Another trip upriver to a beautiful spot on the North Branch, the Howland Preserve on the Vosburg Neck, just north of Tunkhannock, where Alf Siewers and I met with a great group of people interested in joining us in telling the story of the river.  Ably led by Dave Buck of Endless Mountain Outfitters, the agenda was clear.  Let’s get moving!

So, whether you are a member of the 444 Club (which means you have paddled the whole 444 miles of the Susquehanna); or a student or faculty member from one of the colleges along the river (Bucknell, Wilkes, King’s, Keystone College); or a local resident who wants to work with the Envision the Susquehanna initiative to tell your story, this was a meeting with a purpose!  Let’s make this beautiful old farmhouse at  mile marker 223.5 (a different kind of halfway house) a place to bide a while, to camp, to research the river, to learn about the history of the area, the canals, the railroad, and to recharge.

As we stood by the banks of the Susquehanna, watching the moon rise up over the 500 ft bluffs on the other shore, the power of place became manifest.