By Dave Decoteau
WELCOME!
Click these logos to join.
If you are reading this, I have to assume you have at least a passing interest in what we are up to in regard to our West Branch Paddlers Club offerings.
Bottom line:
if you want to earn state-level recognition for your efforts and some nifty pins as well…you need to join the West Branch Paddlers Club.
If you don’t care about recognition and pins…you don’t. Joining will cost you $30. for an individual, $50 for a family. I give some good reasons to join below, but before we get started on this long journey, maybe some history, goals and mission of this ambitious undertaking is appropriate?
History
The Susquehanna Greenways Partnership (SGP) and Riverside Adventure Company (RAC) have had a working relationship for almost 20 years. First, interactions resulting from David Decoteau (Owner of RAC) serving as the Director of Recreation for Montour County. In those days, our relationship mostly dealt with river advocacy, The secondary goal being to bring more outdoor enthusiasts to the Susquehanna River.
A group paddling the Susquehanna with us near Catawissa, PA
When Dave turned the Montour Area Recreation Commission over to Bob Stoudt in 2007, and purchased an abandoned restaurant on the Susquehanna River with the idea of creating an Outfitter, our relationship with the Susquehanna Greenways Partnership changed to a more “hands-on”, tourism focused capacity for getting folks on the Susquehanna River and loving it! What we are doing with the West Branch Paddlers Club (WBPC) is one of those collaborative efforts.
Goals
The goal of these blog posts, event calendars, logistics and exhaustive reviews of the river scouting we have done is to:
Paddling the Hyner segment of the WBPC with Morgan
CREATE THREE-DAY-WEEKEND, “DOABLE”, GUIDED, SECTIONS OF THE Susquehanna River THAT ANYONE (of adequate conditioning) CAN DO.
Think Appalachian Trail.
Some folks can hike that trail straight through. Those people are typically trust fund kids, degenerates, or fit grandparents. But MOST people who hike the Appalachian Trail do so by breaking it down into “doable” pieces. That’s what RAC is after with this effort.
We have gone out in advance and worked out all the kinks:
We know the places to eat and the places to avoid.
We know the places to camp, and the places to avoid.
We know the river conditions, and what you can expect to encounter along the way.
Ever come back from a trip and say to yourself, “If I ever get back here, I will do it better next time”? Well, you won’t say that after a trip with us. We have made your mistakes for you.
Mission
The mission of this effort is to provide a “one stop” solution for anyone (local or distant) who might desire to paddle either the entire Susquehanna River, or just a section. RAC would like to be THE Susquehanna River EXPERTS!
If someone calls a state agency from anywhere in the world (who speaks English), and says, “I want to paddle the Susquehanna River”, we want whomever is talking to them to say, “Ok, here is the number for Riverside Adventure Company.”
As a side benefit, we believe our scouting trips and blogging posts will create the BEST online guide to paddling the Susquehanna River that has ever existed. Presently, it’s a disaster (frankly). With anyone desirous of paddling needing to visit multiple websites, agencies and even tracking down past Paddlers to get enough information to even consider the journey. Although, we think of that quest as “part of the fun”, most people don’t have time for it, and would simply get disgusted with the idea and move on to something more “turn-key”. RAC wants to be that turn-key.
Why do I need to join SGP and the WBPC?
Short answer: you don’t.
But…if you want the full experience, and the nifty pins, and the state level recognition for your efforts…you do.
And there is something else…
These folks at the SGP work hard on making the Susquehanna accessible, educational, and as “clean” as is humanly possible. They organize all kinds of events and expos and educational opportunities in regard to the Susquehanna River. They also organize and promote river clean-up efforts, but in house and as advocates for local efforts. Don’t you want to support that? It will DIRECTLY impact the kinds of experiences we will be having when we paddle the river.
So, if you decide it’s worth it, use any of the links on this page to become a supporting member of the Susquehanna Greenways partnership. By doing so, you will earn and be given recognition by this organization for each segment you complete of the West Branch of the Susquehanna. Cost to join is $30.00 for an individual, $50.00 for a family.
https://www.trailblz.info/susquehannagreenway/eventcomplete.aspx?eventid=1195
What to do after you become a member of SGP (or don’t)
So, now you pick a segment of the Susquehanna River to do with us from our Susquehanna River Trips Calendar.
We will be doing the headwaters in spring, because that’s when we can most count on adequate water levels to run those sections. Other sections as the year progresses. it’s going to be an AMAZING JOURNEY, and we hope you will join us each year as you progress on your own personal path to completing the West Branch Paddlers Club!