Penns Creek

Penn's Creek
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

At Weikert. Penns Creek was flowing higher than normal with the run off from last week’s rain storm still coming through the ecosystem. Penns Creek feeds the West Branch of the Susquehanna and crested below flood level The North Branch crested above flood level. Bloomsbury has sections of town that were still without water and some roads were blocked. Further north into New York State, the river took out whole sections of Interstate Route 88 where the road and river crossed paths. Water is a powerful force.

Pictures we took when we were here last year, showed us no more than knee deep in the creek. We were able to walk out with our white resin chairs, position them in the creek, open a book in our lap, and with a drink in our hand, enjoy the cool water flowing through our legs as we read ourselves into another world.

Not this year; the creek is running a couple of feet higher and stronger. The chair would not stay in place in the creek even if we tried sitting two to a chair. The water level has already declined since we arrived. We can observe the depth against the supports for the bridge that crosses to camp at Wesley Forest. You won't see the supports in this photo as I was standing on the bridge looking south.

When we crossed the Connecticut, the Hudson, the Delaware and the Susquehanna on our drive out Interstate 84 and then 80, each river was running muddy; the water a thick, dark, reddish brown. Penns Creek is running clear, a sign that it is running within its banks now and beginning to return to normal.