Nothing is better after a day on the water, says Rob Walters, than a grilled burger -- especially one from the Little Brown Jug in Millvale -- and on Sunday, Sept. 30, he will lead a kayaking adventure complete with gourmet burgers.

Walters, Venture Outdoors program manager, says he's been looking forward to the Gourmet Burger Paddle ever since he put it on the calendar.

"North Park is such an amazing venue," Walters says. "The lake takes about an hour, hour-and-a-half, to go around no matter what skill level you're at, and then you come back afterwards ... and burgers are waiting for you when you get back. It's just a great day."

Little Brown Jug is donating all of the burgers and refreshments, and Gary Jones, of Little Brown Jug, will cook up the picnic feast.

Themed programs have been a big hit since they started in 2003 with wine and cheese hikes. Over the years, Venture Outdoors expanded the programs to include kayaking and geocaching and pairing events with foods such as pancakes, apple pie, soup and beer.

"The way I look at it, if one person wants it, there have to be at least 10 other people in this city who want it," says Walters, adding that the number of participants regularly increases for themed programs, and they often sell out.

"I've never had anyone walk away from a themed program and say they didn't get their money's worth," Walters says.

The response for programming in North Park increased since Kayak Pittsburgh moved in. Although the county offered boat rental in the past, Kayak Pittsburgh, a project of Venture Outdoors, is now running the program. All of the equipment is owned and maintained by Kayak Pittsburgh, which has locations Downtown and in North Park, where they rent the boathouse space.

"North Park has been here forever and rented boats forever, but now Kayak Pittsburgh is here, and we're renting boats," says John Curtioff, Kayak Pittsburgh North manager. "We just want the public to know we're here."

Curtioff joined Venture Outdoors in 2002 and has volunteered as a trip leader since he began. This is his first year as the manager of Kayak Pittsburgh North, North Park's location. He encourages everyone to pick up an oar.

"It's good aerobic exercise," Curtioff says. "The motto of Venture Outdoors is 'we make it easy to get outside.' Too many people sit at home on the couch and don't move."

Curtioff, who has experience in whitewater canoeing, promised himself he would get out on the lake twice a week this summer, and he has faithfully kept this promise.

"The lake in the morning is just really cool, calm and beautiful," Curtioff says. "It's just so peaceful and calm out here, it really is."

Lisa Lockmeyer, of Shaler, agrees. Lockmeyer started kayaking this summer at Kayak Pittsburgh's downtown location because she wanted to give boating a shot. Lockmeyer said she ended up loving it, returning several times over the summer. She visited the North Park location for the first time earlier this month.

"It's peaceful and good exercise," Lockmeyer says. "You can see so much nature."

Kayakers with an eagle eye can spot several great blue heron that inhabit the lake, as well as red-tailed hawks and painted turtles, among other wildlife.

For those who have never stepped into a water craft, Kayak Pittsburgh employees will give any novice a quick course in boating, and a veteran a refresher before they launch onto the lake. Venture Outdoors also offers beginning kayak classes every Monday. Curtioff says the program's popularity will bring it back next summer.

Venture Outdoors offers more than 400 programs per year, and recently added an advanced programming option, which offers longer and more challenging outings. Walters says he also is looking at the possibility of increasing all programming in North Park because of its growing popularity.

Since Kayak Pittsburgh started offering boat rentals, the entire lake is open for local boaters to have the run of the lake. When asked how far a boater can paddle, Curtioff responds: "Until you hit land."

Kayak Pittsburgh operates seven days per week through September, so Curtioff encourages everyone to get out on the water for a day and have fun.

"The lake is here for everyone to enjoy," he says.

For more information on Venture Outdoors' programs, visit www.ventureoutdoors.org [1] or call 412-255-0564.