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Annual River Sojourn Kicks Off In Upper Delaware on June 21
NARROWSBURG – The 15th Annual Delaware River Sojourn will launch on June 21 with two days of paddling and programs organized by Upper Delaware representatives.
This year’s theme for the week-long public canoe and kayak trip is “No One Left Inside.” Daily fees are $60 for ages 16 and over, $40 for ages 15 and under, if reserved by June 1 ($10 more after that date), plus a one-time insurance fee of $5 which is waived for current members of the American Canoe Association.
Included in the cost are boat rentals, shuttles, programs, meals, and camping. All participants will receive a commemorative T-shirt.
On Day 1, which coincides with Father’s Day, Sojourners will orient themselves with a five-mile afternoon paddle on the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River from Pond Eddy, NY to Staircase Rapids, NY.
The June 21 itinerary begins at 11 a.m. with registration, followed by a noon kick-off luncheon ceremony, held at River Beach Campsites. The Kittatinny Canoes’ campground, located at 378 Routes 6 & 209 in Milford, PA, will serve as the Sojourn’s home base for its first three days. The guided river paddle will be preceded by the daily safety briefing and a Native American blessing. Sojourners will be shuttled back to River Beach Campsites following the approximate 5 p.m. take-out at Staircase Rapids Access for a catered dinner at 6:30.
Minisink Valley Historical Society Executive Director Peter Osborne will deliver a 7:30 p.m. program on “18th Century Frontier Life in the Upper Delaware River Valley” that will feature a cooking demonstration over an open pit fire.
The itinerary for Monday, June 22, includes a 12-mile paddle from Staircase Rapids, NY back to River Beach Campsites in PA. Registration and breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m. at the campground.
Following the approximately 9:30 a.m. trip launch, the Sojourners will pull off at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Sparrowbush Access for a lunch program by Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Geologist and Hydrologist David Kovach.
There will also be a rest stop and greeting by Mayor Gary Lopriore at the City of Port Jervis’ West End Beach before the Sojourners return to River Beach Campsites for a 6:30 p.m. dinner to be catered by the Matamoras Volunteer Fire Department. The Sojourn will continue on to cover additional downriver sections: June 23, Milford, PA to Dingmans Ferry, PA; June 24, Shawnee on the Delaware, PA to Driftstone Campground, PA; June 25, Easton, PA to Riegelsville, NJ; June 26, Giving Pond, PA to Bull’s Island, NJ; and June 27, Pennsauken, NJ to Penn’s Landing, PA.
Steering committee members for the Upper Delaware section include representatives from the National Canoe Safety Patrol, National Park Service (NPS) Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, and Upper Delaware Council (UDC).
The Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition, Inc. serves as registrar and fiduciary for the non-profit event. Participants may register and pay on-line through www.delawareriversojourn.org, which also offers further details on the June 21-27 event. Direct registration questions to Troy Bystrom at (646) 205-2723 or udpc@udpc.net
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