It began with a half dozen of us on a hot May 31st back in 2010. A few of us already had kayaks, others had to borrow from friends or use a raft. Paddles were raised, pirate garb was worn, and squirt guns were filled as we set sail for our first run down Big Wheeling Creek with an "aaaaarrrgh!" Back then we didn’t know much about the sport of kayaking. We didn’t know about checking water levels an
d did as much walking as floating. The short trip from the old Marwin Bridge to Mt. DeChantel Road took several hours and we could barely move by the end, but we had fun and we were hooked. Trips were organized through phone calls and texts and we began to notice other groups like ours. We would salute each other with a raised paddle, but rarely met. On May 21st 2013, we created a Facebook group as a way to meet these like-minded paddlers and organize trips with them. Creek Yakkers was born with a half dozen members. We made decals and passed them out to paddlers we would meet on the water. Today Creek Yakkers has nearly 2,000 members and is still growing. This expansion has forced a growth in the paddler's role in the community. Paddlers have become the stewards of the water. Creek Yakkers has recently launched a website, www.creekyakkers.com (under development) to promote paddler education, safety, and LNT (Leave No Trace) ethics. Creek Yakkers is also in the process of becoming a nonprofit organization to join the West Virginia Water Coalition. The group has partnered with Marshall County CVB Tourism Director and fellow Creek Yakker Jesse Mestrovic to acquire a small grant to make Big Wheeling Creek an official water trail. The grant can help us add signage at launch points, improve access, and promote tourism. We paddle for the exercise. We paddle and call it water therapy to unwind after a stressful day. We still dress as pirates to celebrate the initial kayak run. In the end it’s still all about the water and the friendships built on it. Anyone interested learning more about the sport of kayaking or in joining us on the water is welcome. www.facebook.com/groups/CreekYakkers/
www.CreekYakkers.com (under development)
