When it comes to local hydrology, I find the Licking River to be the most interesting water way by far. The reasons why are varied, and are really left to a topic of their own. Apparently though, the Licking doesn’t share the same interest in me. Seems that recently, each time I paddle it, I get the short stick one way or another:

• Unexpected flooding at Blue Licks pushed me back before I could reach my goal, and nearly capsized my yak with no skirt, flotation vest or gear.
• Broke three toes and sprained my right ankle climbing up out of the Ohio. I count this because it was right next to the Licking River’s mouth.
• Leg brace broke and twisted my foot inside the kayak while in an area with no portage and a section of water you couldn’t pay me to swim in. It was nearly three hours before I could get out and unbind myself. That was a year ago and my left foot has yet to fully recover.
• A navigation error left me dragging the yak several miles back up stream through the shallows near Falmouth. Granted it was my own stupidity, but I’ve never made a mistake like that before or since.

It not just paddling either. I’ve had to winch myself out of mires, lost gear, and more often then not came away with minor but stupid injuries. No other area has given me so much trouble exploring.

Then there was Saturday 20110604. After attending a wedding and helping with some photos I decided to take advantage of already being in Morehead to get some footage of the Cave Run Spillway. Currently the Corps of Engineers are releasing 5000cfs; pretty close to the river’s natural avg. discharge. A normal release this time of year is around 100. The resulting torrent of water makes a spectacular sight from the banks yes, but how awesome would it be to get some close up shots from head on?

Naturally the Licking was not interested in cooperating, but instead of sending me limping away with some physical calamity it went with a new method: Humiliation. A small crowd gathered while I made my attempts failures, several of them wielding cameras. No doubt to them I looked like some helpless fish on a hook. Meh, it’s all good. 🙂

The current being too strong to take head to head is a given, that I already knew. What I was hoping for would be to find some eddies or a steady wave train to surf my way up. No such luck. The spillway walls are too smooth to produce any good eddies; I had a bit more luck with the waves, but ultimately they were too erratic. A better paddler might have gotten in, but it was just too much for my skill. I’ll just have to work on my efficiency, maybe get a paddle with a bigger dig, and try again.