POTTSTOWN >> As the weather warms and the Schuylkill begins to sparkle, its time to start thinking about paddling its currents and pedaling along its shores.
Registration is now open for two of the more popular recreational activities centered around the hidden river – the 17th annual Schuylkill River Sojourn and the “Pedal and Paddle” combination kayak and bicycle day-trips along the trail.
This year’s sojourn will be held from June 6 to June 12 and this year’s theme is the legacy of the Schuylkill Canal and Navigation.
Paddlers can register for everything from just one day’s paddling or for the final four days of 112-mile odyssey which runs from the river’s headwaters in Schuylkill Haven to Boathouse Row in Philadelphia.
The first three days are already full, according to the registration site.
In addition to kayaking (or canoeing) down the river, the sojourn also features lunch and dinner, and entertainment and educational presentations at every stop, one of which will be in Riverfront Park in Pottstown on Tuesday, June 9, which will feature a “battle of the bands.”
Cost is $85 per day and $55 for children 8 to 15.
The Sojourn was recently named as “One of Five Fantastically Fun Paddles” by Canoe and Kayak magazine.
You can register by calling 484-945-0200, or sending an email to lcatalano@schuylkillriver.org.
If you’d prefer so spend some of your time along the Schuylkill on solid ground, the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area, which sponsors the Sojourn, has an alternative.
Increasing popular, the area’s “Pedal and Paddle” trips involve a half-day pedaling upstream on the Schuylkill River Trail, and the second half kayaking back.
Pedal and Paddles include a 4.5 mile guided bike ride on the Schuylkill River Trail, a tour of Morlatton Village in Amity; and a return trip to Pottstown via kayak on the Schuylkill River.
The cost is $35 per person, according to the registration site. Lunch, bikes, kayaks and all gear are provided. All dates are limited to 15 participants.
This year’s dates are Saturday, May 16 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); Thursday, June 25 (3:30 to 8:30 p.m.); Saturday, July 25 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); Saturday, Aug. 29 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); and Saturday, Sept. 12 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
There will also be a Hike and Paddle on Saturday, Aug. 8 (9 a.m.-2 p.m.).
Also, a “Birding Hike and Paddle” also will be held on Sat., Aug. 8 at Schuylkill Canal Park, in Mont Clare.
You can get more information on both activities on the heritage area web site at www.schuylkillriver.org.
And if you really want to spend time in the water, there is always the Delaware Sojourn, one of the oldest river sojourns in the nation, from June 20 to June 27.
“The Delaware River is one of our nation’s most important waterways, and this year’s theme, ‘Birthplace of America,’ will celebrate the river and region’s rich history,” said Ian Kindle, Environmental Educator with Delaware Canal State Park, co-chairman of the 2015 Sojourn steering committee.
The cost for sojourners who register by June 13 is $80 per day for adults and $60 per day for children (ages 15 and under).
You can get more information and register at www.delawareriversojourn.org.
