Kayak fun

There probably has never been a real Eskimo in Union Parish, but a little bit of the culture lives here. There is a whole club of people who like to tour area waterways in kayaks. Kayaks were first used by the Eskimos in Alaska.

The D’Arbonne Kayak Club members are glad the kayak found its way south.  The club is a very active group. Not only do they take regular organized trips, they also spend a lot of time going to events like National Hunting & Fishing Day and the Lake Country Sportsman’s Expo teaching about kayaking and other small craft use. A kayak is basically a small canoe that can go almost anywhere there is a foot of water or so. And if there isn’t a foot of water, they are easy to drag for a short distance to get to the next pool.

If you would like to learn more about the local kayak group or see when their next big trip is, go to their Facebook page  at http://www.facebook.com/darbonnekayakclub . You can also learn a lot about great places to kayak and canoe at Louisianapaddle.com .  If you aren’t into kayaking, that’s okay too. But when you see folks in one, give them the respect and courtesy that everyone deserves on the water.

Kayaks are like everything else. They’ve come a long way. The first kayaks were constructed from stiched seal skin stretched over wood. In many areas there was no wood, so the frames were made from whalebone. The oldest kayaks are believed to be 4,000 years old. Today’s fiberglass and formed plastic kayaks are much more durable, lighter and can be customized to the same extent as a bass boat or other water craft.

Cooler weather makes for great kayaking conditions! There are a lot of ways to enjoy the outdoors and this group takes advantage of their kayaks to see places that most people never see.  They usually don’t just go on a trip, but they also leave it a little better after they leave. They pick up litter, map out spots for others to enjoy and do a lot of educational work.

“Wherever there is a channel for water, there is a road for the canoe.”
                 –Henry David Thoreau

special note: If you have an outdoor club or activity you’d like to promote in our region, send us an e-mail at darbone1@gmail.com and we’ll share it with our readers.