Bardstown Boaters

Salida Whitewater Park Improvements

2010-03-08T15:47:00.002-05:00

Contractor Ted Seipel Construction’s Colorado Riverworks is on schedule to complete the $375,000 whitewater park by the end of March. The park, designed and engineered by Jason Carey of RiverRestoration.org, will provide exciting whitewater play holes for kayakers interested in executing spectacular stunts and surfing maneuvers…

A grand opening is planned when the park is complete, plus it will get a proper indoctrination during the June 25-26 Whitewater Festival, which will feature some surfing competitions for kayakers. The park will provide a whitewater thrill during high water summer months, but, in addition, the movement of water from upstream reservoirs to Pueblo Reservoir during the winter months will bring, “some very surfable waves all winter long,” Colon said.

From The Pueblo Chieftain

Whitewater Park FAQ

2010-03-05T15:23:00.002-05:00

The Bardstown Boaters have been blogging about the Bardstown Whitewater Park ever since we began advocating construction of the river enhancements. With the recent reports from Riverrestoration.org we will be bringing you even more information about what is happening behind the scenes in getting the Bardstown park created and perhaps this information might also serve you in getting your local park built.

In the original Bardstown Whitewater Park report we addressed the various questions about the what the whitewater enhancements at the rubble dam of the Beech Fork would be like. Now that we have a professional opinion from RiverRestoration.org we will revisit these questions with more in-depth answers.

Visit the FAQ here.

New Pioneers for a Sustainable Future

2010-03-03T12:14:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I attended a speaking engagement given by Sister Claire McGowan, OP about sustainability and greener living in small rural communities. Sister Claire works with the non-profit group New Pioneers for a Sustainable Future in Washington County. It was fascinating to learn about all of the great things our neighboring county is doing for sustainability. It was also great to learn that because of the Springfield, Ky., curbside pickup program, Bardstown City residents also got a recycling program started.

To learn more about New Pioneers for a Sustainable Future visit their website: www.newpioneersfsf.org

You can also read more about them in University of Kentucky College of Agriculture News

If there's a single driving force in Washington County, it just might be the concept of sustainability. In towns and on farms, people are striving to live up to their own proclamation of being the greenest, most sustainable rural community in Kentucky.

It has taken time. The local government cleaned up 27 illegal dump sites in 2001, resulting in the county being named the first Certified Clean County in Kentucky by then-Governor Paul Patton. Today, the county has a master plan that focuses on farmland preservation but still encourages growth; Springfield residents take advantage of a free curbside-pickup recycling program; farmers participate in study groups about sustainability; children bring home free energy-efficient light bulbs from school; and leaders of a local non-profit organization are focusing their current efforts on local food and making homes more energy efficient.

Big Bend Photos

2010-03-02T08:17:00.004-05:00

Jay has posted some photos from his hiking trip to Big Bend National Park. See them all on his Flickr stream here. Read the full trip report here.

Best Adventure Towns: Bardstown, Kentucky

2010-03-01T08:36:00.002-05:00

From National Geographic Adventure

Bardstown, Kentucky

Plan a long weekend getaway with our Bardstown adventure guide, featuring great outdoor escapes, where to stay, and where to eat. Then chime in with your picks.

(Pop. 11,242)

(GPS: 37°48'N 85°27'W)

We ain’t gonna lie: Bardstown’s status as the world’s bourbon capital drew us in, but its rivers flow as freely as the whiskey. Paddlers convene at Sympson Lake, and a whitewater park is in the works downtown (bardstownboaters.com/whitewaterpark).

PLAY

Rent a canoe from Horizon Hoppers Adventure Services ($35 a day; horizonhopper.com), and join the Bardstown Boaters on Sympson Lake. Then tackle the whiskey river: Bardstown is a major stop along Kentucky’s famous Bourbon Trail; Heaven Hill and 1792 Ridgemont Reserve distilleries are right in town (kybourbontrail.com).

EAT

The Old Talbott Tavern may have a cheesy gift shop out front (Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Boone, and Jesse James are rumored to have visited this 1700s-era location) but inside, the food is nothing to scoff at: Spicy Kentucky burgoo stew, fried green tomatoes, and, of course, bourbon (talbotts.com).

SLEEP

The Rosemark Haven historic plantation has a B&B, tea room, and wine bar, all on the grounds (doubles from $109; rosemarkhaven.com).

Preliminary Design Report of The Rubble Dam Improvement Project Municipal Supply and Whitewater Recreation Enhancements in the Beech Fork River

2010-02-27T14:48:00.003-05:00

Introduction

The Bardstown Boaters are currently working with the City of Bardstown and RiverRestoration.org to bring a whitewater park to Kentucky at the site of an old rubble dam on the Beech Fork of the Rolling Fork of the Salt River.

The purpose of the project is to restore the invert for municipal use and to enhance whitewater recreation while removing the hazardous conditions that currently exist. During reconnaissance evaluation significant erosion of the right bank was surveyed. The Project encompasses three goals:

Restore the invert for municipal pump station.
Enhance whitewater recreation.
Stabilize the eroding bank.

Meeting Recap

2010-02-25T08:22:00.000-05:00

Here is a short breakdown from the meeting held last night. We had 10 members present.

Paddle Pickup

We will try to paddle from Maud, the burg or Manton if the water flow is up. Low water cleanup will be from 49 to the fairgrounds.
Justin will be in contact with the Boy Scouts of America.
We need to lineup a trailer.
Jay will be buying one or two canoes with last years funds.
We will reuse left over t-shirts from last year for new volunteers.
Tim will have the flyer ready mid march.
Danielle is setting us up with some water education folks who will cross promote the event.
Kenny will talk with Dean about the dumpster.

Whitewater Park
We unveiled the whitewater park cost estimates and drawings. Everyone liked what they saw. The city will recieve them next and we will pursue the next steps with their guidance.

For more visit this topic on the forum here.

How to Build a Whitewater Park

2010-02-24T15:45:00.001-05:00

Some theories and ideas on on how to construct a whitewater feature.
BoaterTalk Post • Video • Waller Creek Site • Friends of the Falls

The best way to make a whitewater feature - basically accelerate water over a "slight" obstacle and "dump" it into still water. The smaller the obstacle it jumps the better. Too much rock and you get a hole. link

Semi-circle 'U'-shaped rock pile to channel water and create hole / eddies.

Whitewater Park Architecture and Science has advanced dramatically.

Example of a "play wave" that features can be modeled after.

Best practices include:

Feasibility & Pre-design
Concept Development
Strategic Planning
Business Modeling
Limnology Studies & Habitat Design
Local, state, and federal permits
Venue Design

Physical Modeling
Computer Modeling
In-stream Structures
Boulder Placement
Drop and Pool Structures
Flow Hydraulics
Flood Mitigation
Water Safety
Sediment Transport
Target Species Habitat Restoration

Facilities Construction
Operations and Management

As far as creating a play feature the only thing I can really offer up is this. Play features are obviously in places where either A. the gradient increases and/or B. the velocity increases, coupled with a few good rocks or ledges to kick up or drop the water and form the play feature.

Remember that the flow (or volume of water moving downstream) in a river is constant no matter where you are on the run (obviously flows can increase or decrease over time depending on rain or dam releases). Even though you may be in a still pool, the river is still pushing a certain volume of water downstream. It just may not be as noticeable at wider spots as it is when the river chokes down in a gorge. Kind of like a garden hose. You turn the water on and you have a constant flow coming out of the spigot. Placing your finger over the end causes the water to come out faster even though the flow (volume of water) is still the same coming from the spout. The water must move faster given the smaller cross sectional area.

In order to maintain the upstream pool and allow for a play spot I would suggest something like a weir. You already have the gradient and the rocks to help form a feature. All you need to do is concentrate the flow in one area to increase the velocity of water traveling downstream.

Q = Volume (ft^3/sec)
V = Velocity (ft/sec)
A = Area (ft^2)

Q = V*A

By decreasing the area (A) of water coming over the dam, the river will have to increase the velocity (V) of water to allow the same flow (Q) to travel down the river. So instead of the water pouring over the whole river wide dam, arrange the rocks so that a smaller weir is created which leads to a smaller cross sectional area of water flowing through.

So in the equation, a smaller A results in a larger V. Larger V means faster velocity and wallah........play spot...sort of.

The broken down dam on the Benson is a classic example of this concept. But I would think the placement of rocks to actually form the feature may be slightly more complex than that and this is where an experienced whitewater feature builder (not sure what their title would be) would come into play.

Paddle Pickup Meeting

2010-02-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

Paddle Pickup Meeting

February 24, 6:30 p.m.

Ricon Mexicano, Bardstown, Ky.

We will be meeting to discuss our plans for this years Paddle Pickup to be held on May 15 and any other club matters.

Come on out.

Big Bend Trip Report

2010-02-23T08:21:00.003-05:00

John Thomas and his brother Jay Thomas have this trip report to share from the recent hike in Texas.

Sorry I'm a bit tardy at getting this trip report to Big Bend National Park.

Getting to the park brother John and I flew into San Antonio Jan 15, rented a Chevy HRS, and drove I-10 West to Ft. Stockton and HWY 385 south through the pitch black desert to the park. We set up camp in the back of the HRS and with the new moon we had no clue what scenery we'd be waking up to.

In the morning we had to break ice to get the car door open and climbed out to watch the sun slowly creep over the rusty mountain ridges and warm the park valley. We signed in at the ranger station, listened to her spill about respecting the park and that we'd probably see a bear or mountain lion, and with her suggestion we reserved the NE-2 campsite for night one and the Emory Peak campsite for night two.

We started the hike with a 2,000 feet climb up along the 7-mile Laguna Meadows trail with John in the lead since he was better at feeding, I mean fending off mountain lions. With tired legs we reached the South Rim and enjoyed the vista views of the Chihuahua desert, Rio Grande river, and snow capped mexican mountains. We hiked along the rim to our North East facing campsite which was conveniently furnished with a steel bear proof storage box. We got up early the next morning to watch the sun rise over the desert, shared breakfast with the local wildlife and moved on. The hike down to Boot Canyon was steep and when we reached the creek bed we could only imagine the site of flood water raging through the canyon.

Walking down further through the canyon and along the creek mostly felt like taking a stroll though a KY forest, pleasant change from the rusty and rocky dry scenery throughout the park. We soon made it to the intersection of the Emory Peak trail, and our camp #2. Climbing up the trail just to the point of our campsite reminded us that we weren't really in the mood to try to tackle the rest of the climb up to the highest point in the park.

Getting to camp early allowed us to sunbath and relax, something that's been missing in a lot of trips. With no fires allowed in the park meant as soon as it got dark we didn't have any light distractions from viewing the stars all gathered in the milky way, further enjoyed with some warm apple cider and bourbon.

The next morning we hiked down the Pinnacles trail which was well equipped with plenty of vistas to stop and gaze, through the Boulder Meadows, and back to the ranger station. We dropped off our permit and decided to drive back to San Antonio to find nice hotel bed and shower to spend the last night.

Wonderful trip with beautiful scenery and great hiking.

Cold Clean Waters

2010-02-20T22:34:00.000-05:00

Today myself, Josh and Ben were on the Big South Fork from the confluence to Leatherwood. Water levels were around 1000cfs and water temps were very cold after all of the recent snow. The sunshine and 52 degree air temps made this a Saturday not to be missed on the river.

The Big South Fork had the most pristine water that this paddler has ever seen down there. The water was emerald green and you could see down about four feet.

On Double Drop, I rolled and it was freazing. 1000 cfs makes for some dificult drops in the big three. It also made Ass Kicker more difficult. I also rolled in the El. After that I was determined not to roll again. The water was just too cold.

It was a great day to be on the water and bonus to have my wife with me running the shuttle. Now we are off to Asheville!

Slow Boating

2010-02-18T21:31:00.002-05:00

I thought this was a great/funny post from BoaterTalk. Let the slow boating movement begin ...

Boating is such a great way to access great areas of wilderness but it seems to me, and maybe this is something endemic to the US or maybe even the SE US, but most times going boating is such a damned rushed experience that it can really leave little time to absorb your surroundings. People rush, rush, rush to get to the put in, to gear up, to get going, to get to the next rapid, to get to the take out, to get drunk at the take out, to do doughnuts in the parking lot, and finally to go home. Let's see how many laps we can do, let's race, let's do this meth and see how many rivers we can get today. While those things can certainly be fun and while sometimes that's the way it has to be if it's going to be at all since most have families, jobby jobs, or other obligations, I'm ready to throw the anchor out and encourage a culture of slow boating. Kinda the boating equivalent of the slow food movement to fast food. Time to slow down and really enjoy the nature around you, to have more time on the river than in the car driving to and from the river.

To that end I'm looking for two things: 1)good websites or blogs that describe what sort of equipment/gear is needed/not needed specifically for kayaks as well as advice on how to pack the gear and 2) suggestions for good overnighters in the SE and Mid Atlantic.

Gracias,

Mark

And you check out this website for some good info on slow boating.

Makers Mark Possibly Filming on Beech Fork

2010-02-12T16:30:00.002-05:00

Makers Mark is searching for the location of their next commercial. They are looking for a river scene.

I just gave my recommendation, through Makers Mark, to a location scout looking to film a commercial in the Bardstown area. I pointed them toward the Beech Fork at the rubble dam for it's access and for the visual of the water tumbling through the dam. Perhaps they will choose this site of the future home to the Bardstown Whitewater Park as the filming location for their "fly fishing" scene for an upcoming Makers Mark commercial.

Self Support Kayaking Blog

2010-02-05T12:56:00.002-05:00

Found this new blog all about self support kayaking.

Getting amongst it in the wilderness is the reason many of us kayak. Whether you’re doing a two week self support trip down the Grand Canyon, or a weekend overnight getaway on the Big South Fork of the Cumberland, living out of your boat can be just what to doctor ordered to get away from it all. With overnight trips becoming more and more popular, we have decided to create the definitive resource to help foster knowledge, fuel innovation, and build community on this exciting front of paddlesports. So take some time to look around and interact with what our group of seasoned adventurers have found to work for them. Feel free to register to provide feedback and share your own experiences with the world.

GRWW Speaks

2010-02-02T14:02:00.001-05:00

Listen to a story about the Grand Rapids Whitewater Park on WGVU.

Listen to this! Chris Muller and Chip Richards were joined by WGVU’s Lindsey Smith as we walked the Grand River with representatives of the Michigan DNR and local engineering firm FTC&H. Afterward, we had lunch 50 paces from the water, at Tommy Fitzgerald’s Cafe Stella www.tommyfitzgeraldgroup.com. Outstanding river, outstanding food. Keeping it local, bringing it Downtown! http://www.wgvu.org/wgvunews/index.cfm?id=sdetail&sty=5662

http://grandrapidswhitewater.com/whitewater/grww-speaks/

Local boating group to help Bardstown monitor streams

2010-01-22T08:10:00.002-05:00

From The Kentucky Standard

By LYDELLE ABBOTT

The Bardstown Boaters will begin their first expedition monitoring local waterways Saturday.

The partnership with the city of Bardstown was born from the city’s need for a third party to check creeks for unlawful discharges.

The boaters, a whitewater paddling and water conservation group, will begin with Withrow Creek.

The group will look for and document infractions for the next five years in Buffalo Creek, Withrow Creek, Town Creek, Rowan Creek and Mill Creek. Each waterway has about five miles to be checked, said Josh Cammack, Bardstown’s MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) GIS coordinator.

The boaters will have about 10 volunteers going out in small groups of three or four checking on one creek at a time, Bardstown Boaters president Spalding Hurst said.

Volunteers from the group will walk the main parts of the stream bodies and use a hand held GPS unit and digital camera to capture locations and findings.

Specifically, the group will look for things such as point sources, pollutants and erosion or scouring, Cammack said.

Pollutants include dredges spoil, solid waste, incinerator residue, sewage, sewage sludge, garbage, chemical biological or radioactive materials, heat wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, soil, industrial, municipal or agricultural waste and any substance resulting from the development processing or recovery of any natural resource which may be discharged into water.

Extreme erosion scouring is identified by stream banks that are tremendously undercut, have deep ravine type cuts from storm water runoff of adjacent property or bare soil with groves that channel runoff into the stream.

The boaters will report findings to the city so the city may work to combat the problems, Cammack said.

The efforts will help the city combat illegal storm and sanitary discharges that contribute to stream pollution, erosion and debris, Hurst said.

The state recommended using outside personnel to check the streams and the boaters are a group that expressed interest, Cammack said.

The decision to couple together was a no-brainer. The project serves a community-wide interest and they already have gear and equipment, Cammack said.

“It was a perfect fit between the two of us.”

The partnership is a “huge bonus for us because we don’t have the personnel to do it. It raises awareness for storm water runoff and betters everybody (by) getting Mother Nature back to where she needs to be,” Cammack said.

The Bardstown Boaters are not looking for additional volunteers for the project, but for more information about the club, visit www.bardstownboaters.com.

Editorial: Partnership will help waterways

2010-01-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

By Kentucky Standard Editorial Board

The City of Bardstown and a local boaters group, Bardstown Boaters, are working together to try and clean up local waterways.

Bardstown Boaters, a whitewater paddling and water conservation group, will have its first expedition Saturday beginning with Withrow Creek. For the next five years, the group plans to survey and document infractions in Buffalo Creek, Withrow Creek, Town Creek, Rowan Creek and Mill Creek. Specifically, the group will look for things such as point sources, pollutants and erosion or scouring. The idea is for the boaters to report findings to the city so the city can work to combat the problems.

The efforts will help the city combat illegal storm and sanitary discharges that contribute to stream pollution, erosion and debris. The state recommended using outside personnel to check the streams and the boaters are a group that expressed interest, so it was a win-win for everyone.

We applaud the boaters for stepping up to make a difference and we applaud the city for taking the group up on its offer.

Maybe by working together, our local waterways can be improved and pollutants reduced. Just an awareness this type of operation is underway may cause some people to stop and think about what they are putting in our local waterways.

It will be a big job for the local group but we are confident they are up to the challenge. More partnerships like this one should be formed to solve even more problems. With everyone working together we can get more done.

Elkhorn Race

2010-01-19T16:27:00.001-05:00

The Inaugural "Not-NPFF" Downriver Race & Club Championship on the Elkhorn will take place February 27th at 1:00 pm.

The race will be mass start below the dam and run to the illegal take out. Drafting skilz will be crucial. There will be 3 age classes for both individual men and women: 18 - 40 /40 - 60 / 60 & up. More importantly, there will also be a club championship...Vikings vs BWA vs ?

Club teams need at least 5 members to qualify. Scoring will be top five from each clubs finish order added together to get a score, lowest combined club score wins.

The weather the last few years has been terrible. Hopefully this year will be better. We're going to work on providing a shuttle as well as awards for winners.

PS...this is going to be a "fun run". Paddlers that wouldn't normally do a kayak race should definitely get out and give it a shot!

Winter Roll Sessions

2009-12-30T15:11:00.003-05:00

The Viking Canoe Club will be hosting winter roll sessions at Shawnee High School's indoor pool this January and February. They will be on Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the following dates:

January 9
January 30
February 20
February 27

For more info check out the Viking calendar or their forum.

Breaks Interstate Park

2009-12-23T08:22:00.003-05:00

The recent snow storm in Eastern Kentucky left it's beautiful mark on the mountains at the Breaks Interstate Park. Patrick Jeffreys was there when the storm hit and took this great photo.

Big Bend National Park

2009-12-17T13:45:00.002-05:00

Part of Camping Blogger's top five parks to visit in 2010, The Bardstown Boaters will be doing just that in January.

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park, in southwest Texas, is one of the last remaining wild corners of the United States and is the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the country. The varied terrain of the park ranges from an elevation of 1,800 feet along the Rio Grande River, to 7,800 feet in the Chisos Mountains. There are three campgrounds in the park, including Cottonwood, Chisos Basin and Rio Grande Village.

People in Yosemite: A TimeLapse Study

2009-12-15T15:38:00.001-05:00

Yosemite is bigger than Rhode Island at almost 800,000 acres, but it receives about 3.5 million visitors each year, and most of them spend time in Yosemite Valley.

Downtown Development Authority approves funding for design of Grand River whitewater course in Grand Rapids

2009-12-13T14:43:00.003-05:00

Grand Rapids Whitewater is a group of individuals, paddling clubs, fishermen and businesses dedicated to helping Green Grand Rapids achieve the dream of putting rapids back in the Grand for everyone’s enjoyment. It is our goal to partner with the city to create a safer, more exciting river experience.

Lightweight Food Options

2009-12-13T14:26:00.002-05:00

From Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking

A couple years ago I purchased a dehydrator because I was convinced I was going to be backpacking on a near daily basis. After all, dehydrating is what “real backpackers” did and that was my goal. Well, marriage, kids, and eternal responsibility have a way of clarifying reality. In as much as I’d like to use the dehydrator for the backpacking trips I am able to schedule in the midst of balancing life, I use it a lot less than I expected both because it is a bit of a hassle and often I just don’t have the time to deal with it. When I’m pinched for time or need something quick, my options for trail food either include food from the local grocery store or lightweight options available from online sources.

With that, I thought I’d mention a few food sites offering lightweight options which I enjoy.

Both Enertia Trail Foods (http://www.trailfoods.com/#) and Pack-It Gourmet (http://www.packitgourmet.com/) are likely the best known dehydrated vendors aside from those at REI. To me anyway, these meals taste better and offer solid nutrition.

Harmony House Foods (http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/) offers quite a bit of stuff which includes sizeable portions of only add-in (i.e. beans, spices, tomatoes, cheese, butter powder, etc.). Much like Just Veggies (http://www.justtomatoes.com/), they offer items which are nice contributions to any meal and can be used to add taste, nutrition, or just to mix it up.

Aside from, well, “permanently borrowing” (i.e. stealing) from fast food vendors, have you ever wondered where you can get single use packets of things like salt, pepper, relish, mustard, etc.? The answer is Minimus Biz (http://www.minimus.biz/).

If you’re looking for a healthier version of jerky, check out Paleokits (http://paleokits.bigcartel.com/) who sell jerky, nuts, and berries with less sugar and carbs.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, Meal Pack (http://mealpack.com/) offers meal replacement options in the form of a bar the size of a standard Cliff Bar. It is packed with calories and might be a good idea if you need to boost your energy with a mega dump of calories (energy). It might also be a decent emergency food option in case you are late making it off the trail.

Few products offer the punch of necessary fat and calories in a lightweight package like peanut butter. If you want to carry something with differing tastes in a single serving container, check out Justin’s Nut Butter (http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/).

All of these vendors are identified on the side of my blog in addition to many other links which might help you on your backpacking journey.

Kayak Trip From Springs to Bays

2009-12-07T11:51:00.003-05:00

From member Danielle Hutchins:

I have attached the information and registration forms for a kayak trip for Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend (January 15th-18th). The deadline for registration is January 5th. We will kayak in three different bodies of water in northwest Florida: a spring-fed river, a cypress pond, and a shallow bay. We'll meet in Marianna, Florida, between Pensacola and Tallahassee. It is 3 hours east of Mobile and 8 hours south of Nashville. Call Join us if you can.

Click here for all the information.