A Passion to Preserve the Outdoor Heritage
Joni Mitchell once sang, "They take paradise, and put up a parking lot."
In my case, it was a hydroelectric dam and natural gas wells.
It was 1975 and I had just returned home from five years at Wheaton College in Illinois. After a half-decade of witnessing urban sprawl in the “burbs” west of Chicago, I couldn’t wait to get back to our private mountain kingdom in the Allegheny Mountains of central Pennsylvania.
Since the 1920s, my family had carefully cultivated a relationship to manage more than 2,000 acres of private forest for our exclusive outdoor sporting pleasure. We could hike, bike, fish, camp, explore, rock climb, fossil hunt, shoot, sled, and roam free. Camp Beaver was our own personal paradise.
Just a few ridges to the west of Camp Beaver, we also roamed in a 15,000-acre watershed parcel. It was inaccessible to the general public because there was just a single rugged jeep trail that traversed the property. In the 1950s and 1960s, my dad was one of the few guys in town with a four-wheel drive vehicle. As a practical matter, we had access to thousands of acres and miles of native trout streams where we rarely (if ever) saw another soul. We called our clandestine spot Blind Hollow.
To make a long and bitter story very short, the Army Corps of Engineers claimed Camp Beaver and sunk it in a watery grave called Lake Raystown. Natural gas exploration (and discovery) ruined Blind Hollow. This all happened in a matter of a couple of years.
The summer of 1975 was a turning point in my life. I embarked on a personal mission to purchase fabulous natural properties in my native region and preserve them for the private outdoor pursuits of not only my family and friends but also for generations to come. At first, this passion was a hobby, but thanks to the success of our other business ventures, I have been afforded the opportunity to pursue this outdoor quest full time.
We have been fortunate to assemble a diverse group of land holdings that range from rugged mountainsides to peaceful streams. Each property is unique and carries a special personality. Some parcels are ideal for hiking, biking, nature tours, trail rides and rock hounding. Others offer the very best limestone spring creeks on which to fly-fish for trout. Others yet are ideally suited for pursuit of wild turkey, ruffed grouse, pheasant, and whitetail deer.
Regardless of each parcel’s individual traits, our goal is to tread lightly and preserve the natural beauty of every tract. In doing so, we will be setting aside nearly 80 percent of all the properties in to permanent conservation easements. Deed restrictions will prevent development from encroaching on these precious areas, not just for our enjoyment, but for all generations to come.
On the remaining 20 percent, we are promoting elegant “country living,” with some future building to be done.
For the past five years, we have shared thee unique properties with guests from all over the world as a “boutique outdoor resort.” Our services are aimed to please the most discriminating fly-fishing family. We maintain a staff of world-class fly-fishing and hunting guides and instructors, as well as we offer fine lodging, food, and beverage services.
Not only have we delighted guests, but we have also received the acclaim of conservation organizations as well as sporting and business publications. Our Club has been favorably featured in articles in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Sporting Classics Magazine, Safari Times, Sports Afield, USA Today, and publications from the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ruffed Grouse Society, Ducks Unlimited, PA Deer Association, and numerous other journals. As further evidence of our outdoor service excellence, we have been awarded the prestigious “Orvis Fly-Fishing Lodge Endorsement."
Some of our clients enjoy our facilities for get-aways with family and friends, others for business retreats, and some come for personal solitude. Regardless of their motivation to join us, we have heard a common theme among scores of our guests as they invariably ask, "How can I own a slice of this paradise?" My reply is, "You can’t own it, but you can become a member and use it a few days or weeks at a time."
Joining Spring Ridge Club can give you all the benefits of your own private paradise any time you want it without the hassles of owning a stretch of your own.
