Individuals who sign up by June 15 can take advantage of a discount of $10/day off of the daily registration fee
On June 27 and 28, the Delaware River Sojourn will be hosted by Delaware Canal State Park, with camping at Giving Pond Recreation Area in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania, and participants will paddle from Upper Black Eddy to Lambertville over the course of two days.
The Delaware Sojourn is a guided paddling, learning and camping adventure on and along the “Wild and Scenic” Delaware River. Participants may sign up for the entire eight-day trip or for the day(s) of their choice.
Interested paddlers are reminded that it is not too late to register for the 19th annual Delaware River Sojourn, which will be held from June 22-29. Individuals who sign up by June 15 can take advantage of a discount of $10/day off of the daily registration fee.
Split into daily trips ranging from six to 10 miles, a total of nearly 60 miles of the main stem Delaware River will be paddled over the course of the entire sojourn.
This year’s sojourn also will revisit the Lackawaxen River, a Pennsylvania tributary to the Delaware River. From the pristine wilds of the upper section, through the tranquility of the Delaware Water Gap, to the suburban lower Delaware and urban tidewaters around Philadelphia, the sojourn offers a full experience of the river to paddlers of all skill levels.
”The 2013 theme, ‘Our Remarkable River,’ is based upon the 2012 National Park Service publication, Delaware River Basin Wild and Scenic River Values, which highlights the characteristics and values that make the Delaware River worthy of special protection,” said Richard Egan, chairman of the sojourn steering committee.
”Six of the eight days are paddles on stretches of the Delaware included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Around three-quarters of the non-tidal Delaware River and sections of several Delaware River tributaries are federally designated as such, which is noteworthy given that only a little over one-quarter of one percent of all U.S. river miles are included in this national system,” Mr. Egan continued.
Paddle days in the Lower Delaware River include a 10-mile stretch from Giving Pond Recreation Area in Upper Black Eddy to Bulls Island State Park in Raven Rock, on June 27, and a 7-mile paddle from Bulls Island State Park to Lambertville on June 28.
Participants on June 28 also will take a trip on the authentic steam-powered stern wheel paddle boat, SPLASH, in Lambertville.
The event will conclude on June 29 with an 8-mile paddle in Philadelphia, which will include a tour of the Independence Seaport Museum and its historic ships, the Olympia and Becuna.
The cost for sojourners who register by June 15 is $80 per day for participants 16 and older and $60 per day for ages 15 and under. An additional one-time $5 per person insurance fee will be charged to nonmembers of the American Canoe Association, which sanctions the event. Add $10 to the daily rates for registrations made after June 15.
Registration fees cover the guided river trip, single or tandem kayak rental (with paddle and PFD), shuttle transportation, all educational programs, most meals, a souvenir T-shirt, and optional overnight camping sites.
On June 24, all rentals will be rafts when the sojourn paddles the Lackawaxen River. Participants may bring their own river-worthy boat, but please note that aluminum canoes are not recommended.
Registration details, daily plans, event guidelines, listing of partners, and more is available on the sojourn web site at www.delawareriversojourn.org. Individuals can register online with PayPal until the day before they wish to paddle or they can mail in the downloadable registration form with payment; mail-in registrations must be received by June 20. A limited number of “walk-in” registrants will be accepted on the morning of each sojourn day, provided that space is still available on the trip. Registration-related questions and discount availability inquiries may be directed to Dejay Branch, Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition, at 646-205-2724 or [email protected].