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
You don’t have to hit the slopes to enjoy these mid-Atlantic winter resorts By Amy Brecount White |
February 1, 2021
Tubing at Wisp Resort. Photo by Karol Gesner Photography
I’m at a ski resort, but I’m not skiing. Instead, I’m exploring the options for folks (like me) who enjoy a crisp and active winter getaway but prefer not to risk injury to life and limb.
It’s pre-COVID times (February 2020), and I’m on an indoor tennis court with Wintergreen tennis pro Ryan Bauman. He’s a laid-back guy.
“Just let go,” Bauman coaches. “Let your arm be like a noodle and then hit the ball that way.”