Who would have thought that taking a kayak on the Spanish Fork River on a chilly winter evening would be my most coveted outdoor activity?
It may not sound like the ideal winter sport that you might be jumping out of your skin to get to.
However, the old adage comes to mind, “don’t knock it until you have tried it.”
With every stroke of the paddle I find myself more entranced from the rippling sound of water breaking the surface of the river while being surrounded by dormant riparian life awaiting to jump out at the first sign of spring.
In the latter moments of the day the very star that guides our planet leads your way as you journey down this intimate westbound tributary of Utah Lake.
The view is spectacular, with the sun illuminating elongated icicles from friendly bridges and it surely could be compared to any grand mountain top view of the valley.
The river provides just enough challenge as the light of the sun glistens off the meandering waterway leading the break of your bow as you sweep stroke around a hindering rock.
Often, the current takes you through small channeled portages that lead you in view of the translucent leftover chokecherries from a more bounteous season, frozen and still waiting to drop its propagating, life sustaining elegance to the dispensing torrent.
The river has been the life sustaining medium of the Spanish Fork area for ages and today is still a treasure hidden in plain sight. (Serve Daily submission.)