Sojourn along the Delaware

By MARY GREENE

REGION — Its time to put on your shorts, dust off the tent, pack the kids and the cooler in the back seat, and head out to the Delaware.

There are many ways to enjoy the river, which is the longest un-dammed river east of the Mississippi. Anglers have found many a special pool in which to cast flies and minnows. Swimmers luxuriate in the cool, clean feel of the river’s currents on a warm day. And boaters can journey along its bucolic shores, gaining a thrill now and then from the patches of white water.

The Delaware River Sojourn, this year titled “2001—A River Odyssey,” is an annual event whose purpose is to heighten awareness of, and appreciation for, the Delaware. This year’s sojourn will take place June 15 through June 23. The eight-day trip covers over 70 miles, combining canoeing, camping and educational programs. The sojourn will begin at Hankins, New York, in the Catskill Mountains, and end on New Jersey’s Maurice River, a tributary to the Delaware Bay. Participants can sign up for individual days or elect to go the full distance.

The trip offers a chance to experience the diversity of the Delaware River system, which drains 13,539 square miles in four states—New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The Delaware is as steeped in history as it is variant in its natural wonders, a fascinating stretch of water that lures thousands every year.

Most every citizen recalls the image of George Washington and his troops, rowing across the ice-clogged Delaware just upstream of Trenton, on Christmas night of 1776. The Revolutionary War was fought up and down the banks of the Delaware, and many historic sites and landmarks recall the struggle to win independence. The historic Land home, on River Road in Milanville, Pennsylvania, is an old homestead dating from colonial times (its original owners were, interestingly, Tories.) Minisink Battleground, near Barryville, New York, is now a park with hiking trails, commemorating the sight of a slaughter of militiamen by the fierce Mohawk chieftain, Joseph Brandt, accompanied by Tory fighters. Forty-four war ships rot in watery graves on the river’s bottom near Bordentown, New Jersey, scuttled during the Revolution to keep them out of enemy hands.

During the Civil War, 12,000 Confederate soldiers were imprisoned on Pea Patch Island, downstream of New Castle, Delaware. William Penn signed a treaty with the Indians on the Delaware’s banks.

The river flows into the Delaware Bay, which washes by old whaling towns. Upstream it flows beneath the Delaware Aqueduct, also called the Roebling Bridge. During the 1800’s, the aqueduct linked canals on both sides of the river. Mule-pulled barges floated coal across the water-filled bridge, thus avoiding collisions with the timber rafts which, at the mercy of the river’s flow, were swept by below. The aqueduct, or Roebling Bridge as it is known locally, is still in use, a favorite spot for tourists and residents alike. It was built by engineer John Roebling, a precursor to his fabled Brooklyn Bridge design. The bridge connects travelers to the Zane Gray house in Lackawaxan, Pennsylvania, home of the famous Western novel author, now maintained as a museum.

Over 150 miles of the Delaware River and its tributary streams have been included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Wildlife abounds on the river, including eagles, ducks, turtles, deer, otter, bobcat, black bear and coyote. The river is home to a number of fish, including migrating shad, native brown trout, rainbow trout and bass. The tidal reach of the river, which starts at Trenton, along with the Delaware Bay, is part of the National Estuary Program, a project set up to protect estuarine systems of national significance.

Members of the 2001 Delaware River Sojourn Steering Committee, organizing this year’s sojourn, include: American Canoe Association, Bucks County River Country, Delaware and Raritan Greenway, Delaware Canal State Park, DRBC, DRGP, Friends of the Delaware Canal, Heritage Conservancy, Kittatinny Canoes, Inc., National Canoe Safety Patrol, Natural Lands Trust, National Park Service, Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Inc., Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, DCNR, Pocono Environmental Education Center, Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau, Princeton Hydro, and Upper Delaware Council.

For more information or to register for “2001—A River Odyssey,” call the Delaware River Greenway Partnership at 908/996-0230, or visit the Delaware River Basin Commission’s web site at www.drbc.net. For information on the river in general, contact the National Park Service at 570/729-7134.

Classic shad

LACKAWAXEN — Shad fishermen will be competing for up to $2,000 in cash prizes when the ninth annual Upper Delaware Shad Classic is held, from April 28 to May 27, on the Delaware River and its tributaries from the Delaware Water Gap upstream to the river’s headwaters.

Participating anglers will also be helping to support the ongoing fight against Alzheimer’s Disease, since half of each entry fee is donated to the Northeast Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The $20 entry fee entitles each angler to fish any one or all of the month-long contest days.

This year’s Shad Classic will coincide with the ninth annual Shad Festival, Shad Bake and Native American Pow Wow scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, May 26 and 27, at the Firemen’s Field in Lackawaxen.

To obtain an entry form and a copy of the tournament rules, write to Upper Delaware Shad Classic, 106 Scenic Drive, Lackawaxen, PA 18435 or call 570/685-2010.

Learn to fly fish

ARKVILLE — On Sunday, April 29 try your hand at one of the Catskill’s most renowned outdoor recreational pursuits—fly fishing.

The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development and Trout Unlimited will teach beginners the basics of rods, reels and flies, and they will help participants master the techniques of casting. Plenty of fly rods will be available for those who do not have their own gear, thanks to a generous grant from the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, and also a loan of equipment from the Jerry Bartlett Memorial Angling Collection at the Phoenicia Library.

More experienced anglers are invited to bring their own gear and help to teach others. All participants must have a current New York State Fishing License, which can be obtained at town clerk’s offices and most tackle shops.

Participants should meet at 11:00 a.m., at the Pine Hill Lake Day Use Area, off Route 28 in Pine Hill. If the outer gate is shut, park outside the gate and walk into the park. Pre-registration for this event is not necessary.

For more information call Chris Olney at 845/586-2611.

Spring wildflower walk

HAWLEY — On Saturday, April 28 join the Pike County Conservation District (PCCD) for a streamside exploration of Hornbeck’s Creek, led by naturalist, John Serrao. Participants will discover emerging wildflowers, migrating songbirds, salamanders of stream and forest, and woodland trees of the Pocono region.

This is “peak season” for native, spring wildflowers and also an excellent time to see several species of migrant songbirds returning from their wintering grounds in Latin America to nest in the local woodlands. Binoculars are suggested but not required. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy hiking shoes.

Meet at the Delaware Township Municipal Building, at 1:30 pm., to carpool to the Hornbeck’s Creek trailhead. The hike will run from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. There is no fee.

For more information contact John Jose at the PCCD at HC 6 Box 6770, Hawley, PA, call 570/226-8220 or e-mail pikecd@ptd.net.

Officially fishing

LIVINGSTON MANOR — Congressman Maurice D. Hinchey will visit the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum on Saturday, April 28, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. The public is invited. For more information call 845/439-4810.

Take a hike

LOCH SHELDRAKE — The Sullivan County Chapter of the National Audubon Society will hold a nature walk to Hornbeck’s Basin on Saturday, May 5. Meet leader Arlene Borko in the parking lot off Route 109, at 8:00 a.m. The walk is free and open to the public. For more information call Borko at 845/888-2371.