HUNTINGDON CO., Pa. (WJAC) — It was only a month ago when Mother Nature had trouble letting go of winter. But now, as some sweltering weather's upon us and summer's coming up, many of you will head to the great outdoors.
Saturday was our first taste of summer, and after such a long winter, folks at Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County were pumped to get some sun and fresh air.
Asked if he was excited for the warmth's return, a boater named Tyler replied, "Oh, heck yeah."
"It's been a long winter. ...It kind of drew out farther than what it normally does."
"Our normal kickoff is kind of Memorial Day, for the recreation season," Scott Graham, the lead recreation ranger at Raystown Lake, told 6 News. "With the 90-degree weather this weekend, it kind of got busy a little earlier, but...it's great."
With a ton of people expected to flock to the lake as things heat up, Graham reminds folks to follow some guidelines.
First and foremost, "we always push [you to] wear your life jacket. When you're in and around the water, too many folks don't wear it and get into bad situations."
He also said the early bird gets the worm...or rather, a parking spot.
"The parks fill up on nice weekends around 10:00 am," Graham explained. "And, if you want a parking spot, it's good to get here as early as possible, so you're not waiting in lines."
And for those wondering if you can relax with an ice-cold beer, you can indeed!
However, Graham said there's "one stipulation."
"You can't have glass bottles of any kind beer or otherwise in our designated swim areas at Seven Points or Tap and Run," he told 6 News. "Other than that, you're allowed to enjoy your beers,"
"Just drivers on the boats, drivers in cars, just like anything," the ranger emphasized, "don't drink and drive."
"[I'm] ready for the water to warm up and get a lot of people here. It's really exciting," Tyler said. "Then it's a good atmosphere. Good environment."
"After a couple years of lockdown situations and stuff, it's just a... You really appreciate the things that nature has to offer."
There's no better way to spend the summer than soaking up some rays and hanging with some friends and family.
Raystown Lake will host a "Glow Swim" June 9 where people can swim after the beach closes at 8:00 pm. Swimmers are asked to bring a life jacket.
There's also "Chalk The Walk" on August 6, where people can draw water safety messages into the pavement with chalk. That starts at 11:00 am.
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