The 15th Annual Schuylkill River Sojourn featured a week of fun, friendship, learning and paddling, along with mostly great weather, and some really bad weather. Overall, it was a fantastic week. Here are some of the highlights.
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| Sen. Dave Argall |
Day 1, Saturday June 1:
Sojourners launched from Schuylkill Haven and paddled to Port Clinton, on a warm, beautiful Saturday morning. Opening ceremonies featured Sen. Dave Argall (pictured left) and Schuylkill Co. Commissioner Gary Hess, both of whom wished the sojourners well on their 112-mile journey down the Schuylkill.
Programs at lunch and evening stops focused on the Civil War. At
Saturday's lunch, re-enactor Ron Long discussed the role played by Civil
War chaplains. Long (left) braved the 90-degree heat in his wool
uniform. After lunch, sojourners took an exhilarating paddle through
"The Chutes."
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| The Chutes |
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| Re-enactor Ron Long |
Day 2, Sunday June 2:
As they paddled from Port Clinton to Muhlenberg Township, sojourners
were joined by US Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15). Dent, the first
member of congress ever to participate in the Schuylkill River Sojourn,
paddled to the lunch stop at Peter Yarnell Park, near Hamburg, where he
addressed the sojourners. At left, Dent is seen signing the Sojourn
paddle--an annual tradtion--while Jim Showalter, a veteran of all 15
sojourns, looks on. Also at lunch, singer/songwriter
Haley Sheeler,
long popular with sojourners, entertained with her original music.
Sojourners then paddled to the beautiful Jim Dietrich Park, in
Muhlenberg Twp., where they set up camp (below) and watched a one-woman
play "From Out the Fiery Furnace," about Hopewell Furnace during the
Civil War.
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| Haley Sheeler |
Day 3, Monday June 3:
Monday's highlight is always Kelly's Rapids. Sojourners test their paddling skills through a bit of fast-moving wateroutside of Reading.
That thrill was followed by another highlight of this year's sojourn: Gettysburg National Park Superintendent Bob Kirby (left) spoke at lunch bout the park's array of events that will commemorate the 150th
anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg this summer. On a less serious
note, sojourners also deemed Monday Crazy Hat Day.
Day 4, Tuesday June 4:
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| Rich Pawling with sojourner Dave Kohler |
Sojourners paddled from Gibraltar to Pottstown on another picture perfect day. They lunched at Morlatton Village, where they heard a presentation on
Lincoln's ties to the region by Schuylkill River Heritage Area Executive
Director Kurt Zwikl. Afterward, paddlers got back on the water and
traveled to Pottstown's Riverfront Park. There, they heard a lively
presentation on Civil War buglers by Rich Pawling of
History Alive.
Day 5, Wednesday June 5:
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| Leslie Richards & Jody Horton |
Sojourners capped off one of the
longest paddling days (17.8 miles) with a rare opportunity to lock
through the restored Lock 60, the only operating lock remaining of the
former Schuylkill Navigation System. At lunch they were welcomed at
Royersford's Victory Park with a cake. From there, they were accompanied
to Lock 60 by Montgomery County Commissioner Leslie Richards and
Planning Director Jody Horton.
Day 6, Thursday June 6:
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| Andy Waskie as Gen. Meade |
The Sojourn traveled along the Schuylkill Canal and back into the river, stopping at Valley Forge National Historical Park for water and lunching at Upper Merion Boathouse. This was "General's Day" of our Civil War programming theme, with a talk on by Bruce Stocking ( left) on Civil War Gen. W.S. Hancock at lunch and a living history performance by
Andy Waskie on Gen. Meade at dinner.
Day 7, Friday June 7:
The 15th Annual Schuylkill River Sojourn ended on a very rainy note, but nearly 90 paddlers braved the drenching rain and made their way from Conshohocken to Boathouse Row. Those included
former PA Dept. of Natural Resources Deputy Sec. for
Administration John Giordano and members of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, along with one of their sponsors Saucony Creek Brewery. They stopped for lunch at the Philadelphia Canoe Club before finishing their journey at Lloyd Hall.
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| John Giordano |
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| Partnership for the Delaware Estuary |
Monday's highlight is always Kelly's Rapids. Sojourners test their paddling skills through a bit of fast-moving wateroutside of Reading.
The Sojourn traveled along the Schuylkill Canal and back into the river, stopping at Valley Forge National Historical Park for water and lunching at Upper Merion Boathouse. This was "General's Day" of our Civil War programming theme, with a talk on by Bruce Stocking ( left) on Civil War Gen. W.S. Hancock at lunch and a living history performance by Andy Waskie on Gen. Meade at dinner.
