Paulinskill River

It was so nice to get back to this river.  We were going to try and paddle the Flatbrook, which I love, but there just wasn't enough water to do that river.  The alternative was the Paulinskill.  The water was certainly low, but it was doable. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful paddle.  We could no longer park cars at the Viaduct so, although we took a break there, we kept paddling to Columbia Lake.  That made for a very long paddle.  I think it was a tad over 10 miles...and quite tiring.  I was glad it was over (especially because, towards the end, the wind really kicked up and it was hard to paddle).  A great day paddling with the Club.

South Branch

We were supposed to paddle the North Branch of the Raritan river but because the water level was so low the alternative was South Branch.  We got poured on when we were putting in but then it cleared up and the day was wonderful.

G's first canoe trip

I took the day off to take Gianna paddling.  She and I have been talking about paddling since last year so, while she's home on Spring Break, I decided to take the day off and bring her to The Musky.  The weather was outstanding, other than a stiff breeze to contend with on the way back.  It was an awesome day!

Delaware River alone

I took the family rafting on the Delaware for my birthday and while I was there I asked the outfitter for shuttle information.  He told me that he could do it, and charge me, or I could go for free by using the free transportation.  It's called the River Runner I think.  I decided to give it a go today.  I got to the pick up area earlier than expected and I was glad that I did because there was a line to get on the shuttle.  The shuttle picked me up at Smithfield Beach and dropped me off at the Bushkill Access.  From there it was a wonderful paddle all the way back down.  There were a few spots that got a bit bumpy but just enough to be fun, nothing hard at all.  At one point, I found a beautiful spot on the side of the river to hang my hammock and I took a little break and siesta.  I started back to paddling and decided that I would like to take a swim.  I found a nice place to pull over and the water felt cool and refreshing on this hot day.  Towards the end of the trip, the wind started to pick up and was a headwind.  It made for a tiring end to the paddling.  All in all it was a fantastic day and a trip I will surely repeat.

Back in the Yak

I haven't paddled my kayak in forever.  I think since I got my canoe, I haven't actually gotten into my kayak.  I wondered how it felt to paddle and decided to go out today to find out.  I went to the Musky.  It was a warm, still day.  When I got to the musky, the entry was so overgrown with weeds I almost didn't think I could launch but there was a path and I paddle out.  I was surprised how fast the kayak went compared to my canoe.  As luck would have it, the first stretch in the "lake" and the weeds, the wind picked up a bit.  No problem for the yak.  I made it up to the upper lake in record time and only had to get out once to walk it up the riffles.  It was still pretty shallow.

All in all it was a very enjoyable day.  I still think I like the canoe better but it was fun, more than I expected it to be, to paddle the kayak.

The Scratchy Rockaway

I met up with the club and headed out for the annual Memorial Day, Rockaway River paddle.  We started just below the falls in Rockaway, near the Firehouse, and paddled all the way to the falls in Boonton.  We met up at 9 and started the shuttle.  We were on the river close to 10:15 or so and right from the put-in it was a challenge to get on water.  The levels were so low from lack of rain.  We scraped our way down the river until we took out for lunch in Denville.  After lunch we continued on where the water got slower and fuller.  It must be from the falls backing the water up.  The weather was fantastic and we really enjoyed the trip.

Here is a video: Rockaway River trip

Wallkill River

What a beautiful day for a paddle.  I had done the Wallkill River once before but it was in really early Spring and everything was still dead.  Although the water level was quite low, the green Wallkill is gorgeous. We met at the diner at 9 and by the time we did the shuttle, we didn't get into the water until about 10:30.  Once on, it was a beautiful paddle.  We stopped at the old bridge (which isn't there anymore) and had a nice relaxing lunch before heading back out.  We stopped to play at the one "rapid" spot where I tried my hand at surfing.  I did manage to grab it once.  The other thing I noticed was that my boat is SLOW.  I had to constantly fight to keep up. All in all, a fantastic day!

Here is a video I made from the trip.
Wallkill Video