November 11, 2007

New Jersey and Valley Forge

Birds of Prey

(shot with Sony DSC-S85)
(view other photo essays)

Several things have become clear over the summer. One, that as long as the weather stays temperate and sunny, it's still not too late to go out in the water. The other thing is that I needed another boat. Here's why: The Pamlico is an excellent starter boat; it has carried everyone I put in it safely and efficiently and left them feeling confident and secure. But I have plans for the Pamlico. Next summer, I expect to be leaving the Pamlico in quarantine at Green Lane reservoir (where I can use it on that lake, but only on that lake.) The Tsunami is a great boat for me, but it's not suitable to put guests in; at least not guests who haven't paddled before. Too twitchy and a tad confining. So, I looked back at the boats I tried at Bel Haven that day in August and tried to pick the nicest stable, respectable ride. There really was no comparison. The Current Designs Kestrel 120 is light, comfortable and more stable than any of the other boats I demoed. And, given that there would be no better deal on a Kestrel than an end-of-season leftover, I hurried down to Bel Haven to purchase the last of their 2006 stock. I resisted the temptation to put it in the water down in the Pine Barrens; but by the time I got back across the bridge, with the sun high in a cloudless blue sky, I opted for a quick trip up the Schuylkill to Valley Forge.

The Kestrel 120

The Kestrel is a small boat, 12 feet long, weighing under
50 lbs. The yellow one I got from Bel Haven was new and
still had its original tags attached.



It is easy to get on and off the car and has a nicely
padded seat and a large, welcoming cockpit.
It's also a pretty boat with a hard, smoothly finished
and durable polyethylene hull.




Here we are in the Schuylkill, headed downstream.



This seasonally appropriate foliage covers one of two rock
islands that once were bridge footings.



Down, beneath the Route 422 bridge, the river is fairly deep,
fairly wide, and fairly well populated.



This new housing development of upscale executive suites
promises to turn the old Trooper Road park access into a
daily traffic nightmare.






Paddling upstream was complicated by a low-angle sun directly
in my field of vision. I chose a warm, knit hat to protect my ears
instead of a hat with a visor.
I need one that offers both.



The gentlemen in this fishing boat provided me with a nice
sizable wake to test the Kestrel's stability.
She cut cleanly through the waves with no trouble.



High overhead in a cloudless sky, a passenger jet heads west.



TV news claimed this was "Peak fall colors" weekend.
I think they were off by a few days; the trees along the Schuylkill
still look pretty green to me.



They make a nice picture, though, mirrored in the water.



Here we have it all: mirror, ripples, and sun flaring through the lens.



Up along the northern side of the island.



My approach scared the geese away.



We saw this bridge and tunnel before.

Then looking up, I saw a flock of prey birds —
I think they were eagles. Or some of them.
One, I'm pretty sure, had a white head...












Courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Parks and
Lake Nockamixon, here's a simple bird identification
flash card. You decide what they are...


And then it was time to go home. By 3:30 pm, the sun
is dropping visibly in the sky and I had been on the road
since 9:00 am.



The Kestrel performed splendidly on its maiden voyage
and I was happy to add it to my collection. Would I be back
out to Valley Forge again this year? That's difficult to say.
I guess it depends on how many more unseasonably
warm weekends lie ahead.




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