Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Kayaking the Conestoga River/Creek


 Took on the mighty Conestoga River, with the help of some friends, many of whom play Pickle Ball in the Lititz Rec Center.

Pickle Ball? That's another story for a later time.

Eleven of us maneuvered down the creek to the Lancaster County Park, and even those who had never sat in a kayak before finished safely.  There were a few rapids, more like wrinkles, and we scraped the bottom with our paddles most of the three-hour trip. The water was very low.

To contact the Lancaster Canoe Club, click here. For information about a York club, the Conewago Canoe Club, click here.

Even if we had dumped, it wouldn't have been much of a problem. Rocks were more of a hazard than the water, and Bob, our fearless leader and scout, had his kayak jammed against a rock. As shown in the top photo, the water wasn't knee-deep, so he got out and dragged it away from the rock.

It's a good bit of water on which to test out whether you want to take up kayaking or canoeing. And there is plenty in York County as well, including the Codorus Creek, Conewago Creek, Muddy Creek and of course, the Susquehanna River and the lakes at Pinchot and Codorus State Parks.

By the way, some of our group didn't wear personal floatation devices (safety vests). But they all had them in the boat, and I'd suggest wearing them ALL the time, no matter how deep or fast the water.




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