By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
UPDATE:
The participants in the Kaw 173 stopped for a community visit at the Manhattan - K177 boat ramp on Saturday, and planned to spend the night camping on a sand bar between Manhattan and St. George.
They are scheduled to arrive at the St. George boat ramp at 11:30 a.m. Sunday for another community visit.
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Participants in the Kaw 173 began their trip in kayaks down the Kansas River at the Junction City boat ramp on the river Friday.
Dawn Buehler, Kansas Riverkeeper and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization, Friends of the Kaw, said they work to protect and preserve the 173-mile long river. Seven participants plan to paddle the entire length of the river to a finish point in Kansas City, Kansas to raise awareness for the Kansas River Water Trail. "We're going to be in a kayak and we're going to spend time camping on the sand bars. We have someone that's going to meet us with fresh water along the way, but mostly we're going to be living out of our kayaks for the next few days."
There will be stops at different communities along he route during the eight-day event. "We are having public paddles and community visits all along the way."
The group is scheduled to reach Ogden about 9:30 a.m. Saturday and the public is invited to bring their gear and get on the river with the kayakers to paddle to Manhattan. "When we get to Manhattan we're going to have a community visit at the boat ramp."
Buehler noted that there are 10 counties along the river and there will be stops at almost every town along the way. The largest celebration will be in Topeka on July 22.
Buehler, who is in her sixth year as Kansas Riverkeeper, agreed that the kayak trip is a bit like a marathon. "We've all been talking about this. It's really a mental game of being out and having this experience outdoors, and staying focused and dealing with the heat. That's a big part of it to, we know that it's going to be really hot the next couple of days." Should storms develop during the trip the group will pull off the river to seek shelter.