This article was originally published in the New Jersey Herald.
Nature enthusiasts from multiple states are paddling toward the end of the 25th annual Delaware River Sojourn, which continued Wednesday along the historic river.
Nature enthusiasts from multiple states are paddling toward the end of the 25th annual Delaware River Sojourn, which continued Wednesday along the historic river.
The yearly event started Friday, June 14, and runs through this Saturday. The eight-day trip is split into three sections, beginning with three days on the Upper Delaware River before moving to the Middle Delaware River for two days and finishing up on the Lower Delaware River.
Apart from traveling along the river in canoes or kayaks every day, the sojourn includes a variety of lessons on the history, culture and geography of the area as an educational component for the participants.
“It’s not intended to be just about paddling,” said Bob Heil, executive director of the Brodhead Watershed Association. “We want this to be a complete understanding of the river, not just to get out to be a paddling race.”
For example, Heil spoke to members of the excursion Wednesday about the importance of local watershed associations. On Tuesday, a representative of the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife noted the subtle differences between wildlife refuges and national parks.
The number of participants in the sojourn varies each day, as some take part in only one or two days as opposed to the whole trip. Heil said the weekend saw 100 paddlers -- the maximum allowed for safety reasons, on each daily trip -- while about 70 participated Tuesday and Wednesday.
The recent inclement weather throughout the area has slightly affected this year’s journey. More than an inch of rain fell on the paddlers Tuesday, Heil said, while on Wednesday, a small landslide near Worthington State Forest in Columbia forced a detour of roughly 20 miles.
Despite the setbacks, Heil has not yet heard any complaints from participants; in fact, some of them have viewed the extended trip as a positive for allowing them to see more aspects of nature. The ups and downs have added up to an overall successful sojourn and a rewarding experience for the organizers who put in lots of hard work to make it happen.
“It is going amazingly well,” Heil said, adding, “We’re hearing great feedback from the people who are paddling.”
More information about the sojourn is available at www.delawareriversojourn.com.