No matter what type of boating you enjoy. Ultimately, as the weather begins to warm our anticipation to hit the water grows stronger and stronger. This year, please be aware of our Kansas lakes and the affect that the drought has caused. Most of the lakes in Kansas are on average 3 - 6 feet low and have exposed many new obstacles in the water. Check the link for a full list of Kansas lake levels and stay safe. If you find anything out of the ordinary don't hesitate to let us know what you find.
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As the rain continues to fall, it becomes apparent that not all of our Kayaking trips will be sunny with a high of 70-degrees. Our latest trip took us to the big town of Oxford, Kansas. Located south of Wichita, right off of the Kansas turnpike. The town offers a great drop location at Cave Park, alongside the Arkansas River (Ark River). After dropping our kayaks at Cave Park and taking the secondary vehicle approx. eight miles down the road to 202 Rd, we slowly began to realize that the weather might not be in our favor this evening. Once we hit the Ark, all our problems and the weather seemed to disappear. We enjoyed a great three-hour paddle down the sixth largest river in the U.S. The trip offered a few spots of low flow, but nothing that couldn’t be maneuvered by kayak, and no real hauling had to be done. Paddling with the current made it more difficult to pick up trash along the side; however we did manage to grab several very random articles. In our combined efforts, we scraped up: Two duck decoys, one Air Jordan basketball, a five-gallon oil container and the typical bottles and cans. The duck decoys now reside in our office as decorations. Our first stop of the year began where we left off in 2012 – El Dorado lake at the mouth of the Satchel Creek. Immediately after parking the truck along 177, we quickly came to realize the devastating effect two years of drought have had on the area. The creek was down a great deal, which made maneuvering even more of a struggle. After kayaking about 3/4 of a mile up Satchel creek, we found ourselves carrying our kayaks more than paddling them. On the bright side, we managed to scoop up a ton of trash and found more fishing bobbers than any one man needs. Let's hope the rain keeps coming so our season isn't cut short because it's sunsets like these that keep us coming back out. It's that time of year and we're itching to get back into the beautiful Kansas water. Typically, this time of year the Kansas water is a bit brisk however fails in comparison to waters of the original kayakers, the Eskimos. Kayak History lesson #1: As the originators of the kayak, the Eskimos would construct these boats from stitched seal or other animal hides and would use them to hunt on inland lakes, rivers and coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean, North Atlantic, Bering Sea and North Pacific. Before we load up the Kayaks for their first adventure this season we need to polish them up, clean out the cock pits and check for any weather damages over the winter. Once cleaned and ready to go we need to set our goals for this year. Our 2013 goal is to collect over 1000 cans/bottles, enter into 15-20 new bodies of water and document it all along the way. Welcome to the blog about Kansas Kayaking. Our goal is to kayak up and down the rivers, creeks and streams of Kansas while showing you the true beauty of our state. Reaching untouched waters and going where most people and boats cannot. Along the way, we'll continue to pick-up trash as we find it and preserving our waters for future generations. We are two friends that love the outdoors and want to encourage everyone to take advantage of their surroundings. Check back soon as our adventures will begin in March. |
Kansas KayakWe are landlocked kayak enthusiasts that love to uncover Kansas' true beauty in the water. Archives
November 2016
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