FARMINGTON — Zach Veayo, 14, walked gingerly into the Sandy River on Thursday as he and his father, Greg, took a rest after the two paddled their kayaks down the river from Strong.

It took them about two hours to do the 8.5 mile stretch, Greg Veayo said.
He said he got dumped into the river in a section where there is a big drop and some rapids. The river is a little high from recent rain, and they hoped it would actually be a little higher, he said.

“The river’s not that bad, it flows pretty good,” Veayo said. “It’s really relaxing. We got out and stretched a little at one point. We didn’t see any fish.”

Along the way they did see merganser ducks and different types of birds.

The Veayos make the trip once a year.

dperry@sunjournal.com

Zach Veayo, 14, of Farmington swims in the Sandy River in the Fairbanks area of Farmington on Thursday after he and his father, Greg Veayo, paddled kayaks from Strong.

Zach Veayo, 14, of Farmington indicated with a shake of his hand that the water temperature of the Sandy River in the Fairbanks area of Farmington on Thursday was so-so for swimming.