Bike / Paddle / Run...

Russell Fork BADDLUN

Noon, Saturday, October 11th, 2008
Elkhorn City, Ky.

13 mile bike, 8 mile paddle, 3 mile run.
Mass start bike from Ratliff Hole to Bartlick Bridge, paddle down the Russell Fork Gorge to Carson Island, trail run back to Ratliff Hole. It's not a race...it's BADDLUN.

The plan...

1. Don't die!
2. Don't b weak!
3. Help others in need!
4. Good times!
   

No entry fee, no prizes, no teams...we do this shit for fun.
Great training for Lord of the Fork and Green River races.
Check in @ Ratliff Hole Pavilion 1 hour prior.

Beta...

Bike: Start at the bottom of Ratliff Hole and ride or walk up the steep entrance to the main road. This is a public road and riders should realize they will probably get crushed by a coal truck speeding past in a noble effort to secure vast amounts of fossil fuels for hippies to power up their vaporizers. Expect there to be traffic and ride thusly. You are on your own out there. Bring tubes, pumps and repair supplies. Climb out of Rat Hole, ride up to the top of the breaks, a downhill, a climb, and more down leads to Bartlick Bridge, the put-in for the upper Russell Fork.

Paddle: From Bartlick Bridge, safely navigate the Upper, Gorge and Lower sections of the Russell Fork to the Carson Island takeout on river left. If you don't know the Russell Fork pretty well you'll probably break rule #1 and will be punished accordingly. It's roughly 8 miles of paddling and it's gonna suck. Take it easy out there.

Run: This beautiful 3 mile trail / forest service road starts off tough with a long uphill on large gravel turning into an undulating, rocky road climbing several hundred feet above the river. The last mile of the trail quickly drops back down to river level. Run down the railroad tracks toward town and take the steep trail on the right before the rail bridge down to river level. Take the trail upstream to Ratliff Hole. People who make it this far will then swim across the river in slow moving water to the beach. The trail is very rocky and pretty darn steep both up and down. Care and focus will be needed so as to not injure oneself.

Forewarned is forearmed.



There is no official or unofficial organization to this event. This is not a race but an informal meeting among friends to see who can bike, paddle and run through the Russell Fork Gorge the quickest. It is a celebration of the wild spirit of mountains and rivers in its purest form. You must stop to help if you see another person in trouble. The Russell Fork Gorge and surrounding area is extremely hazardous, and rescue may be impossible in the event of an accident. People will be biking on public roads with coal trucks. People will be paddling the Class 5 Russell Fork river alone, with no expectation of rescue support. The Russell Fork Gorge has many deadly features and rapids, including Towers, Fist, Maze, Triple Drop, El Horrendo, and Climax, among others. Many skilled paddlers have died in this gorge. Nonetheless, and regardless of how stupid someone is for participating in this activity, the people that do this willingly accept all responsibility for what happens. They are risking death or serious / permanent bodily injury.
WWGD? BADDLUN!!

!Viva El Griffo!