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Kayaking: Simple, up-close and noiseless
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 9:23 PM EDT
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| Kayakers Linda Ludgate, top left, Don Messer, top right, Annie Morton, bottom left, and Lee Reiser, bottom right, paddle down the Ohio River near the William H. Harsha Bridge in Maysville Tuesday afternoon. The Great Ohio River Paddle gave the kayakers the chance to spend 14 days on the river traveling from Portsmouth, Ohio to Louisville. Brian Hitch/Staff |
The Great Ohio River Paddle gave 20 kayakers the chance to spend 14 days on the river traveling from Portsmouth, Ohio to Louisville. Annie Morton, education director for the Ohio River Foundation, said the kayakers try to cover 18 to 20 miles a day during the trip. Most of the participants are seasoned kayakers, but Morton prefers canoes.
"This is my first kayak trip," Morton said. "I am enjoying it."
The group stopped in Maysville Tuesday to have lunch at the Maysville Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Executive Director of ORF Rich Cogen had arranged for the afternoon land excursion before the kayakers headed to Ripley where they would spend the night.
Safety guide Lee Reiser has spent 10 years floating along the water in a kayak. He said one of the most amazing things about a kayak trip is simply nature.
"It is great to see the wildlife," Reiser said. "I have been down rivers where I have seen manatees and other forms of wild life."
Reiser described kayaking to driving down a country road instead of taking the interstate -- a person sees life up close on the river.
It's not all about scenic nature, kayaking involves lot of physical ability.
"You don't rely on power," Reiser said. "You rely on
muscle."
Stopping at river towns is another plus on the trip. Most
of the towns provide a place for kayakers to pitch a tent and take a break
from the water.
"We learn the history of a town," Reiser said as he
walked down Limestone Street in Maysville. "And it feels good to walk
after being in the kayak so long."
For mountain man Don Messer the
sport is an extension of what he learned as a boy in the hills of
Kentucky. He grew up with the mountains and streams which provided lots of
entertainment during hot summer days.
"I like the outdoors," Messer
said. "I like fishing hunting and hiking."
Now living in Franklin,
Ohio, Messer grew up in Pineville where he learned an appreciation of
nature and heritage. His other passion is genealogy, a study which has
brought him to Maysville on occasion.
"There is a book Dark and
Bloody River, I don't the author, but the book mentions a Benjamin Messer
who landed here with one of the great explorers," Messer said. "I think it
would be interesting to know if he is a relative."
The Ohio River
Foundation promotes education of the river and surrounding communities.
This spring more than 800 students traveled to the banks of the Ohio River
as part of the River Explorer program. The program, in its first year,
provided education about ecology, river conservation and river
stewardship.
Two other Great Ohio River Paddle events are scheduled
for the summer. A weekend paddle is Saturday and Sunday from Newport to
Rising Sun, Ind. On July 2, a day paddle is offered from Prospect to
downtown Louisville. For information about paddle events or ORF visit the
Web site at www.ohioriverfdn.org.
Contact Danetta Barker at Danetta.Barker@lee.net or call
564-9091, ext. 272.
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