PINELANDS CANOE/KAYAK OUTING
This canoe and kayak outing is designed to be interesting for the experienced paddler and simultaneously safe and welcoming for novices and "first timers".
Date: Monday, May 29, 2023 (Memorial Day)
Time: 9:30AM
Place: Pinelands Adventures, (Pinelands Adventures) 1005 Atsion Road (just west of Route 206), Atsion, NJ
Whether you are a seasoned paddler or a first-timer, we invite you and your family or friends to join the Club in New Jersey’s unique Pinelands, where Crimson runs in the water: The Pinelands were preserved by law thanks to the commitment of Harvard Law alumnus Governor Brendan T. Byrne (LLB ’50), and they are safeguarded to this day by the vigilance of advocates led by Carleton Montgomery ’81, executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, who will lead our expedition.
We will meet at Pinelands Adventures, the nonprofit canoe service of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, which is located an hour south of Princeton, just a hundred meters west of US Route 206 facing Atsion Lake in Shamong Township, near the blueberry fields that surround Hammonton. After Carleton briefs us on current challenges in the Pinelands, we will be transported to a launch point on the Mullica River, for an on-water run of two hours, with an intermediate stop for a naturalist to point out to us the featured flora and fauna (if we’re lucky) of the Pines.
This canoe/kayak outing is attractive for both the experienced paddler and families, novices, and "first timers". The Pinelands rivers are shallow, involve no "white water" rapids, and can easily be navigated by novices. However, there are many twists and turns, overhanging branches, and submerged trees, and occasionally somebody tips over - a misadventure that befalls the experienced canoeist no less than the first-timer. Quick-drying attire is recommended.
M ost of us rent our rivercraft from Pinelands Adventures. Canoes can take a third passenger (but no one under 5 years old, please!). Rental costs will vary depending upon the vessel; the list prices range from $50 for a solo kayak to $85 for a tandem kayak or a canoe. (The Club has been assured of a discount averaging 10% from the list price for our party.) Those who have their own kayak or canoe may bring it for the livery to transport with our rented canoes and kayaks for a portage fee of $30 for a single kayak and $50 for a two-person vessel.
The Pinelands Adventures website offers useful information about the rivers and forests in the area. There are no restaurants en route, so do pack a lunch. Sunscreen is a good idea in May, and while insects are rarely annoying (dragonflies actively patrol the river), some people like to bring insect repellant.
The intrepid may find other attractions in the area after their riverine exertions: historic Batsto Village, bird-watching at Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, or the laws of probability in Atlantic City.
To register for this event, please contact Yuki and Jeff Laurenti at laurenti.uno@gmail.com with the subject line “Pinelands.” Space is limited, so please signal your intentions by 14 May: we need to give a headcount to Pinelands Adventures two weeks out to lock in our rentals. Participants will make payment directly to Pineland Adventures on arrival at the site..
Organizer: Yuki and Jeff Laurenti
Cost: No cost to register. Individuals will be responsible for rental of equipment.