Kayaking the Kentucky River Palisades - pool 9 - 6 miles

I am out of the woods and into the water in this post. It's kayak season! This last weekend I was able to participate in the 3rd Annual Bluegrass River Run at Fort Boonesborough State Park. If you enjoy kayaking or canoeing I highly encourage you to be part of this next year. Not only was the camaraderie with fellow participants great, I also got to spend time and have fun with one of my boys. 
I have been wanting to kayak on the Kentucky River for a few years now, but for one reason or another I just never got around to doing it. But if I'm honest, it's probably due to not knowing how quick or strong the river current was and how much debris I would have to paddle around. But I did it and am so glad I did! Not only was the current extremely slow, there was truly no debris. This makes for one nice float. And to top that off, the stretch between the park and Proud Mary's BBQ (take-out), is absolutely gorgeous. 

One of the first cool things I noticed was this huge hole in the side of the cliff. My son thinks it is a vent of some sort. I just think it is cool.

Another highlight was watching Blue Heron Cranes landing in the tip top of a tree! I have never seen that before! I always see them on a branch close to the water or them standing in the water. But as I floated closer I noticed that this tree was FULL of them. If you look closely at the photo below you can see black spots all over the top of the tree. Those are nests! So cool. 

On this trip I learned that our state's namesake river is 260 miles long, about one-third of a mile wide and has an average depth of 20 feet. The river is broken up with a system of locks and dams every 15-20 miles. 100 miles of the river, including the stretch we floated, is within a canyon system called the Kentucky River Palisades.  We live in such a beautiful part of the state y'all. 

Just as we round the bend to the take-out spot, there is a waterway off to the right which is Boone Creek. Of course we had to check it out. We were able to go in a little ways but had to turn around because of a fallen tree blocking any further access. The little bit we floated was really neat!

And then, before we knew it, 2 hours had come and gone and we could start hearing the roar of I75. Up ahead we saw the bridge and new the float was coming to an end. Although my arms were pretty tired, I would have loved to keep going. 
But now I know that I love kayaking the Kentucky River. I hope that if you haven't and been thinking of doing it that you try this stretch. You will love it! Please wear you PFD at all times when floating. Take some water with you and maybe even a little snack. But most of all have fun and #optoutside!