I have always loved water…and boats… from as early as I can remember. Whether a memory of playing in the bathtub with my toy boats, to sitting on a quiet lake in a boat with my father while he fished, to helping with a creek cleanup and learning how to kayak for the first time, I have always been lured by the water…and boats.
It was a natural progression that led me to kayaking. I was raised in an environmentally conscious family and have always been attracted to the water so when I saw a newspaper announcement from the WV DEP asking for volunteers to help clean up the Opequon creek , I jumped at the chance to double dip in both helping the environment and learning a new skill. The moment I sat in the kayak and took a few strokes, I was hooked.
In the last 10 years since learning to kayak, I have helped in other creek cleanups and also helped others become as enthusiastic about kayaking as I am. I kayak regularly on local creeks and rivers in the Mid-Atlantic Region., specifically within the watershed of the Potomac River. I most enjoy the quietude and the ability to watch wildlife up close and personal that I would otherwise miss out on.
Many people, including myself, enjoy the rivers and like to spend their days swimming, hiking, fishing, or camping along the banks of a river. But for me, there is no better pastime than paddling down a local creek or river in a kayak.