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< July / August 2000
	Destinations
Nation's top river sojourns Eugene Buchanon

To sojourn is "to dwell in a place temporarily."

A “river sojourn,” then, might be a place where you dwell on a waterway temporarily.

Such is indeed the case with the following annual gatherings, which take place every June during American Rivers Month and draw flocks of like-minded paddlers to some of the East's most popular waterways to camp, canoe and celebrate everything the rivers have to offer. Although each sojourn takes place on a different section of a different river, the majority occur in Pennsylvania, with the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) showcasing a different river every year. "We try to act as a catalyst to get things started, and then encourage local organizations to develop the program in subsequent years," says the DCNR's Marian Hrubovcak. "It's a great way to expose our various waterways to a variety of paddlers." This year the state saw six sojourns in June. Other states have also joined suit, with sojourns, or portions of them, occurring in Maryland, Delaware and New York.

If you participate in one, rest assured you won't be dwelling alone. Some sojourns attract hundreds of people who join in for all, or just a portion, of the selected route. Most gatherings last six to eight days, with several occurring concurrently. Participate and you'll get the chance to meet new paddlers, explore new waterways and camp at different campgrounds along the way. And the sojourns offer far more than camping and canoeing. Organizers schedule various programs every night, from campfire sing-alongs and folk music performances to slideshows on local history, geology, culture, flora and fauna. The type of paddlecraft varies, with canoes and touring kayaks the most common. On the few sections that offer whitewater, such as the Lehigh Gorge, outfitters often assist with rafts. Camping gear is usually moved down for you to the next overnight area, and shuttles are provided or set up by participants. Fees for the sojourns are reasonable, and are scaled down to only cover necessary costs (many of the meals, camping areas and shuttles are donated). Expect to pay between $100-$250 for the entire trip.

If you weren't fortunate enough to join one this year, make your plans to do so in 2001. "People gain a much better understanding of the river they're on," says Hrubovcak. "It's a fun activity for the whole family, and it enhances people's awareness and commitment to rivers. I know some people who spend the entire month of June just going from one sojourn to another."

Delaware River Sojourn

Sojourns on the Delaware, one of the longest-running sojourns in the country, don't usually take place on continuous segments of the river, simply because the 200+ river miles are too difficult to accomplish in six or seven days. Several days of the event usually occur on the Wild and Scenic Upper Delaware, consisting of 70 miles from Hancock, N.Y., to Port Jervis, N.Y. It is a beautiful, sparsely populated section of river with good flow and numerous riffles. Additional days take place in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, another Wild & Scenic segment flowing from Matamoras, N.Y., to Portland, Pa., and includes the Kittatinny Ridge area of New Jersey's Appalachian Trail. Still more days encompass various sections of the Lower Delaware, between Portland, and Trenton, N.J. As well as including fun-filled evenings around a campfire and a variety of special presentations, these latter days include a visit to the historic Washington's Crossing Area (with a trip to its museum and monument), where Washington crossed the Delaware to attack the British at Trenton.

-Info.: Delaware & Raritan Greenway, (609) 924-4646; National Park Service, (570) 729-8251.

Susquehanna River Sojourn

Now in its 10th year, the Susquehanna Sojourn, which this year took place from Harrisburg, Pa., to Havre de Grace, Md., is one of the oldest sojourns in the country, with the first one taking place on the river's West Branch in central Pennsylvania. From that first event—a multi-day trip which brought together paddlers, governmental officials, media representatives, conservationists and locals—the trip has grown into one of the most successful sojourns in the state, this year drawing more than 200 people participating in all or part of the event's 70 miles.

The Susquehanna Sojourn adopts a different approach in that trips take place on continuous sections of various parts of the river and its tributaries. The 1995 sojourn took place on the Juniata River; in 1997 the sojourn traveled on the Chenango River from Sherburne to Binghamton and then down the North Branch of the Susquehanna; later years saw it take place on New York's Chemung River near Corning, to Sayer, Pa., and then down the North Branch of the Susquehanna. This year's odyssey placed an emphasis on monitoring water quality, with speakers from various watershed associations and conservation organizations. It also featured a call back to the Civil War, with visits to nearby Gettysburg and even a naval demonstration between replicas of the Monitor and Merrimack warships.

-Info.: Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, 225 Pine St., Harrisburg, PA 17101, (717) 236-8825, Ext. 17.

Lehigh River Sojourn

The Lehigh Sojourn, Pennsylvania's featured sojourn river in 1997, lets participants—as many as 150 last year alone—camp as they go at designated sites along the way. Designated a Scenic River by the state, the waterway's character changes dramatically over the course of the 71.5-mile trip, which starts in Whitehaven, Pa., and ends at the Delaware River in Easton. The upper section on the first day is a rafting trip through Class III whitewater in Lehigh Gorge State Park, offering spectacular scenery and splashes. Depending on water levels, day two might involve mountain biking on the railroad bed through the Gorge adjacent to the river, with days three through six spent canoeing a much milder river from Jim Thorpe, Pa., to Easton. Along the way, expect nature and education programs, side hikes in the gorge, and even an evening at the local art museum in Bethlehem, Pa., with camping, eating, and enjoyable programs along the way.

-Info.: Wildlands Conservancy, (610) 965-4397, Ext. 14.

The Schuylkill Sojourn

Sponsored by Pennsylvania DCNR, the Schuylkill River Sojourn, now in its second year, takes participants 106 miles in seven days from Schuylkill Haven, Pa., to Philadelphia's Fairmont Park. If you do the whole route, be prepared to paddle as many as 20 miles per day before lounging with your paddling comrades around the campfire. Last year, 150 people took part in the event, some for certain sections only, while those paddling the whole thing had to negotiate seven dams. Schuylkill's history is based on coal mining, and many of the sojourn's programs reflect that. Reenactments of the coal mining era, and even a chance to see colm (silt) removing equipment in action, start the event line-up. As you progress downstream, the river environment changes from coal mining to agriculture and finally urban. In keeping with this latter setting, on day seven the sojourn offers a tour of several sculling boathouses. Other programs include poetry readings, visits to restaurants with street festivals, early morning birding hikes, wildflower walks, mountain folk shows and nightly bonfires.

-Info.: Schuylkill River Greenways Assoc., (610) 372-3916.

Youghiogheny River Sojourn

The Youghiogheny Sojourn—featured as Pennsylvania's designated sojourn river in 1998—this year played host to its third annual pilgrimage, taking paddlers 75 miles from Confluence, Pa., to McKeesport, and exposing them to a wide cross section of water. On the upper stretch, participants use whitewater rafts before transferring to canoes for the rest of the journey. One day is even reserved for biking on a riverside trail. Events are as varied as the event's paddlecraft, with last year's sojourn featuring a special black bear presentation by the state game commission, which brought a real-life bear to camp to show participants how to recognize tracks and judge a bear's age by its teeth. As well as hosting nightly campfire sing-alongs and a whitewater video festival, the sojourn also includes a unique twist: a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" house, which incorporates the Bear Run River, a tributary to the Yough, into the house's design.

-Info.: PA DCNR, Marian Hrubovcak, (717) 783-5877;

Wilderness Voyagers, (800) 272-4141.

Kiskiminetas–Conemaugh River Sojourn

The Kiskiminetas-Conemaugh River Sojourn (the Kiski) was Pennsylvania's featured sojourn river this year. With the river severely degraded by acid mine drainage from coal extraction, the theme of this year's sojourn was "river revival." The seven-day, 75-mile-long trip took participants from Johnstown, Pa., to the Allegheny River, traversing two gorges and exposing paddlers to both pristine and not-so-pristine sections of river. Day one started off with a Blessing of the Waters by local Lenape Indians, followed by "Canal Days" celebrations and a visit to the Kiski flood museum (the area has been the site of several major floods in recent history). This side trip also included a ride up the incline plane used to get people to higher elevations in the event of flooding. Other presentations along the way included a trip on the nearby railroad on the Millennium Trail, environmental programs on acid mine drainage sites, and, of course, the usual assortment of meals and sing-alongs. Unlike many other sojourns, participants on the Kiski Sojourn don't pack up and change camps every night. Only two camps are used, one belonging to the Girl Scouts and one privately owned, with shuttles departing for the river each day. Because of the Kiski event's expected popularity, organizers limited this year's sojourn to 50 canoes.

-Info.: PA DCNR, Marian Hrubovcak, (717) 783-5877; Strongland Area Chamber of Commerce, (724) 845-5429.

Although not a "sojourn" in the Pennsylvania sense of the word, Paddle to the Bay, held this year June 5-10, has you "temporarily dwelling on a river" every bit as much, if not more, than its sojourn cousins. Drawing increasing numbers every year, the 120-mile trip begins on the Anacostia River near Blandenburg, Md., and ends at Pt. Lookout State Park at the mouth of the Potomac on Chesapeake Bay. If you're looking for a casual cruise, go with a more mainstream sojourn; at last year's sixth annual Paddle to the Bay, 12 people started the trip and only six finished. In fact, to join the trip you first have to complete a 20-mile trial paddle—held in April, May and early June—to Georgetown's waterfront and back to see if you're fit enough to participate. "We have to screen people to see if they can make it," says Robert Boone, president of the Anacostia Watershed Society, which organizes the event. "It's not an Ironman Triathlon or anything, but it does take some physical development."

Although you'll camp along the way as in other sojourns, you won't find special programs and presentations en route. More than likely, you'll be too tired to enjoy them anyway. The trip does have a purpose, however, above and beyond letting you know how out of shape you are. "It calls attention to the urban impacts affecting the Anacostia, and the fact that places to camp Huck Finn-style are disappearing rapidly," says Boone. "We want people to know that the Maryland side is semi-protected and that they can experience adventure right in their own neighborhood."

—For more information on Paddle to the Bay, contact the Anacostia Watershed Society at (301) 699-6204, or visit www.anacostiaws.org.