Last weekend, my wife and I went on a exciting kayaking trip on a guided tour on sit-on-top kayaks down the beautiful Klickitat River, located in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. We booked the trip through Gorge Paddling, the smallest kayak company in the Hood River area, but it provides the best service and value for the price.
I've always resisted kayaking trips because my height makes it difficult to fit inside even the biggest kayak. Until I checked out Gorge Paddling's pictures of sit-on-top kayaks, I had no idea that there is a comfortable way to kayak.
Kani Rowland, the owner of Gorge Paddling, has kayaked for decades, yet he still has tons of enthusiasm for the sport even when it comes to teaching beginners. Our guide Joey Yeaple, who qualified for the US Olympic trials in kayaking twice, was fantastic, and she provided us with a great introduction to the sport.
Kani is modest about his company but it's clearly better than other Hood River kayaking businesses. His equipment is top-of-the-line, and he strives to provide customers an optimal experience. The day we went kayaking, we put into the river much farther up than the other companies, and we pulled out farther down so we could enjoy a very fun rapids called the Ishy-Pishy. If you want to get a lot of bang for your kayaking buck, go with Gorge Paddling. Also, as a way to spread buzz, Kani is now offering a free trip to anybody who brings three friends on one of his kayaking trips.
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