The annual Delaware River Sojourn has been drawing kayakers and canoers to the Delaware River for 31 years.
WHYY’s Zoë Read reports on the River Sojourn’s celebration of the nation’s 250th –
‘Rows of orange, yellow and red kayaks glided in unison along the Delaware River and turned sharply toward a boat ramp at Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania this week.
About 70 paddlers including a few canoers and paddle boarders fumbled out of their boats, and waded through the shallow water and rocks.
“If you’re walking through the stones, hang onto your paddle, it’ll help you brace,” one of the group’s leaders shouted, as paddlers of all ages helped each other get to land safely.
The adventurers had just traveled about 6 miles from Fireman’s Eddy in New Jersey on Thursday afternoon, after starting out on the trip several days earlier in Narrowsburg, New York.
The annual Delaware River Sojourn has been drawing kayakers and canoers to the Delaware River for 31 years. Each year, paddlers tour different parts of the 330-mile river, which spans from New York to the Atlantic Ocean.
“The mission of the Sojourn is to introduce people to safe, responsible river recreation, and introduce people to all of the great work that partners are doing around the watershed,” said Kate Schmidt, who chairs the event’s steering committee and is a spokesperson for the Delaware River Basin Commission.
As the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi, the Delaware is easily accessible to paddlers.
“[The event] introduces people of all ages and experience levels to river recreation, and also to encourage stewardship and protection of this vital resource that we all know and love,” Schmidt said.’
Read WHYY’s story here.
Photo Credit: Delaware Currents