I signed up for a weekend of Kayaking, Hiking and Camping along the Delaware Water Gap with a local meetup group. 

This was my first time doing these activities in this area. I have stayed along the Delaware River as a kid and in my early 20's with friends.

The first time was with my 6th grade classmate Onorato and his vacation home in Upstate NY. The next was at a cabin in the Poconos, my best friend bought at the time.

The trip was organized by a member of a Backpackers group I belong to. 

We used Edge of the Woods Outfitters to rent from. There were single and tandem kayaks, and canoe options. I opted for the single kayak.

After we all signed waivers and were given an orientation, our group of about 20, were shuttled in 2 vans, along with the kayaks and canoes, to the start of the trip.

The plan was to paddle 10 miles, and stop half way through for a lunch break.

We were given instructions to paddle on the left side, since the water was very shallow on the right. To my surprise, the water depth was generally shallow throughout. We all had to wear life jackets, but it looked like most of the time we could have standed in the water with no issues.

Although we were going with the flow of the river, there was still paddling needed. 

Because of the time of year, we were paddling during the peak, or close to, of the leaves changing color, called leaf peeping. This was one of the main reasons this weekend was chosen.

We paddled through majestic and picturesque views and landscapes along the way. The water was also very clear and we could see the plant life along the bottom.

Only about 3 times did we encounter rough waters and as long as I kept my kayak pointing straight at the waves coming at me, I felt no danger of tipping or water coming in. My kayak also had a high rim, compared to others who didn't and had water seep into theirs. My butt did get a bit wet, but I'm not sure how much of that was water or from sweating.

I wore a thin long sleeve wool shirt, boardshorts, hat, sunglasses and my xero trail sandals. Plus put sunscreen on. I've had good luck wearing the wool shirt kayaking because it doesn't absorb water much, like cotton or other materials. The temperature was about 55F and I felt very comfortable.

Like I mentioned, we had a 30 minute break for lunch half way through. I ate a mandarin and my PB/J sandwich on wheat. We sat at picnic tables next to a visitor center that had bathrooms and we chatted a bit. 

Although I still had to paddle, the trip went by quicker, and with less effort, than the shorter 8 distance I did on Lake George a few weeks back. I can't recall if I snacked while in the kayak, but I definitely drank some water, but probably only a cup worth.

We ended the 10 miles with the outfitters picking us up along the shore and they shuttled us and the kayaks back to their main office where we all met. 

We all took a group picture. While half of the group went their own way, me and the other remaining went off to the 2nd part of the adventure!

It's a trip I'll definitely do again!