Lost a flip-flop, made lots of friends on Schuylkill River Sojourn

Kayaks and canoes of all shapes, sizes and colors covered the banks of the Schuylkill River in Gibraltar as a crowd of paddlers prepared to enter the water Tuesday morning.

Wearing hats and life jackets, the adventurers gathered at Allegheny Aqueduct Historical Park, ready to brave the next leg of the Schuylkill River Sojourn, a seven-day, 112-mile journey from Island Park in Schuylkill Haven to Philadelphia’s Boathouse Row.

On Tuesday, the fourth day of the trip, I was among the sojourners, clutching a paddle in one hand and my phone, wrapped in a plastic bag for protection, in the other. I was assigned a mighty vessel – a red and black Old Town kayak – before making my way down a treacherous, muddy slope and joining the throngs of paddlers beginning to embark downstream.

As I paddled, I quickly became accustomed to the sound of water lapping against the side of my kayak and the chatter from nearby paddlers. We were on the river for about a mile when my water bottle slipped out of my backpack and dropped into the Schuylkill. Before I could mourn for my maroon canteen, a paddler behind me picked it up.

She introduced herself as Adrian Phelan, a 66-year-old, first-time sojourner from Davidson, N.C. Although her name was Adrian, everybody, she said, knew her as just “A.”

She brushed off my gratitude for rescuing the wayward water bottle, telling me, “everyone’s happy to help here.”

A little while later, the river currents pushed me away from my new friend. Approaching Birdsboro, a paddler nearby informed me that we were about to enter the “tunnel of love,” a narrow side-section of the river shaded by overhanging branches. As we floated into the tunnel, a sudden quiet came over the group, with everyone enjoying the opportunity to take off their hats and sunglasses.

After passing under a bridge and a number of dangerously low-hanging branches, the tunnel rejoined the river. As I paddled for the center of the current, I bumped into Matt Kehr, 48, who told me he was from Norristown. We hit it off quickly, entering a lively discussion on our backgrounds, politics and college.

Occasionally, other paddlers would join us in conversation, chiming in as they floated by. Matt told me this was one of his favorite things about the sojourn – the opportunity to learn about new people from all walks of life.

Farewell, flip-flop

Some time later, Matt and I were momentarily separated as we both paddled hard for the shore ahead. We were halting for a water break. I got my kayak to the side of the river without any damage, but as I tried to slog through the water and mud to pull the boat to shore, one of my flip-flops snapped, leaving me barefoot.

After muscling my kayak up the steep riverbank, I sadly determined the footwear damage couldn’t be fixed, and to the amusement of several paddlers, I decided I would need to manage the rest of my journey without shoes.

During the brief break, I encountered Mimi Vicente, a 59-year-old paddler from Muhlenberg Township, who encouraged me to keep making friends.

“You get to meet the most fabulous people on the way,” she said. “You only meet them once a year, but they feel like family.”

As I re-boarded my boat, I began to feel as though I was part of that family.

Several paddlers I had met earlier in the morning, including “A,” gave me friendly waves and smiles as I passed them, and conversations became easier.

By the time we stopped for lunch at Morlatton Village in Amity Township, my destination for the day, I was sad to leave the group.

The others would continue to Pottstown’s Riverfront Park, where they would camp for the night. The sojourn is on track to reach Philadelphia on Friday.

Someday, I hope to venture onto the Schuylkill River again and see familiar faces. In the meantime, I’ll need to order a new pair of flip-flops.

Contact Sasha Hupka: 610-371-5019 or shupka@readingeagle.com.