Crowds drawn to snowless Snowfest

“Given the circumstances, the (trail) race is packed, and we’ve focused most of our activities at the Environmental Center here at the park,” said park Manager Mike Crowley. “It’s not the biggest crowd, but it’s good.”

Approximately 180 runners took park in the Mid-Penn Trailblazers nearly 4-mile race through the park.

“This is one of the warmest races I can ever remember,” said Joel Heasley, president of the Mid-Penn Trailblazers. “For those who cross the finish line, we have prizes of Shade Mountain wine and prize baskets for the winners and non-alcoholic juice for those under 21 years old.”

Clayton Bouchard, of Lykens, was the top finishing man.

“The trail is in really good condition, but there’s a lot of rocks,” said Bouchard.

Coming in second for the men was Russell Christoff, of Millersburg, followed by Matthew Brown of Sunbury.

Hannah Sherwood, of Turbotville, was the top finishing woman, followed by Shannon Vallier, of Millersburg, and Amy McCoy, of Muncy.

In the Environmental Education Center, individuals were taking part in a bluebird house building activity, presented by the Penns Valley Conservation District.

Ricky Butler, of the the Penn Valley Outdoor Club, set screws in small pine boards and then screwed the boards together to make a bluebird box.

Friends of R.B. Winter State Park Treasurer Jack Miller supervised a silent auction in the center.

“I think we’re doing well with the silent auction,” said Miller. “We have great weather for people to come out so I think there will be a good turnout for this.”

The silent auction featured more than 140 items, including birdhouses, sports memorabilia, artwork and gift certificates from numerous businesses and restaurants.

Proceeds from the auction will be used to help purchase benches, mulch and playground equipment for the park.

Three members of Trout Unlimited R.B. Winter and Lewisburg chapters — Vice President Rick Edwards, Past President Bob Laubach and Bill Snyder — sat tying trout flies to an audience of onlookers.

Edwards has been a board member of Trout Unlimited since 2008.

“We only missed one year of Snowfest and that was in 2020 due to the pandemic,” said Edwards.

He explained that Trout Unlimited teaches a 10-week fly tying course at the Christ Lutheran Church in Lewisburg.

“Our group also helps with cold water restoration on area streams and creeks and also sponsors trout in the classroom for students in six different school districts,” added Edwards.

The Seven Mountain Audubon Society had a station set up outside the center where children like Sylvia Duperon, 8, and her brother John Duperon, 11, of Selinsgrove, were able to make pinecone, peanut butter, and birdseed bird feeders to take home.

Also outside, members of the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance — an arm of the Merrill Lynn Conservancy — displayed information about the watershed and efforts to battle acid rain.

David Stabler, chairman of the alliance, said efforts to stabilize acid rain started in 2010 when the alliance placed two limestone based retention ponds to increase the pH of the stream to healthy levels, to encourage a more diverse aquatic life.

“The retention ponds are near the start of the northern Buffalo Creek tributary near Buffalo Flat Road in the Bald Eagle State Forest,” said Stabler.

Visitors got to experience a search and rescue demonstration by members of the S.T.R.I.K.E. K-9 search and rescue canine group.

Both air scent and trail scent demonstrations were given by the all volunteer group members and their dogs to a crowd seated at the amphitheater in the park.