Sunday, June 6: A little cold front blew through this morning, threatening rain and dropping the temps into the low 80s. By 1:00 though, the sun was out and I was happily kayaking down Beech Fork with a friend. What a great day to be on the water: sun, a cool breeze, and the water all to ourselves. Except for a few people fishing the rubble dam (more on that in a minute) at the take-out, we didn’t see anyone all afternoon.
The American Whitewater website lists this section as 7.8 miles. At 195 CFS, we were paddling the minimum recommended level which is why we took kayaks rather than the canoe. Happy to report that all riffles were passable at this level and a couple even had enough flow to practice catching small eddies.
Mainly, we spent the afternoon alternating between paddling and lazily drifting in circles watching the sky. I think we spent nearly four and a half hours paddling what we probably could have done in half that time. Highlights included a tiny fawn seemingly stranded by the bank (we left it alone, hoping mom would return), a hawk who lingered far longer than we expected in a tree directly above us, and a steep climb up the riverbank to investigate a small rock shelter. Oddly, we didn’t see any turtles.
Though my companion thought there was a lot of trash, Beech Fork continues to impress me relative to Floyds Fork. The water flow seems more sustained, it’s more isolated, and there are fewer strainers. Access at the 31E (Bardstown Road) bridge is easy. There is access on the north and south sides of the bridge, though I don’t know which is easier. At the 49/Loretto Road bridge, there is sufficient by-the-road parking for five or six vehicles.
The rubble dam is listed as a Class III+ rapid and varies considerably according to water flow. Today, it was an impassable rock garden, so we portaged on river left. I haven’t seen it with larger flows, but I’m sure it’s impressive and worthy of its rating. Scout it, and don’t paddle it without planning your moves.
For another Beech Fork trip, check out the 605 to 49 section.