Putting in

In 1981, a small group of guys initiated the West Branch canoe/camping trip that has become a springtime tradition. The original perpetrator Harry Borger, had often paddled the river with his Father and convinced Bob Hayes and yours truly, Gary Wagner that it would be fun to take a canoe camping trip down the West Branch.

Harry and Bob knew each other from their work at The Lincoln Intermediate Unit, in South Central Pennsylvania. Harry was a consultant at the institution where Gary worked. We first camped together in the spring of 1980 when we were facilitating a camping trip with two special ed classes and their teachers. We held a post trip debriefing at Hanover's "Grog Shop" and decided that we would like to try a canoe camping trip down the Delaware river. The trip included the five of us, Bob and Harry's wives and Bob's brother. We had a fine time and were primed for Harry's suggestion that we paddle the West Branch.

The trip has been a guys only trip from the beginning. I will write more about that later. Harry and Bob brought along Dwight Alcott and Gary invited Alan Curtis and Bill Campbell along. We put in around Miller's Landing for a three day cruise to Revono. The area we paddled is the most undeveloped portion of the West Branch and we paddled without seeing another group. After three days on the river, we were hooked and began making plans for the next year.