In the Spotlight 'A peacefulness that you get when you're on the water': Indiana County pair prepare to launch kayak, paddleboard rentals at Wilmore Dam

May 15—For Desiree and Mason Beppler, any chance to get outside and onto the water provides an opportunity to break away from everyday life.

As the Penn Run couple embark on launching their second kayak rental location, this one at Wilmore Dam, just outside of Portage, their hope is that clients follow the simple request made in the venture's name: Escape.

"There is a peacefulness that you get when you're on the water, a sense of calming that really helps you to feel grounded," Desiree Beppler said. "It's an escape, even if just for a little bit."

Escape Rentals and its sister company, Yellow Creek Rentals, which is operated out of Yellow Creek State Park in Indiana County, were born out of the pair's shared interest in kayaking and their shared entrepreneurial spirit.

The Bepplers took a chance on an open contract at Yellow Creek after Mason suffered an injury that limited his ability to perform duties as a walking postal carrier.

"We've always had an interest in kayaking," said Desiree Beppler, who is also a nursing instructor at Mount Aloysius College in Cresson.

"We always just did it as our hobby, our recreation after we got married. We had a neighbor introduce us to kayaking when we were first married, and we just got into it that way. I've always liked water activities. I grew up doing a lot of boating. That's always been a part of my life."

The plan is to get the Wilmore rental location launched with a fleet of eight kayaks and six paddleboards on May 22. Desiree Beppler is encouraging customers to like the company's Facebook page, Escape Rentals LLC, to stay up to date with possible changes and updates throughout the season.

She said Escape Rentals follows all precautions and safety measures issued by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Escape Rentals will charge $10 per hour for kayaks and paddleboards, with a half-day rate of $35 for four hours and a full-day rate of $75.

She also said that she and her husband would carry the Escape Rentals moniker to other rental locations in the future if they expand to other sites throughout the region.

"One of the rangers at Yellow Creek State Park said to us when we were talking about (expanding): 'You two are just going to be known as the kayak people,' " she said. "Yeah, that would be great. If we are just the people to provide this opportunity for others in the area, I think that's where I see myself. It's just about giving the community the opportunity."

'Listening to our customers'

Getting the venture off the ground in Cambria County has been a breezy process, Beppler said.

"It's all been very easy with Cambria County," she said. "There's been no pushback, and they've been very supportive, so that's really great."

As their business grows, the best learning tool has been a willingness to improve the experience for their customers based on their feedback.

"Just listening to our customers and doing what they want," Beppler said. "I could come up with the best idea, but if it's not what the community wants, then it's not going to go well. We really just try to please our customers and listen to them and get out there what they want."

The blend of creativity from the Bepplers and passionate customer response has led to popular gatherings at the Yellow Creek site.

"For example, we have an event we do at Yellow Creek called 'Date Night,' and they want more," Beppler said. "It always gets sold out and they love it, so we gave them more. We had an event that could happen at Wilmore called 'Sunset Paddles.' Typically we close before sunset, but we ran the event out (at Yellow Creek) to watch the sunset on the kayaks. We gave everybody glow sticks and neon bracelets for the kids.

"We ran one and it went well. We just didn't do it again. We got good feedback, but we didn't really know how well it went, and then people were all: 'Are you going to do that again? When are you going to do that again? We're waiting to hear.' I was thinking, 'We should do that (again), because it's what people like.' "

Going into a new site means that the trial-and-error process will begin anew for the Bepplers, but it's not something that they're running away from.

"I don't know what the community at Wilmore is like or what they'll want, but I hope they're open to having us there," Beppler said. "We're willing to host anything that people would like."