People in Yosemite: A TimeLapse Study

Yosemite is bigger than Rhode Island at almost 800,000 acres, but it receives about 3.5 million visitors each year, and most of them spend time in Yosemite Valley.

Bardstown Boaters to Monitor Local Streams

Members of the Bardstown Boaters met with City of Bardstown officials Thursday, Nov. 19th to discuss an organized effort to identify unlawful discharges into the community's local watersheds. The Bardstown Boaters agreed to provide volunteers that will walk local streams and tributaries to locate, photograph, and record any evidence of discharges or system failures. These efforts spanning the next five years will ultimately help the City combat illegal storm and sanitary discharges that contribute to stream pollution, erosion, debris, etc. The Bardstown Boaters are excited to be part of this plan and look forward to working again with the City of Bardstown to improve the quality of our local waterways.

Video of Near Flush Drowning

That time Mike almost flush drowned

By DAVE | Published: The River Lifestyle

In early June, several good friends and I took a boating trip to Idaho. It was the peak of snowmelt and the rivers were raging. After an amazing two days on the SF Salmon, we finished the shuttle and camped near the incomparable mountain town of Yellowpine. The next day we paddled a high flowing East Fork of the SF Salmon (Check out that link for what the EFSF looks like at normal flows). Mike took a huge, long swim, just barely making it out of the river. I had my headcam on and caught the entire episode on video. After he finally got to shore, I stopped kayaking for the day. I just didn’t want to see that go down again.

Deer Hunter

Bardstown Boater member Wes Parish is one happy deer hunter today.

Check out my bruiser of a buck. Typical 8 with 2 kickers on one side for a total of 10 pts.

A lot of years on the stand are behind this one. Been hunting since I was 12 and had never gotten anything close to this.

Now that I’ve had the opportunity to BAG THAT BUCK, I’m realigning my efforts and ammo to BAG THAT KRAG!

A Big Swell

This weekend the largest swell so far this winter hit the Oregon Coast. Sidelined by an injury, I trekked to Cape Meares with my roommate Mike to check out the scene.

The waves were mushy, disorganized, and huge. They just kept coming. Just standing on the beach I was intimidated. There’s something about the vast enormity of these waves that hits me in the chest. Watching Mike charge out in his 15+ year-old Perception Saber was a humbling experience. He got throttled several times, called it quits as the sun set and came out of the water with a huge grin on his face.

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Festival of Faiths

The theme of the Festival of Faiths in Louisville this year is "Water." Below are some of the great kayaks that are on display as well as an art sculpture on mountain top removal. This is all at the Henry Clay building for the next week.

Kentucky Now Collects Styrofoam for Recycling; National Park Really Excited

From: Treehugger

Turns out, those foam (aka styrofoam) take-away containers (#6) that really make your green heart cringe can actually be recycled into baseboards and moldings for your home. The only problem - who is going to take them back and recycle them? Solution: There are now has 8 bins across the United States that collect the stuff for Dart Corporation, with the latest in Kentucky.

The latest drop-off spot is located near Horse Cave, KY, which happens to be just up the road from Mammoth Cave National Park. The recycling locations are provided by Dart Container Corporation, maker of many of these #6 products. Mammoth Cave admits that they plan to get a lot of use out of the new location, as these containers are often left throughout the park. Now, park rangers and officials will just truck the container out of the park - in fact, they've been collecting foam for the last 6 months waiting for the container to be installed.

In Kentucky, G&R Recycling will come by and collect all of the foam for recycling. Other styrofoam recycling locations can be found in California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania; 7 in total. Dart says they plan to install more styrofoam recycling dropoff locations in the future and if you go to their website you can see an interesting graphic on just how styrofoam is broken down, cleaned, dried, sorted, peletized and all of the other steps before it starts over.

What Can You Recycle?

Foam containers with a #6 on them, including foam cups, plates, take-out containers, egg cartons and even some of the stuffing that you find around electronics can all be recycled. To make it easier on the recyclers, please remove and rinse cups and containers, throw away straws and lids, and don't put packing peanuts in the recycling bins (try shipping stores to see if they will take them back).

The next time you're at Mammoth Cave, don't forget to bring your #6 and leave it in the bin instead of the park.

Bardstown Boaters Overview Video

Wanted to bump this video back to the top. It's an overview of the Bardstown Boaters and the projects we are currently working on. And as for the Whitewater Park; look for the alternative preliminary plans with opinions of costs by mid November.

New site design

This site has undergone another design change. A more simple design this time. Hopefully easier to navigate and manage. Enjoy it.

4 Day Rio Grande Boat Trip

This looks like a great trip …

Click here for the video

4 days & 4 nights, A kayaking self support, 65 miles-class 2-5

This June, Cameron, Joe, Amos and I did a 4 day self support kayak trip on the Rio Grande from the Colorado border to the county line below the Racecourse. 65 miles of class 2-5. Great times, 1 lost kayaker, lost whiskey, carnage, fishing and a trip that is etched in my memory of good times forever.

I had been wanting to do this trip for the last 10 years. I could never rope fellow boaters into it. I guess the concept of lots of class 2 and beautiful scenery didn't excite the "core" paddlers around. Luckily, I have some great bros that love kayaking regardless of the grade level and they joined me. We had flows of about 950cfs, tons of gear in our kayaks, a good attitude and actually paddled some whitewater during the trip. Sections that we kayaked were, Ute Mountain, Razorblades, Upper Box, la Hunta, Lower Box, State park, and Racecourse. I would recommend this 4 day self support trip to anyone that loves an adventure. We had an absolute blast. The wildlife was abundant, the scenery unbelievable, the winds way strong, and the whitewater was a blast. One of the best trips I have ever done. Oh ya, The Everest rules as a multi-day kayak. I think this trip will become an annual event. Stay tuned for next years episode and feel free to join us if you can break away from the "stout" for 4 days. It will do you good.

The Flood – 2009

Storm-fed flash floods hit Kentucky, Indiana

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Heavy thunderstorms fed floods in Kentucky and Indiana on Tuesday, shutting down a university campus in Louisville, closing highways and cutting power to thousands of people.

The storm shut down the University of Louisville, where about a dozen buildings were without power and a dozen more had some flooding on the main campus, said university spokesman Mark Hebert. Dozens of university of employees were evacuated, he said.

Floodwaters gushed over guardrails on Interstate 65, bringing traffic to a standstill in Clark County, Ind., across the Ohio River from Louisville.

National Weather Service hydrologist Mike Callahan said the Rubbertown area in western Louisville was swamped by more than 6 inches of rain in three hours Tuesday morning. Callahan said the slow-moving storm "went right into Louisville and just sat there."

Craig Buthod, director of Louisville's public library system, said 3 1/2 feet of water inundated the main library's lower level. He said tens of thousands of books were lost and the library was forced to close. He said staff vehicles and bookmobiles were also flooded.

City officials said there had been no reports of significant injuries.

In Indiana, police and state conservation officers rescued several people, mostly stranded motorists caught in high waters, said spokesman John Erickson of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

Duke Energy reported more than 24,000 customers without power just after noon, including nearly 14,000 in western Indiana.

A flash flood warning was in effect into the afternoon for Louisville and other parts of the metro area, and forecasters said the region could be hit by more thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Whitewater boaters rejoiced.

Rubble Dam on Beech Fork a Hazard

From The Kentucky Standard

The Bardstown-Nelson County Fire Rescue Squad was called to the Beech Fork River bridge on New Haven Road Friday about 8:40 p.m. Friday to assist a man and woman whose boat had overturned.

The water was high and swift. The accident happened on the “Rubble Dam” rapids upstream from the bridge.

The woman was wearing a life vest; the man was not. Both made it to shore safely.

Flashback to the Ocoee

Glenwood Whitewater Events

Glenwood Springs, Colorado has long been a rafting and kayaking destination and community, located at the confluence of the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers. It is the site of the new Glenwood Whitewater Park, a standing wave feature built in the Colorado River at the Midland Avenue Bridge.

The Glenwood Whitewater Events committee is a group of community volunteers, whitewater enthusiasts, amateur and professional freestyle kayakers and others who have an interest in bringing competitive kayaking and spectator events to the park. Glenwood Whitewater Events has hosted a freestyle kayak competition in September 2008 and has recruited the US Team Trials freestyle kayaking event through the USA Freestyle Kayaking Association.

www.glenwoodwhitewaterevents.com

Ron Perrin Photography Exhibition

Photographer Ron Perrin is having a double exhibition this friday, March 20th. The Java Joint exhibition is 20 random photographs from all over. The ...At Mary's exhibition, is a small body of Kentucky equine photographs. Again, both openings will take place this Friday on North third street (main street) in downtown Bardstown. Both venues are within easy walking distance of one another. Weather permitting, this should be a nice turnout and fun event.

Directions:
Java Joint
126 N 3rd St
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 350-0883

At Mary's
116 N 3rd St
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 350-9009

French Broad River Festival

Mark your calendars for this Bardstown Boaters club outing to the French Broad River Festival. Trip planning in the forum.

Tom Lamont

Tom Lamont was a volunteer with the Bardstown Boaters at the annual Paddle Pickup. He died Monday, March 9, 2009, in Bullitt County. Tom will be missed.

Thomas F. Lamont, 58, Boston, was a native of Chicago and a material handler for Publisher’s Printing Company, Shepherdsville. He was a member of St. Monica Catholic Church, Bardstown, a scoutmaster for several Boy Scout of America troops including Troop no. 617 in Boston. He was a member of the Boston Fire Board.

Survivors include his wife, the former Peggy K. Pierce; three sons, Michael Lamont, Boston, Mass., Daniel Lamont, St. Paul, Minn., and Russell Lamont, Blair, W.Va.

The funeral was 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Clare Catholic Church, Colesburg, with burial in St. Clare Cemetery, Colesburg. The Rev. Mike Tobin officiated.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Boy scouts of America.

Greetings Bourbon Chasers!

Details are coming together for the 2009 Bourbon Chase. Your planning committee is working hard to make this a great experience for your team. Their goal is for every participant to think “Wow! We have to do this next year!” If you have a great idea, share it with us. You’re going to have a blast and have some great stories to share too!

Going to run, just haven’t signed up?
Hurry! March 31st is the deadline for early bird registration, be sure to rally the troops and get your team captain to sign up. It isn’t required to have your whole team in place before registering, just the captain! So, save $300 and sign up now by clicking here! http://www.bourbonchase.com/registration.html

Need a team or a few runners?
Do you want to run the Bourbon Chase but don’t have a team? Has your team found most of its runners, but need a few more to complete your roster. Great news, we just formed a new group to help you find those kindred spirits, just click here for more http://tinyurl.com/dgsqxv

Are you crazy? I’m not running 200 miles with 11 other crazy people, but I can help!
The Bourbon Chase is a massive undertaking and we are looking for some friendly volunteers to help in a thousand different ways. We’ll need help on the various work groups, at the 35 exchange zones along the 200 mile course, starting line, finish line and every point between. Email us at patrick@bourbonchase.com

My company is better than your company!!
Many companies are looking for ways to promote wellness and camaraderie. Uh...and plus its great advertising!! Register your team in the corporate division today! Pass this info along to your HR folks and, who knows, maybe they’ll pick up the tab!

Don’t be selfish, tell your friends!
That’s right; I know Mother taught you how to share! Don’t keep the Bourbon Chase from your friends, share the love! C’mon pass this email along to your comrades!

Keep up with us all the time!
Follow us on Twitter @ willrun4bourbon – regularly updated 140 characters or less!
Also join our Facebook Group “The Bourbon Chase”

Future Bardstown Whitewater Park at 400cfs

Here is a real-time picture from the Beech Fork in Bardstown, Ky at 400cfs, a projected, optimum level for the future play-wave.

Belize Immersion Trip

From Spalding Hurst:

I will be traveling to Belize this Sunday with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. We will be building a home for a family there through Hand in Hand Ministries. I will be blogging each day. If you would like, you can follow along at the SCN Immersion Blog.

The SCN Lay Mission Volunteer Program, sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, invites lay women and men into service with people, especially the oppressed, economically poor and marginalized in the countries in which SCNs are called to mission.

SCN Lay Mission Volunteers commit to service, simple lifestyle, community building, and personal and spiritual growth.