A few mornings back, as routine early every morning, we tuned into the local television news to get a check of the days weather. Shortly after being primed to the headline murders, robberies, beatings, fires, storms and other such tragic delight, first report from the lighter side informed of the intended closing of Ralph's Army Surplus, located just outside Pittsburgh in Monroeville, PA. Ralphs had been at that location since opening sometime in the late 1950's.
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Throughout the '60's and maybe into the mid '80's, Ralphs had a heck of an inventory of military surplus, as the name implies. Subsequent years the actual surplus became a bit lean and the shelves stocked a bit more retail ware.
Back in the day, the ol' pop would take us, along with a good buddy or two, on an occasional, and eagerly anticipated, trip down to the big city to check out Ralphs. Over time, after maybe a half dozen visits, we had accumulated quite a bit of gear... an old army-issue canvas pup tent, which was used primarily for summertime Saturday night back yard bivouacs with the buddies - "Don't poke the roof of the tent with your finger when raining and wet or it will leak!" - that theory was always not believed but subsequently learned by all by actual field test... genuine fabric (no synthetics) sleeping bags, external frame backpacks, utility belts... metal (no plastic) canteens, mess kits, utensils. We still have a bit of that stuff up in the attic.
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Our most functional purchase was in '75. Ralphs sold inflatable rubber life rafts. Don't know if they were surplus issue or some manufacturer brand. All but the floor material was (we suspect) waterproof canvas-coated neoprene. The display model hung from the ceiling like a beacon as you entered thru the front door. The boat was the exact same model as the boat used on our first several trips running the lower Yough river whitewater rapids below Ohiopyle SP. That boat was borrowed by a friend from his uncle, who routinely had "shot the Yough" since the late '60's. Just a few trips that first summer and unfortunately we ripped the entire floor out of the boat while hung up on Rivers End Rapid's 'Snaggletooth Rock'. Our buddy was subsequently a bit reluctant in returning the boat we had destroyed, fearing his uncles wrath. The floor had also been hand inked by his uncle, illustrating a pretty nice river map showing all the obstacle rapids, which further raised his dread. I recall a year later seeing the boat still rolled up in the trunk of his car. To this day don't know if he ever returned the boat to his uncle or not. Regardless, now we needed a boat of our own, so we picked one up at Ralphs. Think it may have been one hundred bucks cost.
Not the performance of an actual river raft of the times like we saw the commercial outfitters using. No self bailing floor - those were maybe ten years down the road. Flat bottom hull - no rockered bow/stern. Nor cross tubes. We cut those useless "seats" as shown in the photo off. Was a basic rescue life raft as labeled. A bit slow to maneuver for turning. And man the bailers after any rapid bigger than class II. We had pretty much a four-man crew - Vince, Tommy, Ronnie, Woo - occasionally rotating amongst others when needed. Tommy had worked a previous summer as a rafting guide for one of the local outfitters, so the first few trips we had a bit of direction - but screwin' up was the most fun.
We soon developed a standard pattern. We always drove up the night before launching and stored an iced cooler full of "provisions" in the woods at varying select down river locations near the end of the rapids, usually 'Stewarton Landing' or along the opposite side of the river which was then a railway, but drivable (later to be the current bike trail). It was a thirsty five mile float beyond the designated outfitters takeout, then located at the mouth of Indian Creek valley. That takeout was later relocated further upriver to the current Bruner Run takeout. Indian Creek involved crossing railroad property below a stone trestle carrying a high speed rail line. The move also kept the takeout within state park boundary. Every once in a while we'd encounter a bit anal commercial guide who viewed our boat with disdain, and who thought that he was there to police the river (and had nothing to do with us) who'd comment on our cold Budweisers - "You're not allowed beer on the river!" - to the reply - "F*k you!" - and would really get worked when we'd bypass the takeout as we continued our journey toward home in downriver Connellsville five mile beyond, shouting "You gotta' take out here!..You gotta take out here!"....... "F*k you"
That boat took a beatin' for around five years, both lower Yough river runnin' and bottom Yough beer trips, before we upgraded to a real whitewater raft around '80. The park service eventually built an official boat launch complete with check-in booth manned by staff tasked with policing your boat and gear. They probably wouldn't have let that boat on the river, anyway. It finally met demise at the local gas station after accidentally being over-inflated at the outside air pump. The guys inside the station said that it sounded like a truck hit the building after a seam exploded.
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Got us thinkin' about other local gear shops that used ta' be....
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Exkursion Outfitters - Just up the street from Ralphs. Beyond mail order, Excursion had just about any piece of gear ya'd need for climbing or backpacking. And owner Fred Gunther was an expert and competent real climber with practical experience with just about all of it. He'd even actually climbed a real mountain or two with snow on top! Still have the first pair of (long worn out) EB rock shoes we picked up off Fred.
Avalanche Outdoors - Was up along Rt.31 in Jones Mills. First place we ever actually saw real climbing gear in a shop. Also sold issues of 'Climbing Magazine'. Picked up our first rope there - a 150ft, 11mm Bluewater dynamic rope. Still have it.
Herman Sporting Goods - Was located at Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg. No climbing gear but always had an assortment of cross country/nordic skis, boots and gear on hand. Sold a decent Rossignol or Trek nordic ski package - skis/bindings/boots/poles - for $99. You'd quickly split the bamboo poles and have to upgrade. Still have the several pairs of skis we purchased. Also still have an original 'Snurfer', a forerunner to modern snowboards, in the basement. Used to ride that thing a lot on the local hills or up at the Sugarloaf Knob toboggan hill at Ohiopyle SP. Snowboards appeared on the scene shortly thereafter. We never really got into 'em because for a few years initially they weren't allowed at the commercial ski hills and it was easier just jumpin' on the Snurfer in between repeated slogs up long snowy hills.
Pulled from the cobwebs - The 'Snurfer' - top and bottom view. Had a metal bottom fin.
That thing was fun to ride. Wish we'd had stuck with it and upgraded to an actual snowboard.
Outdoors Unlimited - Uniontown. They had some limited climbing gear. Mostly a bit of stuff for rappelling - carabiners, figure eight's, rappel racks. For the most part was a ski shop. Big into snowboards when they first came out.
Laurel Mountain Outfitters - Over in Ligonier at the base of the Rt 30 summit. Similar to Exkursion. Carried quite a bit of nordic ski gear. Also provided lessons. We would always see 'em out back of the shop showin' people how to kick 'n glide if snow on the ground. Would run into owner RK Meyers occasionally climbing at Derry High Rocks as well as Seneca a few times. Ran into 'em one evening at (Fairchance) White Rocks showin' iconic climber Henry Barber, who was a Chouinard Equipment rep at the time, around the place.
The Mountaineer Supply Company - Up along Rt 31 in Donegal, just up the road from the old Avalanche store. Rock/ice climber and boulderer Tim Anderson's old shop. Anyone familiar with most of the posts and videos herein should be familiar with Tim. Carried the most current gear or could get ya' whatever ya' needed. Was also a fun place to hang out. Tim was the main protagonist for most of the new local rock and ice climbing development from late '90's through late.
Rob Goodman's cousin Mark ran a small shop out of his house, fronting Rt 982 in Youngstown, PA, in the early '80's, selling climbing and camping gear and clothing. Don't recall the name of the place. Is through a climbing trip with Mark that we eventually got connected with Rob. There was another shop for a time in Mt. Pleasant, early 2000's. Don't recall the name of that place or the owner, who was a friend of Tim. Think that Tim mentioned once that he helped the guy get the shop started. May be wrong.
Edenbos (Connellsville) and Bergey's Archery (Vanderbilt) - Both specialized hunting, gun and archery shops. No climbing/skiing/backpacking stuff. Edenbos was a time machine. All the old timers from as far back as the '30's hung out there, including ol' pop. A young kid could overhear some pretty fascinating tales of hunting, fishing and such if he kept his ears open while browsing the place. Bergeys was specialized archery. Was there one day purchasing a new bow. Was out back at the range waiting for Bergey himself to measure another guys draw while fitting him for a new compound bow. Bergey had a long, blunt wooden arrow shaft that he had marked off in inch increments for measuring draw length. The guy had that measure arrow pulled to full draw. Bergey had his own hand near the end of the arrow shaft verifying the length. Bergey said something that the guy must have misunderstood, who then released the arrow. The shaft immediately splinters, with the rear half going right thru Bergey's hand. We helped him pull the shaft out. Was bleeding pretty good. Bergey's only comment was "That is why ya' only shoot aluminum arrows out of a compound bow - never wooden!". We're figuring that he soon notched an aluminum shaft in increments as well.
