Riding Dirty: Kayaking Down the Schuylkill River

Photos by Michael M. Koehler

Published: Apr 15, 2009

Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Daybreak
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Elan and the canoe
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
The author and the kayak
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Howard (red kayak) and Mercier put in
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Investigating ""S18
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Heading down stream, the Schuylkill Expressway hangs over the river to the right.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
The remains of the old South Street Bridge
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Building the new South Street Bridge
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Filmmaker/canoe navigator Elan Gepner takes a breather under I-76
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Gepner relives a classic gym class moment beneath the I-76 overpass
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
The halfway house off University Avenue.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Barely visible from University Ave., this hotel-turned-halfway house has a fantastic view of Grays Ferry's DuPont Crescent
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
This out-of-service railroad swing bridge next to the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge may be retrofitted to support a bike and pedestrian bridge.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Wildlife is surprisingly plentiful.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Docks with no apparent purpose line much of the lower river.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
The author (red kayak) and Dominic Mercier paddle under the Passyunk Avenue bridge;
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Fishing near Bartram's Garden.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett (left), Kevin Smith (right) and Jada Moye (center) of Bartram's Village prepare to cast for catfish off the pier of an old gypsum plant just south of Bartram's Garden.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett, Kevin Smith and Jada Moye of Bartram's Village.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett, Kevin Smith and Jada Moye of Bartram's Village.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett, Kevin Smith and Jada Moye of Bartram's Village.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett, Kevin Smith and Jada Moye of Bartram's Village.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett, Jada Moye and Kevin Smith (left to right) show off one of the many catfish they caught while fishing off the pier of the former gypsum plant just south of Bartram's Garden
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett, Kevin Smith and Jada Moye of Bartram's Village.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett, Kevin Smith and Jada Moye of Bartram's Village.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Catfish.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett, Kevin Smith and Jada Moye of Bartram's Village.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett, Kevin Smith and Jada Moye of Bartram's Village.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Kenny Bennett, Kevin Smith and Jada Moye of Bartram's Village.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Catfish.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Catfish.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Catfish.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Catfish.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Bennett, Smith and Moye.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Bennett, Smith and Moye.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
The small fleet of boats and cranes rebuilding the South Street Bridge
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Koehler (foreground) and Gepner.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Behold the refineries.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
The sun, skyline and refineries at his back, Gepner catches some rays.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
The warning doesn't advise against fishing — locals near Mingo Creek cast their rods
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
The tugboat cockpit.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
The front of a barge.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Planes, boats and automobiles.
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
PADDLE FASTER!
Photo by Michael M. Koehler
Hello, officers.

Comments

Where did you put in? Was it the dock on the Schuylkill River trail where the tour boat is moored?
by chrisn nast on June 10th 2009 12:38 PM

Exactly. We put in at the dock by the end of the trail at Schuylkill River Park.
by brian howard on June 10th 2009 12:53 PM



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