Cochranton
. . . The Worlds Largest ATV Poker Run!
The Cochranton Poker Run (CPR) is currently known as the largest
ATV poker run in the United States and World alike. Conducted by
the Allegheny Highland Pulling Association (AHPA), nowhere has any
event grown to such a remarkable sight to see with riders coming
from all directions to the little town of Cochranton, Pa. Some riders
even traveled from England and Brazil to attend the monster rally.
The beginning of the CPR opened
up in 1989 with a small group of local club riders who wanted to put
on a poker run. Since then, each year more and more riders multiplied
to what is now more than 7000 ATV's and 1500 dirt bikes . . . evolving
into the "Worlds Largest Poker Run." The hub of the event
is dispatched out of Carroll's Nursery in downtown Cochranton. This
has been the starting area until recently when the size of the event
forced officials to relocate it to a larger site just outside of town.
Cochranton, Pa. is located 50 miles south of Erie, Pa. and 90 miles
north of Pittsburgh, Pa. Take Exit #35 off of I-79 -- Go six miles
east -- Or 12 miles east off of Exit #36-A Meadville (I-79)-- Or 12
miles west of Franklin, Pa. on US Rt. #322
That said, the ATV event was and will
most likely be held on the west side of town instead of the east side
of town . . . with an all new camping area and starting location.
This new site is a 1000+ acre farm located along Ridgeway Hill Rd
. . . just north of rt. 322. New signs were posted for easy navigation.
(The bike event was held at the old location). Camping, Parking, Expo,
Exhibits and Starting Areas were at the same new location for the
entire event. After a week's worth of rain prior to the 2001 event,
the new and improved location transformed into an axle sucking swamp
. . . engulfing almost every vehicle that dared entering into the
camping areas. Local farmers and excavators devoted hours of time
pulling stuck cars, trucks, trailers and campers out of 1000 acres
of soupy topsoil. Roads leading out of town were newly paved with
miles of mud! Needless to say, the Department of Transportation was
not amused and the work was cut out for CPR staff.
The camping area normally opens at 12:00 Noon, a few
days before the event. Fees are charged for camping based on the number
of ATV's in your party. Riders are encouraged to bring their own water.
Fires are permitted, WITH a fire ring, and light up the night skies
throughout a sea of white campers, trailers, tents and motor homes.
Firewood is normally available for purchase from local landowners.
Port-a-johns are provided by CPR staff. Don't plan on getting much
sleep as the nightlife goes on for hours . . . often till the break
of dawn. Local bands provide entertainment for the crowd on the eve
of the ride . . . followed by a wonderful display of fireworks. Riders
usually display banners in the camping areas to show their club name
or State of origin. It's a site to see riders participate from so
many different States. Riders are quick to swap stories with each
other, complete strangers, but close at heart with one goal in mind
. . . to conquer the CPR!
Registration begins quite early with
volunteers signing up the early birds on designated weekends at Carroll's
Nursery. There, you will get ride info, a helmet number and draw your
first card of the poker hand. Those who make the trek to preregister
save themselves a great deal of aggravation since most riders sign
in upon arrival of the event weekend. Entrance fees are $30.00 per
machine. All of the proceeds go to local charities and organizations
. . . making this event a huge fund raiser for surrounding communities.
The dates for the ATV'S have typically fallen on the first weekend
of April. The dirt bike event falls one week prior. The 2002 event
has been canceled and information will be addressed later in this
article.
The three-trail complex consists of varying terrain including woods,
mountain, streams, hill climbs and ravines. Bypasses allow for all
skill levels and reconnect with trails beyond the marked hazard
areas. All three-trail lengths are approximately 40 miles each.
The trails cover 160 privately owned parcels in the local area.
After the event, staff members remove trail markers and restore
the land to its original condition for consideration of future use.
Due to intense interest in this event by several Government Agencies,
the Allegheny Highland Pulling Association must meet or exceed environmental
guidelines. "It is our intention to conduct this event in a
sharing and caring manner in harmony with nature's rural inhabitants.
Ongoing, year-round trail maintenance and development, mainly through
private contractors, are part of this program. As an example, we
(AHPA) are required to permit and bridge any waterway larger than
a wet weather rivulet. A high priority is placed on demonstrating
that humans, plants and animals can all compatibly share the wonders
of nature. Regrettably, the regulatory restrictions have resulted
in the necessity to increase the registration charge for each ATV
to $30 for the entire event. Please keep in mind that the World's
Largest ATV Poker Run is a charitable event conducted entirely by
volunteers. There are no paid positions. We sincerely regret the
necessity of a registration increase."
The Staging area funnels
into a roaring path of ATV's heading into the woods. Most of the trails
are cut through densely wooded parcels with farms, fields, pastures
and occasional gravel roads, which are necessary to connect these
parcels together. With 7000 ATV's split among three trails, traffic
problems are to be expected and bottlenecks are certain to occur.
Often, the roads provide a chance to "open her up" and regroup
for the next land parcel. Staff members are located at each major
intersection to assist with directions. Courtesy vehicles are on hand
in case of a breakdown or accident situation. Staff members communicate
using radios, CB's, cell phones and landline telephones . . . all
based out of the communications trailer, which is located at the registration,
and camping areas. Fuel stops are positioned at the second checkpoint
(of three) for riders who need to purchase gasoline, oil and common
parts. Food and beverages are simple to find and for sale at several
places along the way. Local families often sell goodies along the
way. Expect to see many landowners waving a (friendly) hand at you
as you pass by.
The Expo area is a large area dedicated to Dealers and Retailers
in the ATV business. Major contributors are
Kawasaki,
Street
Track & Trail, Yamaha,
NOHVCC,
Polaris,
Suzuki,
Moose
Utility, Arctic
Cat, Bombardier,
ATV
Traction, Castrol,
Pro
Cycle, Lineman Recreational Products, Victor Krause
Racing, FMF, Firestone/Dunlop, DirtWheels Magazine, Heartland Magazine,
Hatfield-McCoy Trails and many others. This area is also loaded
with food venders . . . selling anything from hotdogs and hamburgers,
to Philly steaks, to homemade Sloppy Joe's, or funnel cakes and
cotton candy. Excellent quality shirts, hats, jackets, T-shirts,
bumper stickers, etc. are available for sale as well by CPR staff.
Videotapes of previous year's events are normally on sale for those
who attended.
The
Cochranton Poker Run has been canceled for the 2002 season
but, in probability, will resume in the year 2003. "It looks
possible that we will once again host the event in the early fall
months of 2003," says Steve Carroll of the AHPA. "This will
allow more time to coordinate the growing demands of the event and
help with the weather situations as well. We need more volunteers
to step up to the plate and help complete the tasks at hand. The workload
has become too much for the current staff to handle. We need more
time to make 2003 a quality event, including construction of a new
trail system. Though the current trail complex has held up well, we
have too many riders familiar with the complex that don't bother to
register, joining the trails beyond the starting point. This is not
fair to those that go through the process legitimately. Additionally,
we have several recent legislative issues we need to deal with. It
takes us 12 months to prepare for each event. You do the math!"
He goes on to say, "There is simply no way for us to host an
event for 2002. There is too much preparation needed to make it to
come to pass and simply not enough time."
Carroll continues to say, "We will be periodically updating
our progress toward a 2003 event through the PaAtving.com web site.
The local Borough and surrounding communities have started to feel
the economic pinch due to this year's cancellation. Local businesses,
gas stations, hotels, bed and breakfasts and restaurants will lose
out on some major bucks. The donations from the event's proceeds
will be sorely missed too. Many charities and organizations will
not receive monies compared to years past, forcing them to rely
on other resources."
Stay tuned to PaAtving.com for future updates on the cancellation
and resurrection of the CPR in 2003. We are your "Official Cochranton
Poker Run News Station!"
