Kayaks on the Delaware

[Griff]

Pete and I paddled 15 miles of the Delaware yesterday from Callicoon to Narrowsburg. We both took on a little water at Skinner's Falls the only plce with a lot of traffic due to a campground above them. The weather was perfect.

[Griff]

.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I suspect those rock piles will be gone in the spring.

[Griff]

I suspect you're right.

[tw]

Delaware between Calicoon and Narrowsburg is tame. Except for Skinner's Falls, it is mostly large lakes with a current - and really clean water. Those rocks have remained for at least 60 years - when I was first doing it.

Our first trip (in an awkward and significantly less safe thing called a canoe) was from Calicoon to somewhere near Pond Eddy. The river starts getting more interesting after that.

River gets higher during the week when NYC needs more electricity and weather is warmer. Since those dams must also provide enough water so that intakes in Wilmington DE do not suck in salt water.

Deepest part of the entire river is on the north side of a bridge at Narrowsburg. Even deeper than the Delaware Bay. Deep water scuba drivers there bring up cameras, watches, credit cards, etc. That first picture looks like Narrowsburg.

Farther south are some historic points. For example, Roebling learned how to build the Brooklyn Bridge by constructing a bridge at Lackawaxen. So that six foot deep, 100 foot long coal barges could float 30 feet above the Delaware River to make deliveries to NYC. Zane Gray (the other famous author during Mark Twain's time) wrote all his western novels there. He was only that far west.

Barryville is where most boats put in. Since a trip from Narrowsburg (or Ten Mile River) to Barryville is a good trip for a day. And the other is even better water from Barryville to Port Jervis. That includes fun water in Mongaup, Hawks Nest, and Sparrowbush.

This river is full of bridges (for both cars and trains) that look just like that one. PA on the right; NY and freight railroad on the left. That looks like a bridge at Cocheton NY?

Water is some of the cleanest. In the days of Reagan, it started getting dirtier. But even then, the National Park Service still rated it class A water - cleanest. In Clinton's time, it even started getting as clean as it was in 1960 - when the river once had many eel traps. Since then water in the Philly region got so bad that the eel population almost completely failed (along with a once massive shell fish industry in the Delaware Bay - Commercial Twp in NJ).

In many points along the shoreline are miles of wonderful stone walls that once contained the canal. Those rocks so carefully placed in the mid 1800s as to form almost solid walls that remain intact today. An example of how hard people once worked in those days.

Generally I would make a trip from Narrowsburg to Barryville in under three hours (not including stopping time). However, that is because I kayak (avoid canoes). And use a longer paddle.

Back when we were first kayaking, people refused to believe it was safer. We bought our boats from Walter Reilly - a former Austrian soldier in WWII who started a kayak service on the Delaware after the war. Built kayaks all winter long on the Delaware. And ran Barryville Kayak.

A best place to have breakfast is on that back porch. Since first rapids that so many canoes first encounter is that one. Screams, reactions, and emotions of those canoers is entertaining. Those rapids are also perfect for learning how to paddle up rapids. Then go into Barryville Kayak for a beer. And then go back few more hours.

Since they only believed what others told them, then so many back then only expressed fear of a boat that did not have high sides. And refused to believe what we would show them (stability, speed, maneuverability, a great canoe rescue tool, and we would go up the rapids and do it again. Today, even the most emotional now admit that kayaks have always been the way to go. But it took 40 years. Emotions so routinely override knowledge.

Weekdays are a great time to camp - since even wars with skunks and raccoons are sometimes fun. It is so quiet. And the sky actually has stars. Weekend - a zoo. And if it rains at night, many may even play volleyball in the rain at three in the morning.

About five miles north of Port Jervis on Route 97 is where everyone should stop and view. Toyota shot many TV 'European like' commercials there since it looks so much like driving in the Alps.

Delaware River below Port Jervis (between PA and NJ) is boring.

[Griff]

You called it sir, that's the Damascus-Cochecton Bridge.

It was a very quiet trip except where we had to work around the rafts at Skinner's Falls. We didn't have skirts on our boats so we took on a little water. A canoe would be trickier to get past that area. I assume we'll have more boat traffic and rougher water as we go South. We've done all the East Branch below the reservoir and now we're working on the Main Branch. We have not been South of Narrowsburg. We'll be doing the West Branch as well but it tends to run close to the highway. The Delaware is a beautiful waterway. Apparently they found a large zebra mussel in the reservoir which is potential bad news for river health.

We had lunch at Gerard's Cafe in Narrowsburg, excellent cheeseburgers.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Griff

You called it sir, that's the Damascus-Cochecton Bridge.

First time through Skinners Fall was with canoes full of camping gear.

Never used skirts on that river. Yes sometimes we take on water. That is why everything is in canoe packs - never gets wet - except the beer.

Keeping one shirt and towel dry is essential. Because in August, after 4 PM, the sun disappears behind mountains. Then it gets cold.

Same bridges farther downstream have one unique feature. That center concrete pile suffers plenty of ice damage. So many of those bridges downstream have timber or concrete protection pointing up to 10 feet upstream - to protect that badly chipped concrete bridge support.

That Cochecton bridge has no apparent ice damage that is so common downstream. Don't know why. Other than ice dams farther downstream have threatened Port Jervis with serious winter flooding.

Had you not ended in Narrowsburg, I would have confused that bridge with one just north of Ten Mile River. The bridge and downstream waters (rapid and current) look similar.

Just talked to a girl who grew up in Lackawaxen. In those decades, nothing new was built. Only in the past 15 years has there been significant new construction. She wants to go back home just to see what may have changed.

One town that never seemed to change was Shohola PA.

A biggest Walmarts I had seen was in Honesdale PA. A nice day's bike ride up along the Lackawaxen River (that drains Lake Wallenpaupack. Little traffic makes for pleasant riding. But where do they find enough people to shop in that Walmart?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by tw

Those rocks have remained for at least 60 years - when I was first doing it.

You're so full of shit your eyes are brown. There's no fucking way those rock piles have been there for years.

[Griff]

I'm pretty sure he misread your comment. That seam of rocks has probably been there but obviously the stack get wiped out continuously.

[tw]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

You're so full of shit your eyes are brown. There's no fucking way those rock piles have been there for years.

You still have not yet learned how to post in an adult manner. As usual, your wrong.

[Gravdigr]

They're everywhere, they're everywhere!!!

[lumberjim]

bout five miles north of Port Jervis on Route 97 is where everyone should stop and view.



we were there last summer. The Hawks Nest overlook





felt more West than north.... but yeah. nice view

[xoxoxoBruce]

I've got pictures of that... somewhere.

[Griff]

Nice.

[captainhook455]

I'm enjoying these pics as I haven't been around PJ since '86. I loved riding the Old Mine Rd. Jimmy is fixing up my bedroom so hopefully I see it again.

Sent from my moto e5 supra using Tapatalk