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Lehigh River Sojourn Journal Day 5—
Greg A. June 26, 2002 We are getting more and more tired each morning. If the sojourn continues any longer, we'll be sleeping while we paddle. Broke camp at the American Legion post, and listened to another safety talk. By the end of the sojourn, we'll have this talk memorized. We pushed off and did the usual 'paddle around the river' drill to train the beginners. A small rapid early on was the only real whitewater, and most of today was flat as a lake. Part of the way through the trip, Mr. Mauser allowed Nick and I to take control while he rested in the middle. I was in the front, and had some trouble hearing Nick's commands.
Me: What? Harder? [Paddles Harder] Nick: No! Don't hit the boat! Cool it! Me: Pull it? [Paddles harder, Hits boat] Nick: [To other boat] Sorry. [To me] Greg! Don't flip it! Me: What? Flip it? [Flips canoe] Mr. Mauser: [Dripping wet] Where's that crazy Albright kid!? Bucky Boyle Park provided a place to stop for lunch. Nick's family came and visited for a while, until Chris announced that we were going to Kline's Island Wastewater Treatment Facility. After a roasting hot bus ride, we disembarked, and split into three tour groups. The tour left us with a new appreciation of sewage treatment, and some of the engineering problems involved. I never realized that it only takes 3 people (maintenance workers not included) to run a plant that serves hundreds of thousands of people. We paddled onward, and pulled to a stop in a flat section (the whole paddle today was a flat section). Many people got out to swim, but the occupants of our canoe were too tired, so we declined. Another mile or so of paddling, and we pulled up at Sand Island, our campsite. Nick & I got out the laptops while Mr. Mauser went back to the American Legion post to get our things. Seeing a storm in the distance, we set up a tent (as a precaution) and moved our work site into a large stage-type area, which was equipped with electrical outlets. The staff was finalizing registration papers, and a cell phone started to ring. One sojourner (who wishes to remain anonymous) called out "That thing is doing a noise!" The humor of this moment was eclipsed by a rumble of thunder in the distance, driving us to disconnect our laptops. We huddled, along with Jamie and some staff members in the 'wings' of the stage until Mr. Mauser came with his car. We went to the Ice House, another stage-type place, to complete our entries, which I am doing ...now.  |
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