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2008 Kentucky River Kayak Trek

 

Monday, October 13, 2008

 

Drennon Creek  to Eagle Creek (Mile 11)

 

 

Farmland.  Amber waves of grain.  Tobacco.  Horse farms.  Cow pastures… 

 

The drive to the ramp I used today in the Twin Eagle Wildlife Management Area was a nice one, filled with fantastic looking farms.  The ones on US60 between Lexington and Frankfort and the ones on KY127 and KY355, in particular.  I noticed something else too.  There’s a Paul Sawyier art gallery in a little shopping center next to the Rebecca Ruth candy store off of US60 in Frankfort.  Both businesses have incredibly interesting backgrounds.  Sawyier was an outstanding artist who painted scenes of the Kentucky River as well as many others, while the candy store was started in 1919 by two ladies named Rebecca and Ruth.  It's famous for it's bourbon inspired confections.  I encourage you to check out both web links if you're a fan of history.  UPDATE:  The art gallery is now sadly closed, but in addition to the link above here's another where you can check out the artwork.

 

If you've been following the progress of my photo-journals downriver then you'll know that for someone like me, paddling this river for the first time, some of these ramps can be a real challenge to find.  This one was no exception.  I’d heard that it was within a wildlife management area near the Perry Park Golf Course, but when I got close to it on KY355 I didn't see much.  There was a little sign by the road, but I noticed only a couple narrow gravel roads here.  I pushed on, thinking that the spot might be a little more obvious.  Besides, I could always come back.  I drove a little further...  No luck...  I realized I'd gone too far when I got to the sign for the Eagle Creek Resort.  I turned back.

 

Then I tried the little gravel roads I mentioned back at the sign.  One led to a small parking area and then to a walking path that was blocked off to vehicle traffic.  Tall weeds followed.  The ramp couldn't possibly be back there, but I had to make absolutely certain.  I walked down the path a little...  No luck.  On to the other gravel road... 

 

I couldn’t even get through!  Well, I eventually found a guy by the side of the road and I asked him!  Turns out, the ramp had been just after a bridge North of the Perry Park Golf Course.  Please use the directions at the end so you won’t have to make the same mistakes I did.  :)  Anyway, you'll find that this ramp (photo below) is not along the Kentucky River itself, but instead on Twin Creek.  I'd paddle this creek a little later but for now I headed to the Kentucky. 

 

 

Once on the Kentucky River itself, I paddled upriver to the Drennon Creek where I’d stopped on Friday, on the way encountering what I think was the first hawk I’d seen on the river.  Below is a photo of the mouth of Drennon Creek which is at the center of the photo, with the Kentucky River on the left.  Let me tell you, there's much more to this area than meets the eye, both in terms of geography and of history.  You see, Drennon Springs, Kentucky is back up there a little way and it's got a pretty incredible history.  Check out this excellent link and you'll see what I mean!

 

 

Turning around and heading back downriver here, you'll notice a rocky area on the left above which there’s a house that looks almost like it could be a store.  This would be an ideal location for one - right on the river with an easy walk up what looks like a rocky old boat ramp.  For that matter, there appear to be a couple rocky ramps here which extend in different directions, forming a "V" down to the shoreline.  Might the second have been a business?  Meanwhile, on the other side (and throughout most of the trip today) the farmland will take an interesting, multiple step pattern as below...  

 

 

 

At about mile 20 I spoke with a power boated who was out with his son fishing.  I asked him what Carrollton was like, and he said it was just pretty much small town America (the folks out here see Carrollton as just another little town - and it is - but to me it’s everything.  I've held out seeing it since I started in Beattyville!  Anyway, the gentleman told me that they have a restaurant in Carrollton - the Rivers Edge Restaurant - and I’ll try to stop there for a celebratory dinner once I finish the river.  He also said they’d be having a fish fry on Friday which is my target finish date.  That would be nice!  My thanks to this gentleman!  UPDATE:  The River's Edge Restaurant in Carrollton is now known as Welch's Riverside Restaurant.

 

Next on the charts was the community of Spring Port on the left side at around mile 19, but there was only one dwelling visible to me.  On the other side, however, there were quite a few houses at about the point where the Perry Park Golf Course was supposed to be.  There’s also a spillway coming down to the water at this point and the charts indicate this as being an American Pyramid Companies location, but the business is no longer in operation.  Afterwards the river makes a right curve, and it was in here that I spotted a buck on the left that appeared to be digging for something (photo below).  In fact, I'd see several deer today at different points.

 

 

 

A right curve now extends from mile 18 to about mile 16.5 and both Mill Creek and Big Twin Creek come in on the right side with the community of Perry Park sandwiched between.  Mill Creek comes first and I got in about ¼ mile.  Big Twin is longer, at about 1/2 mile of slack water and just after the ramp I used there was an old collapsed concrete bridge.  In addition, you'll find a pleasant rocky area at the mouth of Big Twin that makes for a nice fishing spot.

 

 

What I saw next was something I would not have expected (although to be honest I had seen it from the road coming in).  They had an old steam engine up there that looked to be assisting them in shredding some corn.  What a great, timeless scene!

 

 

Following this the Little Twin Creek came in on the right at mile 17.  It looked fairly sizeable on the charts, but I only got in about 100 yards or so.  You’d go under the bridge for KY355 after the first little curve if the water was higher.  A spot called Moxley Landing is downriver from the mouth as per the charts.  Perhaps there might have been another ferry location here?  If someone could inform me about this location I'd be very appreciative.  My email is at the bottom of my "About Me" page.

 

After this point the river straightens out with farms on the left and KY355 winding along beside you on the right.  The charts indicate that the Locust Grove Summer Cottages are on the left at about the point where some power lines cross the river at mile 15, and on my return trip I encountered another friendly fisherman here.  He was baiting a line which stretched all the way across the river, and he said that he had recently gotten a license to fish commercially here on the river with his father.  It sounded like last year had been rough for them but that this year was better.  This was the kind of person that I could have talked to for a couple hours and learned a lot, yet by that time it was getting late and I had to return.  I did think to ask him about the cottages but he didn't remember them, although he did say that they had a log cabin on their property that had a carved sign indicating:  “Locust Lodge”.  He thought the date on it was from the 1800s!  I guess these cottages probably aren’t in operation anymore! 

 

Following this the river will, in general, make a 3 mile right curve which is composed of 1 mile straights that make the curve look like a blocked "U".  It'll start South and then head North to end at Eagle Creek.  Canes Creek comes in on the left at the end of the first straight near mile 13.5.  This was the spot of an old buffalo crossing that the animals used on their way up to Big Bone Lick.  I paddled into Canes Creek for about 100 feet.  There was a little concrete bridge going over it at the end but I couldn’t get back quite that far.  I did, however, see what I thought was a paddle fish when I came out.   

 

Guillion’s Run at mile 12 near the end of the second straight wasn’t navigable as there was a deadfall right at the entrance.  In fact, it looked like it might have been deliberately placed there, but once I'd rounded the curve here to enter the last straight up to Eagle Creek I noticed several wooden docks on the right bank. This was all part of the Eagle Creek Resort and there’s a good ramp here too (2 of them, in fact).  From everything I’ve heard, however the Eagle Creek Resort it’s private and the ramps are not useable.  The web link is an update.  I wish It had been available to me when I first composed this photo-journal.  I might have been more easily able to make the inquiries I needed to determine any availability of their ramp.

 

I’ll paddle the Eagle Creek the next time.  I’ve heard that it’s a pretty long.  In fact, given the lower elevations of the land at this point I wonder if it will be the longest incoming side stream (in terms of slack water navigability for a paddler) on the Kentucky River.  I’ll find out, but of interest at the right side of the mouth is a nice little muddy area where it looks like a much older ramp used to come down.  This looks like an ideal fishing spot (see below)! 

 

Having seen this I headed on back.  I sure wish I could utilize the ramp here the next time.  It would be perfect.  What I’ll need to do instead is find another place to put-in, and this will require the kind of good luck which has thus far evaded me in regard to easily locating put-ins!  I usually end up finding one in the end, but this will be the first time that I have absolutely no clue as to where one might be!  This could get really interesting… 

 

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

The ramp in the Twin Eagle Wildlife Management Area is right off of KY355 in Perry Park, Kentucky.  If you check out the link you can get the best directions, but if you come in from the South you’ll see a sign for the Perry Park Resort.  Look for the first little bridge after this.  The ramp is on your left immediately after you cross it.  If you come in from the North you’ll see the little green sign indicating that you are in Perry Park and the turnoff is right after it.  If you go over the bridge and see the Perry Park Resort sign you’ve gone just a tad too far.