Another Musconetcong Monday?

The pic, entitled "Just Me and My Pygmy Pony, Over By the Dental Floss Bush" was taken by Sharon on Veterans Day 2005, a 75 deg. Indian Summer escapade to Assateague Island National Seashore, one of my favorite camping and R&R destinations.

Last Monday the Musky was at 2.60', an ideal level. But the "real feel" temperature was around 35 deg. I found reasons to not paddle. It was windy, cloudy and cold, and the REAL JOB necessitates doing certain things on my DAY OFF. So what if I never even break 400 miles, at least 100 miles short of my goal for 2006. It's possible I'll reach 400 mi. but not at all likely. That's sad. I know some folks who regularly do over 1000 mi. per year.

But it's not the quantity that counts, in the end. Thing is all my miles are quality and the miles represent TIME ON THE WATER.

Tomorrow it will be a balmy 63 deg. and I will be paddling the Musconetcong River between Kings Highway Bridge in Beattystown and Hampton Borough Park, about 12 miles of varied scenery including mixed hemlock/hardwood, a bit of class 2 water, Point Mountain, lime kilns, farms, national historic register
hamlets (Beattystown and New Hampton) and structures (Pony Truss Bridge), and the ugliest farm in northern New Jersey, a virtual pollution factory of geese and steers. This is one farm I'd glady see converted to a cul-de-sac McMansion slum.

I'll be joined by Eric and Wally (a hopeful).

I haven't paddled this stretch for perhaps 3 years, before the Kings Hgwy bridge was replaced. I'll have a pic or two if the disposable camera doesn't take a swim.