Post by BuckSkin on Jul 30, 2022 7:39:27 GMT
Southbound on US Hwy 127 atop Wolf Creek Dam - Russell County - Kentucky
Photo Taken through the glass of a Moving Vehicle
Wednesday_10-June-2020
Lake Cumberland and Wolf Creek Dam
We are on the earthen approach to Wolf Creek Dam.
You can see the shelf cut for the highway and how steep the grade on the lake side of the bluff.
Construction began in 1941 and was halted when the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor.
Construction resumed after World War II and was completed in 1951.
Although I do not know what part he played, my maternal grandfather worked on the dam during construction.
Read about Lake Cumberland and Wolf Creek Dam on Wikipedia.
Wolf Creek Dam and the Cumberland River
There is public parking and a nice observation deck below the dam; alas, after the September 11th episode, they installed the gate you can see on the far side of and just right of the power plant and visitors are no longer welcome.
Prior to that, they also gave tours inside the dam itself; that no longer happens either.
I think it is time for them to get over it; it has been twenty-two years.
At right-center are the outdoor raceways of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery; a most interesting place to visit.
We are now atop Wolf Creek Dam.
I have no idea what they are working on that requires the stop-light.
When we get to the far side of the dam, we will make a square left turn and climb along the rock cut for quite a ways.
I have brought load after tri-axle load of limestone rock across here, heading North loaded from the quarry in Albany.
This punk jackrabbit idiot driving a little tandem would get on my tail and pass me in some of the most dangerous places; I knew it was just a matter of time.
Both of us were coming North, loaded; about three miles on the South side of the dam, he sailed around me; that truck weaving and wobbling.
When I crawled over the steep grade, approaching the square turn you see ahead of us in the picture, there he was, capsized, with his wheels spinning in the air, and twenty-two tons of #3 rock scattered and blocking the road.
The nearest crossing East of here is at Burnside, some fifty miles any way you go.
The nearest crossing West is at Burkesville; twenty-four miles if you are on the South side; fifty-four long crooked miles on the North side.
You can see how important this thoroughfare is to someone on one side needing to be on the other.
Atop Wolf Creek Dam looking down the Cumberland River
Wolf Creek Dam is located at Cumberland River mile 460.9 (from the Ohio River)
We are atop Wolf Creek Dam approaching the square left turn.
Every once in a while, someone going South, regardless of ample warnings of what is ahead, will slam straight into that rock wall.
Likewise, there have been several coming North go straight through the curve and over the back side of the dam, including several motorcycles, at least one semi, and also a big gooseneck load of cattle.
If they can't do any better than that, they need to stay off the road.
Also, those falling rock signs aren't there just for looks.
There have been several have close calls and some suffer vehicle damage from falling rocks; and, there have been a few rock-slides that have blocked the road for weeks.
Initial plans were to tunnel straight through the rock and come out on the other side, eliminating several dangerous curves and steep grades; I have no idea what changed their minds.
Although it would be cool to have a tunnel, we wouldn't have that beautiful, albeit treacherous, winding climb along the rock bluff where you can see the entire front face of the dam, with several picturesque overlooks along the way.
I hope you have enjoyed our trip across Wolf Creek Dam.
The man driving the truck that day, well into his 80s, won't be crossing the dam with us anymore; we put him in the ground on Haven Hill just a few weeks ago.
I have been thousands upon thousands of miles with him and he was always more family to me than any of my blood kin.
Photo Taken through the glass of a Moving Vehicle
Wednesday_10-June-2020
Lake Cumberland and Wolf Creek Dam
We are on the earthen approach to Wolf Creek Dam.
You can see the shelf cut for the highway and how steep the grade on the lake side of the bluff.
Construction began in 1941 and was halted when the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor.
Construction resumed after World War II and was completed in 1951.
Although I do not know what part he played, my maternal grandfather worked on the dam during construction.
Read about Lake Cumberland and Wolf Creek Dam on Wikipedia.
Wolf Creek Dam and the Cumberland River
There is public parking and a nice observation deck below the dam; alas, after the September 11th episode, they installed the gate you can see on the far side of and just right of the power plant and visitors are no longer welcome.
Prior to that, they also gave tours inside the dam itself; that no longer happens either.
I think it is time for them to get over it; it has been twenty-two years.
At right-center are the outdoor raceways of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery; a most interesting place to visit.
We are now atop Wolf Creek Dam.
I have no idea what they are working on that requires the stop-light.
When we get to the far side of the dam, we will make a square left turn and climb along the rock cut for quite a ways.
I have brought load after tri-axle load of limestone rock across here, heading North loaded from the quarry in Albany.
This punk jackrabbit idiot driving a little tandem would get on my tail and pass me in some of the most dangerous places; I knew it was just a matter of time.
Both of us were coming North, loaded; about three miles on the South side of the dam, he sailed around me; that truck weaving and wobbling.
When I crawled over the steep grade, approaching the square turn you see ahead of us in the picture, there he was, capsized, with his wheels spinning in the air, and twenty-two tons of #3 rock scattered and blocking the road.
The nearest crossing East of here is at Burnside, some fifty miles any way you go.
The nearest crossing West is at Burkesville; twenty-four miles if you are on the South side; fifty-four long crooked miles on the North side.
You can see how important this thoroughfare is to someone on one side needing to be on the other.
Atop Wolf Creek Dam looking down the Cumberland River
Wolf Creek Dam is located at Cumberland River mile 460.9 (from the Ohio River)
We are atop Wolf Creek Dam approaching the square left turn.
Every once in a while, someone going South, regardless of ample warnings of what is ahead, will slam straight into that rock wall.
Likewise, there have been several coming North go straight through the curve and over the back side of the dam, including several motorcycles, at least one semi, and also a big gooseneck load of cattle.
If they can't do any better than that, they need to stay off the road.
Also, those falling rock signs aren't there just for looks.
There have been several have close calls and some suffer vehicle damage from falling rocks; and, there have been a few rock-slides that have blocked the road for weeks.
Initial plans were to tunnel straight through the rock and come out on the other side, eliminating several dangerous curves and steep grades; I have no idea what changed their minds.
Although it would be cool to have a tunnel, we wouldn't have that beautiful, albeit treacherous, winding climb along the rock bluff where you can see the entire front face of the dam, with several picturesque overlooks along the way.
I hope you have enjoyed our trip across Wolf Creek Dam.
The man driving the truck that day, well into his 80s, won't be crossing the dam with us anymore; we put him in the ground on Haven Hill just a few weeks ago.
I have been thousands upon thousands of miles with him and he was always more family to me than any of my blood kin.
