For Lou Ann Pacocha, the Schuylkill River Sojourn is like a family reunion.
The 68-year-old Coal Township resident is taking to the river this week for the 20th time. Each year, she returns to participate in the weeklong trek from Schuylkill Haven to Philadelphia to connect with friends she has made through the event.
“It’s a great group of people. They feed us. They entertain us,” Pacocha said Sunday morning as the sojourn began its second, and longest, day.
On Sunday, 120 paddlers made their way from Port Clinton to Jim Dietrich Park in Muhlenberg Township, Berks County, a stretch of more than 19 miles. The group stopped at Peter Yarnell Park in Hamburg for lunch and to hear Dan Koury, a Pottsville native who retired from coal remediation work with the state Dept. of Environmental Protection, speak about local river cleanup efforts.
In total, 275 paddlers will navigate the Schuylkill River this week for all or part of the 113-mile sojourn. The event began Friday night with a send-off party at Island Park in Schuylkill Haven. Saturday’s opening leg took participants to Port Clinton, where the Port Clinton Fire Dept. provided dinner, and St. John’s Church hosted breakfast Sunday morning.
The theme of this year’s sojourn is “River of Revolutions,” celebrating the America’s semiquincentennial.
Pacocha is among a few dozen participants completing the entire trip, which concludes at the Temple University Boathouse in Philadelphia on Friday. She discovered the sojourn in a kayaking guide and has participated ever since.
Pacocha uses a small whitewater boat – the shortest among the participants – which requires her to paddle more than those in longer kayaks.
“I’m just paddling like everyone else,” she said Sunday. “I go for it.”
In addition to kayaking, Pacocha hikes, bikes, rock climbs, snowshoes, practices yoga, and runs 5Ks regularly.
“My doctor says I’m his star patient,” she said.
Exercise, however, is secondary. Pacocha said she returns annually for the people.
“Just the camaraderie. It’s almost like a family reunion year after year,” she said. “Every year I go home with a new recipe, everything from tomato pie to tabbouleh. The friends that you make here are long-lasting.”
Mark Nevenglosky, a Hometown native now living in Phoenixville, is completing his 18th sojourn this year. He credited the event with introducing him to the sport.
Nevenglosky bought a kayak after college but initially limited himself to lakes. His first time navigating a river was his first sojourn. Today, he serves as vice president of the Schuylkill River Greenways board of directors, which organizes the annual event.
He also highlighted the social aspect of the trip. During his first sojourn, he did not know anyone, but that changed by the time he reached Philadelphia.
“I came out of the trip knowing a bunch of people, made a bunch of new connections,” Nevenglosky said. “I just love the experience, the outdoors, the group atmosphere of it all.”
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