North Fork of Licking River

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Bangor Ramp and Upriver to a point just off the Cave Run Lake Map

Wow!  The experience I had exploring the area around Cave Run Lake today compared with the last time was like the difference between night and day!  While on the main part of the lake last year I had been disappointed to see quite a bit of trash along the shorelines, but today on the North Fork of the Licking (which drains into it) there was very little (if any) and the views were spectacular.  It also seemed as if the leaves were showing more color out here than they had been at either Taylorsville Lake or Herrington Lake earlier in the week.   They’d be a nice backdrop for the trip.

On the drive out to the Bangor ramp I passed the Minor E. Clark Fish Hatchery and the Cumberland Ranger District Station of the Daniel Boone National Forest (info on both of these can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/districts/cumberland/cave_run.shtml).  I had one foul up though.  I made a wrong turn into someone’s driveway just after the Claylick Ramp turnoff thinking that I’d reached Bangor already – wrong!  Embarrassed, I made a hasty turnaround.  Someone’s had their home back here, and I’m sure they didn’t care for extra visitors cruising down their driveway – although this probably does happen a little bit more than they’d like. 

After finding the actual turnoff I had a short drive down a partly paved, partly gravel road and when I reached the ramp I found it to be a nice one which included a port-a-john.  There’s also room for plenty of vehicles, and there’s a grassy area at the back where they might allow for some camping.  They do have some regulations out here, however, and I’m not aware of all the specifics so I can’t comment further on this.  Speaking of regulations, you’ll need a parking pass out here, although I forgot mine today.  They’re a couple dollars as I recall, and they’re available at the Ranger Station out here and at most of the stores in the area.  Today I’d have to hope that they’d let me go…

I need to make some distinctions at this point.  The ramp at Bangor is at the junction of the North and Middle forks of the Licking River, yet this section is on the Fish and Wildlife map of Cave Run Lake.  I’m filing this journal under a Licking River heading though, because in my view this is part of the river.  For me, the lake section doesn’t actually begin until the Licking River meets the incoming waters of a combined Leatherwood/Beaver Creek a few miles down. 

At any rate, as I got on the water and began paddling up the North Fork (heading left from the ramp) the first things I noticed almost immediately were all the bulbous, gooey masses lying just under the surface of the water on almost all the submerged tree stumps.  I’d seen these before, but not en-masse like this.  They simply have to be fish eggs – or maybe frog eggs, I’m not sure...  What I am sure of is that I hope someone lets me know what these are, cause I feel like a bit of fool guessing like this!

The river forms a squat “M” shape here in this first section, with little coves coming in at the curves.  I explored all these, not wanting to miss a thing, and I noticed that this particular area was very popular with the fishermen today – there were 3 or 4 boats in a line as I looked upriver.  Also of note was that this section was much more hospitable than the area around Cave Run had been in that the shoreline was almost one continuous – and accessible - rocky beach.  Thus, there were plenty of spots to stop, rest, and take things in, so to speak. 

Once you’ve paddled the “M”, the river kind of ties itself into a knot where a stream comes in and forms a near island along the left bank.  You’ll be able to see KY519 in the background here, and when I paddled back into this area I realized that you can see an old roadbed under the water at the very back!  It lies only just under the surface, and I wondered what year it had been built.  No sooner had I asked the question than I got the answer – the year 1954 was clearly etched into one section protruding above the water!

Also, check out the 3 tiers of foliage here…

The Poppin Rock Ramp soon became visible after I paddled out of the second cove (the one that would have been the other route around the island).  I’d sure like to know the origin of this ramps’ name, because I’m wondering if there’s more to it than just a geological formation.  At any rate, the facility looks pretty nice and it also has a separate fishing pier.  The shoreline at this point seems to be in more of a low-lying area; with the rocky banks starting to give way to ones composed more of mud.

From this ramp the river will almost form a series of “steps” which ascend in a northeastern direction, and it’s at the tip of each step that you’ll find an incredibly pleasant fishing (or primitive camping) spot.  These locations are all along Paragon Craney Road (FS947) which meanders with the river for the next mile or two.  Like Poppin Rock, most of these are low-lying areas and it looks like you can drive a boat clear down to the water.  In fact, this whole area is probably prone to flooding in the spring.

Immediately after passing this first step - Poppin Rock - you’ll go under the bridge for KY519, and I spotted a couple wild turkeys on the shoreline here.

The second step, for the Paragon “ramp” (this is more like a level drive straight into the water), looks to have 2 different parking areas - one of which has a port-a-john.  From here on out you’re really in an awesome environment where, even though there will be a little road right beside you on the left, you’ll feel as though you’re floating completely alone in the wilderness on the most pleasant little stream!  For me this was a humbling experience and one that I felt absolutely privileged to enjoy.  I think you’ll like it too.

The tip of the third step looked to be a fishing spot which more or less amounted to a pull-off from the side of the road.  I didn’t get close enough to tell, but I believe there’s a gravel put in here (looking at the map this is at the intersection of Paragon Craney and FS1069).  This fishing haven was followed by a hairpin “C” left and then a fourth “step” where I met a couple fishing from another spot off the side of Paragon Craney.

The stream was starting to get a little narrow now, so I thought it would only be a short matter of time before it got too shallow to navigate, but as it turned out I wouldn’t reach such a point today.  The stream, although it did get narrow, never fully reached the point of being unnavigable before I’d have to turn back.  Needless to say I was intrigued, and I sure want to come back to see just how far I can actually get!

Anyway, what followed was another “C” curve left (not quite a hairpin), and nearing the end of this there was another interesting spot where an intersecting stream came in on the left under a bridge (I think this is also the point – or near the point - where FS1067 meets Paragon Craney Road).  There was a very low fishing spot here which, at the time, was pretty much all mud. 

I took one final right at the end of the “C” and was in the midst of a fairly long straight section when I decided to turn back.  I was running out of daylight.  Looking at the map it appears that I was getting really close to where this (North Fork) and Craney Creek meet, and it actually looks like Craney might be wider than the fork!  Wonder which will really be more navigable?

On the way back I paddled along the opposite side of the river and explored some nice coves, the largest of which was the one for Yocum Creek, and as I did so, the gradually descending darkness really brought out the color in the trees.

I ultimately arrived back at the ramp just as the sun was setting and there were a couple fishermen there who seemed to know each other.  They were comparing their hauls for the day...  One had caught 5 fish, while the other didn’t fully disclose, simply saying that he’d done allright.  They were kind enough to include me in their conversation, but they told me that I’d picked a really bad place to park my car.  In fact, they were surprised that I hadn’t been towed!

I’d been a real dunce when I entered this morning and hadn’t been paying enough attention.  I wanted to park fairly close, but out of the way, so I parked in what was apparently the turn-around spot for the trucks with their boat trailers.  Although I parked way to the back and side of this, it wasn’t enough.  Thus, I will no longer entertain any illusions as to the freedom I can enjoy by having to park only a car, and I relate this embarrassment not necessarily to document what a fool I tend to be, but to point out what NOT to do.  The fishermen that had put in at this ramp all day long must have thought I was a real “bleep’!

DIRECTIONS:

I took the KY801 exit off I64 and headed south.  Go through the stop sign a few miles down in Farmers, and then continue for 13 miles (the road turns into KY1274 at one point).  You’ll go past the fish hatchery, the ranger station, and the signs for Twin Knobs and the Warix Run Boat Ramp. 

After going these 13 miles, start driving very slowly and look for a Mountain Dew sign outside a store here on your left.  You’ll want to make a left turn immediately before that sign.  This partly paved/partly gravel road leads directly to the ramp less than a mile down.  There’s ample parking available, but you’ll need a pass which is available at the Ranger Station and at many of the stores in the area.  [I found out after this trip that a “Day Tag” costs $3.  I got mine at the BP station off the KY801 exit of I64.]