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libcds

Lower Santeetlah

libcds wrote 341 days ago:


On Sunday, March 15th, I paddled with Tim Boring, Kevin Sisson, Wayner, Amanda, Tonya, and Brett.  We had drizzle in the early afternoon, but the rain did stop. Later in the afternoon, the temperature warmed to 60 and there was some clear sky. It was a beautiful day; thankfully, we had enough rain to bring up the Santeetlah.   As noted by Bob and David Benner in Carolina Whitewater most of the action is in the mile and one-half section below the SR 1127 Bridge.  We put on in the group camping area just above the bridge.   Passing under the bridge the river banks sharply to the left.   Soon you are at the first big rapid of the run - a two ledge drop, the first being 5-6 feet, aka “The Ledges.”   We scouted the left and right lines. Most of us went for river left (thanks Wayner ) and boofed off the ledge and then down the second drop.

Not far downstream is the second big rapid of the day, Class 3 plus, — should probably give it the name “Horse Cove,” since it near the campground. Wayner did scout out the rapid for any wood and then we proceeded down. The rapid involved dropping off of one ledge and then going left or right as you approached some mid-channel rocks. Most of the current was working from right to left. Several in our group went left and stayed left; I opted to work to the right, which I did make. I then caught my edge on a reactionary wave on my right, yikes! I locked into a right brace and just yanked on the boat’s right thigh hook. I thought for certain I was over, but thankfully not! That was the most wicked brace I have every pulled off.   

For the next half mile the river is just fun non-stop Class 3 creeking. It is also a beautiful run too! As the creek banks to the right and east, the current does pool above an 8 foot low head dam. We all scouted the dam and their was a fun and safe line right down the middle. The dam is concave so in the middle there was a section were there was no hydrolic. Wayner led the way, and he and Kevin, Tim, and Brett all had great boofs!   Tonya did get some pictures; Jennifer and I tried to find the trail down to the dam for Kevin, Wayner, and Tim’s second run at the dam, but did not take the right trail.

Just below the dam, off of USFS campsite #12, is a great surfing wave. Although the water was cold, there was considerable play. The river then turns sharply to the north, past campsite #13. There is last considerable rapid of the day, a series of broken ledges where we threaded down them from river right to left. Soon we were in the lake and the end of our run. Wayner, Tim, and Kevin went for a second lap, and Jennifer and I were the team photographers (as much as we could be).



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Luke

Russell Fork Rendezvous

Luke wrote 502 days ago:


Once again The Bardstown Boaters were at the Russell Fork Rendezvous for some glorious Fall paddling. The Rendezvous is a gathering in Eastern Kentucky to celebrate the Russell Fork River and the wonderful people of the area.

You could find The Bardstown Boaters camp at the trailhead for the Pine Mountain Trail.

On Saturday, The Bardstown Boaters paddled the Upper Section of the Russell Fork then hiked into The Gorge Section to watch competitors in The Lord of The Fork, a whitewater race through what is known as the Beast of the East.

On Sunday, many in the club paddled the Upper Section of the Russell Fork River once again.

The Russell Fork runs every weekend in October with scheduled releases on Saturday and Sunday. The scenery is always spectacular this time of year. When the Fall comes it continues to invoke memories of the Russell Fork into the minds of Bardstown Boaters.

For some first-hand recounts, a run down of the winners, and more images from the weekend visit the forum.



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Luke

Race to follow Bourbon Trail

Luke wrote 506 days ago:


A new adventure relay race called The Bourbon Chase will be held for the first time in Kentucky in October 2009.

Teams consisting of 12 runners will run along the state’s famed Bourbon Trail on Oct. 9-10. The race will start near Bardstown and finish in Lexington, but the route the runners will take covers nearly 200 miles.

“Certainly, running along the trail in horse country is beautiful. It’s a great way to showcase our finest products,” said Mary Quinn Ramer, vice president of tourism marketing for the Lexington Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The idea for the race came from Mike Kuntz, a former track and field coach at the University of Louisville and Bellarmine University.

He participated in Oregon’s annual Hood to Coast Relay in 2001 with former U of L runners.

“This is the grandmother of them all,” he said of the Oregon race.

“I thought we could do an event in Kentucky that could be even better,” he said, adding that Kentucky has more to market, and the Bourbon Trail has more beautiful scenery than the Oregon race route.

“I felt like we could have a better runner’s experience in Kentucky. … Oregon was beautiful, but they really didn’t showcase the state,” he said.

Kuntz talked with people in the bourbon industry about his idea for a race in Kentucky nearly a year ago.

“It’s my idea that’s been slightly tweaked,” he said of the Kentucky race.

Lexington has been designated as the host city for the overnight relay race.

“We want to have a huge post-race event here in Lexington,” Ramer said.

She said the race could have an $800,000 to $1 million economic impact on the Lexington area. People who participate in such events often stay overnight in the cities where the races end, she said.

“Ultimately our goal is to have an event that will bring people from every corner of the United States,” she said.

Next year’s race will be held the same weekend that Keeneland Race Course’s fall meet starts, so participants can enjoy the city after the run, then head to the track, she said.

Up to 4,000 participants and volunteers are expected the first year for The Bourbon Chase, which is designed to celebrate Kentucky’s bourbon production history, according to planners of the event. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail links distilleries in the state, where visitors can see how bourbon is made.

Each runner will run three three- to eight-mile legs. Support vans will drop off and pick up runners at designated exchange points along the route.

“This is a great opportunity to introduce our signature industry to thousands of adventurous travelers,” said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

Details for the event are still being worked out, including what prizes the winners will receive.

“I think there’s nothing to win on a Bourbon chase really than bourbon,” Kuntz said.

For more info visit www.bourbonchase.com



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Luke

Viking Canoe Club Donation

Luke wrote 510 days ago:


The Bardstown Boaters would like to send out a very big thank you to The Viking Canoe Club and to those who attended the LVM Premiere at Nachbar in Louisville. They have graciously donated $100 in proceeds towards the Bardstown Whitewater Park.

The Viking Canoe Club and The Nachbar host many LVM Premieres and other boater friendly activities. Keep checking in with the Vikings and visit the Nachbar at 969 Charles Street on the corner of Charles and Krieger in Germantown where there is always a good time to be had.



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Luke

This Weekend…

Luke wrote 513 days ago:



Russell Fork Rendezvous
This Weekend.



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Luke

Wild and Scenic Rivers Act – 40th Anniversary

Luke wrote 525 days ago:


Spalding Hurst Red River Kentucky

On October 2, 1968, President Johnson signed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

Paddlers were and continue to be among the most passionate advocates for protecting our nation’s free-flowing rivers. Upon witnessing the loss of hundreds of miles of great rivers to water development projects and hydropower, paddlers were among the first activists who advocated for a Wild and Scenic Rivers system to protect our nation’s last free-flowing rivers.

In Kentucky there is only one river in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Red River.

(154) (A) RED RIVER, KENTUCKY. — The 19.4-mile segment of the Red River extending from the Highway 746 Bridge to the School House Branch, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture in the following classes: (i) the 9.1-mile segment known as the “Upper Gorge” from the Highway 746 Bridge to Swift Camp Creek, as a wild river (this segment is identified as having the same boundary as the Kentucky Wild River), (ii) the 10.3-mile segment known as the “Lower Gorge” from Swift Camp Creek to the School House Branch, as a recreational river.



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Luke

Hike Pine Mountain, Channel Daniel Boone

Luke wrote 530 days ago:


By DAN WHITE

“THIS is all virgin trail,” said Shad Baker, a connoisseur of hiking in the steeply slanted backwoods of eastern Kentucky, as he dropped me off at the start of my adventure there on the new Pine Mountain Trail. “This is probably the most remote place you can get that exists out here. You are five miles even from the nearest house.”

We said goodbye. He drove off. And then I slipped into woods so thick they looked like an American jungle.

Read More in the New York Times



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Luke

Song of the Moment

Luke wrote 530 days ago:


Neil Young’s “Alabama”

You just can’t beat old Neil Young tunes. May this one be on you’re radio the next time your heading to the put-in.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]



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Luke

Rusell Fork Rapid Descriptions

Luke wrote 533 days ago:


The upper and lower sections of the Russell Fork offer fantastic views and great Class II-III action. The upper is fantastic for intermediate paddlers who want to work on surfing and boofs, the lower is a great beginner/intermediate training ground. If we could only figure out how to jam them together!

rfr2008

Visit the great Russell Fork Info website for a run down on all of these rapids.

Upper Section
Splashdam
Railroad
Twenty Stitches
Johnny Rock

Lower Section
MeatGrinder
Pinball



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bardstownboaters

Site Update

bardstownboaters wrote 539 days ago:


The Bardstown Boaters website has undergone some changes today. You might not notice much difference but behind the scenes things have changed. Now anyone can be a contributer to the main page blog that you see here. If you would like to contribute please let me know. I am looking for some new writers to the blog. Contact me at spalding@bardstownboaters.com



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