CALDWELL, Idaho — Caldwell's Indian Creek Festival is just days away, and for Ashley Merrill, her friends and their kids, there's no time to waste preparing for one of Caldwell's most beloved events.
Click here to watch all the fun and work put in to their Kayak:
"It's just a party. It's a huge party," Merrill said.
This is the group's second time in the cardboard kayak race, and this year, they're ready to take on the water with lessons learned from their previous attempt.
"We took to the creek in a '70s Volkswagen bus, but it was not constructed properly. This year, our team is 'Take Us to Space'... So we are all gonna be dressed up in different alien/space costumes and we got ourselves a nice rocket ship," Merrill said.
The construction process requires creativity and teamwork, with participants spending two days building their watercraft from basic materials.
"All it takes is a lot of duct tape and a lot of cardboard... and a prayer," Merrill said.
For Merrill, the event is about more than just the race itself. It's about creating memories with friends and family and establishing a tradition they hope to continue.
"For us to collaborate, come together and all compare ideas and come up with how this piece of art is gonna come together... But the meaning of us all doing it together is what it's really about," Merrill said.
The tradition is already being passed down to the next generation. While the adults work on their race kayak, the kids are building their own, preparing for the day they can join the competition.
"We are sharing our creativity with them. We are hoping they will take to it and once their kids are old enough, they can do it, too," Merrill said.
With the finishing touches complete, all that's left is to see if this year's creation makes it down the creek without sinking. But for Merrill, success isn't measured solely by staying afloat.
"Whether we flip or not, my favorite part is getting in there with our life jackets and our helmets and paddling down the creek, 'cause it is my favorite," Merrill said.