Blue Monkey Sojourn

This past weekend was the third annual "Blue Monkey Sojourn." It's not as well known as the Schuylkill Sojourn, but it is on the Schuylkill and it is a sojourn.

We put in at Aubern, PA. around 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. The weather was beautiful and we had smooth paddling. We stopped at the abandoned rail bridge below Aubern for a break and some exploring and fished a little also.

We departed from the bridge around 4:00 p.m. and made our way to our campsite. Again the level of the water made for a nice paddle. Along the way I fished a little using my fly rod, but was only able to land one fall fish. I also missed a smallmouth.

Got into camp around 5:00 p.m. and set-up the tents. After setting up, we tried fishing again, but the water was just a little too cold and I was only able to catch one smallmouth - on my first cast, no less.

This was my oldest son's, Kyler's, 4th overnight canoe trip; it was the shakedown cruise for my youngest son, Tristan. Both boys had a blast and enjoyed the freedom that camping affords: freedom to get dirty, explore, play with sticks in the fire, cook hot dogs and make s'mores.

The night was cool, perfect for sleeping and listening to night sounds. We were awakened at 5:30 by a wild turkey. My friend Matt said it best upon arising, "there's nothing better than to awake to a wild turkey, see the mist rising from the river and discovering fresh deer Sh** behind your tent."

After a quick breakfast we struck camp and headed down the river. It was beautiful morning. As we were paddling, Kyler yelled out, "Dad, there is a beaver." I'm going to have to work on some wildlife ID with him, because it was actually a mink.

The lower section, before arriving into Port Clinton, has some tricky sections, but with the exception of a sideways canoe that stayed upright, we all made it through okay. All in all it was a great two days paddling through the Appalachians.

Enjoy the video created by Cory Fisher.