Hundreds of boaters participate in Loyalhanna Sojourn

One by one, the brightly-colored kayaks slipped Saturday into the water at Cardinal Park in Latrobe and began their nine-mile journey to New Alexandria.

About 200 boats participated in the 5th annual Loyalhanna Sojourn, an excursion established to highlight the beauty of the Loyalhanna River, said Kris Baker, park manager of Keystone State Park.

"My mission, and the mission of my colleagues, is to bring awareness to this beautiful resource we have in our backyard," he said. "It's an incredible experience."

Loyalhanna Sojourn

More than 200 boats participated in the 5th annual Loyalhanna Sojourn, a nine-mile paddle from Latrobe to New Alexandria.

This was the largest sojourn yet, according to Baker. There would have been more participants, but organizers capped the number of boats for safety and ease or organization.

Baker said he'd like to see the event continue to grow as organizers learn to handle a larger capacity.

"Personally, I'd love to see it grow to 1,000 boats," he said.

The sojourn is designed for boaters of all skill levels, from seasoned kayakers to beginners, Baker said.

"If someone is interested in trying kayaking, this is a great way to do it," said Mike Moore of Derry, one of the volunteer safety boaters who make sure everyone has a smooth trip.

Alicia Majewsky said she and her husband Tom Majewsky of Latrobe had only been out kayaking a few times before, but they were excited to bring their 5-year-old son Tim on the sojourn.

"It's perfect. Good temperature, not raining, the water level is good and we're ready to have fun," she said.

Other than an intermittent drizzle, the conditions were ideal, Baker said. The water level was high enough to provide a brisk current downstream, without being dangerously fast.

"I'd call it the lazy man's journey," he said.

The sojourn is organized by the Loyalhanna Watershed Association and Latrobe-Greater Latrobe School District Parks and Recreation.

Boaters take the river from Cardinal Park to Gray Wing Park in New Alexandria.

For long stretches, there are no buildings along the riverbanks, only nature, Baker said.

The trip takes 3 to 5 hours and, upon arriving in New Alexandria, participants took part in an "after-the-float" party with food, music and games.

Dawn Flack of Bear Rocks is an experienced kayaker who turned out for her fourth Sojourn.

"It's fun to paddle the Loyalhanna. You grow up around it, and it's here, but you don't really pay attention to it," she said.

Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6646, jtierney@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Soolseem.