North Fork of the Cumberland 5/7-5/8/05

Bob Pierce posted an overnight canoe trip on the North Fork of the Cumberland River in Kentucky on the TSRA website, so of course I was in touch within days if not hours to sign Lucas and myself up. We launched with nearly every style of boat and every class of paddler represented. Skipper Milo and first mate Grey graced us with their presence. I didn't get to see Grey walk the gunwales, but I did get to hear her snore from her bed beneath Jean's seat.

The river was wide, but relatively fast-moving. After a few miles, the scenery changed from farmlands to rolling hills. When we took our lunch break, those who made fun of our amply-packed boat found themselves having chair envy. A few miles after lunch, we stopped for the day, leaving us plenty of daylight at camp and over 10 miles to paddle the next day.

I enjoyed a nap to banish the remnants of a migraine. Others lounged around an eventual campfire. Our dinner was supposed to be stuffed shells and dessert was supposed to be baked brie to use up some cheeses from my refridgerator. Sadly, those cheeses never made it past Lucas' refridgerator, but happily, we invented a new recipe for stuffed shells that was even better. Instead of ricotta and egg, we mixed shredded mozzarella blend, egg and milk to make the stuffing. Yum. If ever I make stuffed shells again, this is the recipe I will use.

Sunday on the river gave us some good rapids, including a river-wide wave hole and a couple of good shoals. It wasn't long before we saw the big caution signs for the waterfall, indicating that our mustn't miss takeout was approaching. A couple of people joked about running the falls. I said I'd only run it backwards. Someday, I would like to run the whitewater section below it. The outfitter that ran our shuttle for the overnighter runs a service where they pick you up on a party boat and feed you lunch instead of you having to slog across several miles of lake. That's how I'd like to do it.

The overnighter section is definitely a do over for a lazy weekend on the water. Maybe we could even start higher and paddle just a little.