2010-06-06 – I’m having some difficulty coming up with new places to explore lately. I’ve already seen just about every trail, mark, road and river within any practical distance for a day trip. Heh, guess I’m somewhat a victim of my own success. 😛

Sunday however I had a mild epiphany about a fairly obvious place I have overlooked: The Kentucky River Palisades near Valley View Ferry. The ferry alone is pretty interesting in that it is the oldest all season ferry still operational in the U.S. (chartered in 1785).

I had hoped to put in at the ferry, paddle to Raven’s Run Park about eight river miles upstream, and then return. Unfortunately I was delayed by some other issues and didn’t make it until late in the afternoon. A strong headwind and my kayak taking on water through its drain plug didn’t help matters either. Still, I was able to explore a few miles around and will defiantly be back.

While I’m usually more into white water or riding a flood wave, it was nice to relax and ply some flat water for a change. Headwind aside, the weather couldn’t have been nicer, and I met some interesting people at the ferry.  Among them were the ferry crew themselves, who offered to delay for a moment so I could port from their ramp instead of the steep bank.