Uncover The Mysteries Of The Schuylkill Saturday In Norristown

It’s easy to overlook rivers.

The Schuylkill in Norristown is largely hidden behind swaths of trees, its fetid currents slipping along the banks of Montgomery and Chester counties, a quiet unseen gigantic presence.

Like the steady hypnotic thrum of cicadas and eastern insects in the night, the presence of the Schuylkill is so constant, pervading, and intrinsically familiar that it becomes invisible.

And in winter, when the vegetation thins and the riverside trees stand bare and gray like some arboreal graveyard, the river runs by in a gray hue that matches not only the trees but also the ever-dimming winter sky.

A kayaking event this Sunday, July 19 will attempt to show the world what the Schuylkill River truly is: a historic bloodline that is older than any time we are likely to read of it in books, a witness not just to the progress of the centuries but to the birth of a nation and the dusk of a native civilization.

The Schuylkill River Towns organization, in partnership with a guide from Take it Outdoors Adventure, will lead a“biyak” - bike and kayak - along the Schuylkill River on Saturday.

Th event will begin with a four mile bike ride from Riverfront Park in Norristown to Betzwood Trailhead in Valley Forge National Historic Park.

The group will then paddle back on canoes, while bikes are placed on a shuttle and ferried back to the start.

The cost is $35 per person and includes a kayak, paddle, and life vest, along with an interpretative tour of the historical and environmental importance of the river.

Particpants must be 14 or older and provide their own bike. Helmets must be worn.

Register for the event here.

Schuylkill River Sojourn 2015 from Al Kershner on Vimeo.

Image courtesy Schuylkill River Towns Facebook page.