June 21st is officially the first day of summer and we couldn't spend it anywhere but on the river. Joined by some old friends and some new ones, we hit the Delaware River and floated down to the Kaw, somehow stretching a < 5 mile float into a full six hours.

Check out the photos from today - they tell a story... sometimes they tell too vivid a story, depending on your imagination.

On Saturday, Travis and his group of scouts (and some family member as well) joined UAC for a float down the Kansas River from Perry to Lawrence. This float was anything but ordinary. With overcast skies, the day got off to an interesting start and only got more interesting as the day progressed. Boats went over about a half dozen times, sandbars turned out to be huge mud pits, and we paddled the last 90 minutes through rain. Yet somehow, this group seemed to have a blast.

Check out the pics from this memorable float!

After a rainyMemorial Day and a canceled float, Up a Creek made good on it's promise of a sunny Memorial Day float... we just moved Memorial Day! Saturday's sunny skies started early with a 7:30am float down the Delaware with Matt Vogelsberg and a handful of friends. (Click on any of the photos below for more shots from that day's adventure!)

Matt and crew arrived at the Rising Sun boat ramp in Perry just in time for us to collect the kayaks and turn them around for an afternoon float on the Kaw. This was a beautiful afternoon with 90-degree temps and water warm enough for swimming. Truly a lazy, carefree day on the Kaw.

Um, did I mention "lazy"? Nothing captures that ideal better than a paddler tying off her kayak to the back of a canoe and dozing while being towed down the river. Great exercise there, K!

And on Sunday our good friend and fellow paddler, Bear took his sister and a group of friends along for a longer stretch of the Kaw from Perry to Lawrence. This was just a pre-cursor to next weekend's float -- "Bear-style", in honor of Bear's recent birthday.

Three floats in 36 hours... we're just gettin' warmed up, baby. See you all on the water!

As part of a school Field Day, Eagle Heights School in Kansas City brought their 2009 Junior Class to Perry, Kansas for a day on the river with Up a Creek. Beautiful sunny skies and temps in the low-80s -- nice.

Our morning started with a break-neck pace trek down the Delaware River, followed by a detour up Wild Horse Creek (simply trying to kill time so we didn't finish the float before 11am). After that it was out to the Kaw where everyone paddled up river to a sandbar where we stopped for lunch.

Brief swimming, some rock-and-shell hunting, and beach combing filled the next hour or so. Then it was back in the boats to paddle the remaining mile to the boat ramp where we ended this adventure. Good people, good water, great day.

Oh, and I heard the sophomore class went miniature-golfing... no doubt a distant second to the Juniors. ;)

Click here for photos from the Eagle Heights float.

After a day of record-setting rains, the sun came out and Jamie and her friends joined Up a Creek for an afternoon run down the Delaware River.

Five canoes and two kayaks took to the water just below the Perry Lake spillway and floated the Delaware onto the Kaw and ultimately to Rising Sun boat ramp in Perry. Along the way we even took a detour up Wild Horse Creek, which provided a scenic means of extending our float by an hour or so. 

Check out the pics from this great season starter float.

We meet Carly on a Thursday afternoon as the Up a Creek boys were pulling in at the Riverfront park after a day on the Kaw...she expressed an interest in kayaking on the Kaw the next day so we felt obliged to take her...On Friday Carly, Katie and Aurora meet us in Perry for there first float ever on the Kaw...Uncle Ron , Bear and I took them on Jay's Run...it was a awesome way to kick off the season...Thanks Girls!

Just a heads up to our Lawrence-area patrons. Up a Creek will be featured in the 2009 Lawrence Annual St. Paddy's Day Parade. While our float is still in the design phase, we have secured our place in the parade lineup and want all of you to come out and cheer us on while enjoying the festivities of the day.

LJWorld, the Lawrence daily newspaper, published a photo from our annual Pirate Cruise back in September. This was definitely one of our more memorable floats of the 2008 season.

Beginning in November, UAC will be holding pool sessions on alternating Sundays at the Lawrence Free State Indoor Aquatic Center. During each session, UAC staff will be available with a handful of kayaks. If you are new to the sport and want to try out a kayak in a controlled environment, or a seasoned paddler who wants to practice your roll in the off-season, plan to join us at the pool!

Sessions are on alternating Sundays from 1-5pm. See the calendar for exact dates.