On August 7th, 2012, YESC embarked on our very first canoe camping trip on the Susquehanna River in beautiful central Pennsylvania! The YMCA Earth Service Corps of Discovery II consisted of Alex, Kirsten, Emily, Yusuf, Harrison, Austin, Zach, Annalie, and myself over a physically strenuous four day, three night paddling experience of a lifetime.
The gear loaded up on the first day! We had to bring all of our food, water, and personal gear with us in our canoes.
Some serious guys out on the water!
Every night we stayed on a different island in the Susquehanna River Trail System. Our first day was an eight mile paddle, and this was our first campsite location on Campsite Island 112. You can see master chefs Alex and Emily making our dinner: beans, cheese, Spanish rice, and chips. Spectacular!
Master navigator Kirsten on day two! Our second campsite was more difficult to find than the first, which made our arrival that much sweeter. After a ten and a half mile paddle, we were very excited to arrive until we realized our campsite was pretty overgrown.
As you can see, quite overgrown! A mix of Japanese Knotweed and Poison Ivy (yikes!) When we arrived, we had to clear space for our tents and gear to fit on the site. We then enjoyed a delicious dinner of mac & cheese and mashed potatoes.
A little post-dinner YMCA from Yusuf, Alex, Kirsten, and Zach!
The third day of our adventure was by far the toughest. We paddled twelve miles, which was our longest distance for the trip in one day. Also, we were paddling against the wind and made our paddle that much more difficult. We arrived at our third and final campsite for the trip, and my camera ran out of battery! No electricity to charge our devices while on the trip.
On the third night, we enjoyed a delicious dinner of lasagna and biscuits made on the fire! At the conclusion of dinner, dark clouds began to loom on the horizon, and we went into waterproof mode: All personal gear was placed in tents, dry bags were sealed and secured, community gear was properly stored, canoes were tied together and then to a strong tree, and we patiently waited for the storm over some smores on the fire. As we patiently waited for the storm to arrive, I checked the weather map on my phone. The map showed a strong band of storms approaching, bringing with it strong lightning, pea-sized hail, and 20mph winds! After thirty minutes of waiting, the storm never arrived. However, as we looked to our east, we observed an incredible sight over the mountain range. The storm was passing and just missed us! We were treated to the most incredible display of lights as we observed the passing storm from a safe distance. For almost an hour, we sat together and enjoyed this incredible spectacle. What a way to spend the final night of our journey together!
Although storms did arrive around 4:45am that morning, it did not stop us from hitting the water and heading home. After bailing the water out of the canoes, we endured the rain as we paddled down the mighty Susquehanna. Below is a video taken on my phone from our final journey:
The final rapids, known as the Dauphin Narrows, were the sign that we knew we were close to our exit. Conveniently, the narrows were also the most treacherous rapids we encountered!
The final rapids, known as the Dauphin Narrows, were the sign that we knew we were close to our exit. Conveniently, the narrows were also the most treacherous rapids we encountered!
We encountered this popular landmark in the Dauphin Narrows. A replica of the Statue of Liberty! You can oftentimes see this statue from Route 322 when traveling to and from State College.
We made it through the narrows!
One final group photo with the Statue of Liberty in the background!
After we passed through the narrows, we arrived at the exit for the trip. We unloaded our gear and canoes as we celebrated the completion of this incredible trip!
During our journey, we saw 36 species of birds. The highlights included bald eagle (incredibly high numbers,) caspian tern, common loon, a flock of 32 common mergansers, wood duck, great blue heron, great egret, and black-crowned night heron!
The trip was nothing short of spectacular! The teamwork and leadership skills presented by YESC participants was truly remarkable, and I am very proud of everyone who did such a fantastic job on the trip. As I said before, when the going got tough, YESC got going!
I think the photo of Harrison appropriately represents how we all felt after the trip:
The trip was nothing short of spectacular! The teamwork and leadership skills presented by YESC participants was truly remarkable, and I am very proud of everyone who did such a fantastic job on the trip. As I said before, when the going got tough, YESC got going!
I think the photo of Harrison appropriately represents how we all felt after the trip:
Victory!!!
The YMCA Earth Service Corps of Discovery II was a great success! Looking forward to next year's adventure!
- BQ
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