Blue Monkey Sojourn 2009

Sunday and Monday of Memorial day weekend have been reserved for the annual Blue Monkey Sojourn down the Schuylkill. This was the fourth edition of the grand event, and it was pleasurable one.

We put in on the Schuylkill at Auburn, PA at 2:00 pm. on Sunday. Our only mishap was a broken paddle 200 yards into the float. Fortunately we had a spare and the journey down the river commenced again.

The water was running a little high, which made for great paddling, and we made our first stop at the abandoned bridge, half way into the float. We had snacks, and did a little fishing and the kids had a wonderful time throwing rocks into the water and shooting BB guns.

We pulled into camp around 5:00, and other than a brief thunderstorm, we couldn't have asked for better camping weather. We enjoyed the evening fishing, swimming, and shooting the bull. The kids had a great time running around around like nature children unfettered and beyond the the normal bounds of civilized society. Tristan and Jackson especially enjoyed catching caterpillars, while Kyler enjoyed target practice with his BB gun.

The fishing was great, and we caught numerous smallmouth bass, although they weren't big. Nonetheless, the fact that we caught numerous bass is a testament to the recovery the river is making from its coal mining degraded state. One of the best signs of recovery was the large numbers of mayflies that hatched in the evening.

We woke this morning around 6:00 and had coffee and a quick breakfast. We were packed and on the river by 8:30 and arrived into Port Clinton by 9:00. After loading all the gear we went to 3Cs for a real breakfast. We then said our goodbyes, and headed home.

Here are some photos of the trip. Click on the slide show for larger prints.