Lehigh River (15-June-2016)

The second half of the trip I already had a bag of recyclables to take back which limited what I could take off the river. Before getting out on the water I walked the bank and collected several plastic bottles you can see piled up next to the boat. Also grabbed some non-recyclabes and took them up to the can by the parking area. Then it was off on the water. I decided because of my already limited space I would focus on recyclables going down the river.

I kept river left and hugged the bank which had lots and lots of plastics. Next trip down I will do the same, but on river right. 

Floating in the water I found the only river beer of the trip and a Jitterbug lure. The beer was poured out and the Jitterbug went into my dry bag.

This raft or air mattress was floating along the side and I thought why not? Then dragged it out of the water, pulled the plug and let it drain out while I cleaned what looked to be a campsite and down the bank. After it was emptied it folded up and fit nicely on the front of the boat.

Found three basketballs fairly close together on the bank and of course I had to take them. All were in good shape and will most likely see use again.

Near the end of a string of islands I decided to get out for a walk and stretch. By this point including the canal I had spent about seven hours sitting in the kayak. I wanted to get back before dark, but I needed a break from sitting. 

When I set out on the water again I passed this mother Merganser and young sitting on a rock. I see Mergansers on almost every river trip and I never get tired of seeing them. 

When I saw this inner tube caught in this strainer I didn't think it would be a problem to take. It ended up being a family size tube with hand grips for four or more people. It also had mud lodged in its folds. The size and weight not only made it difficult to get over the bow of my kayak, but then made it hard to paddle. It also hung over both sides creating drag, this made for a slow paddle to the end. The good news was the end wasn't far away.

Getting close to the take out I spotted the only Great Blue Heron of the trip. Normally there would be more on this section. I may have just missed them, it was good to see this one before the end. 

Pulling into the launch I interrupted a couples engagement photos. I somewhat felt bad, but I also paid for my launch permit. None of them had one and were using the launch. Hauling everything up was quick and I was happy for the end of the long day. 

The bag on the far left was full of recyclables from the canal, everything else came from the river. There was also recyclables still in the back hull of the kayak. I think for the entire day canal included this ended up being a great clean-up. I will be back to this location on Friday to take out more trash!
You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

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