July 26, 2018
135 mile trip met with supporters all along the way
A father and son from Phelps, Ky decided this spring that they would kayak the entire length of the Tug Fork River from Welch, WV to Louisa, KY/Fort Gay, WV.
Allen “Grizzley” Daugherty and his 18 yr old son, Jacob decided to take the 134.5 mile trip as an opportunity to “bond” during 
Jacobs last summer at home. Grizzley is a retired Green Beret who now farms in rural Pike County and his son will be a senior at Phelps High School. Once he graduates, Jacob hopes to enter the US Armed Services and follow in his father’s footsteps as a Green Beret also.
The duo started out on their adventure with a tandem kayak (kayak for two), food for 8 days and supplies to camp overnight. They started out July 15th on what they assumed would be a low-key leisurely trip for them. But they soon found out that that they were becoming celebrities as they made their way down river.
The “Friends of the Tug Fork River” Facebook page gave the projected locations of their trip on a daily basis as well as Grizzley and Jake sightings from people along the river. They became so popular that they only had one night that they had to actually eat their own food! Communities all along the Tug made sure the duo was well fed.
The duo was joined by another kayaker near Matewan. Mr. Riley Wilson who heard about their adventure thought he might like to go along and he joined them for the last 4 days. After a few tense days with thunderstorms and heavy rainfall (and many thanks to Joetta Hatfield for helping to find them shelter upriver on these stormy nights), the crew passed under the Louisa/Fort Gay bridge at approximately 3 pm on July 22nd as fifty people along the bridge cheered and waved flags as they passed under the bridge. The crowd then hurried to the Louisa City Ramp to welcome them as they completed their journey. The kayakers were met by their family and friends from Pike County as well as people from Fort Gay, and Iaeger in WV and Inez. Belfry, Paintsville, Hazard and Louisa, KY.
The VFW Post 6103 and American Legion Post 89 gave the retired Green Beret a 21 gun salute as he reached his final destination of this trip. Probably the most emotional moment of the welcome ceremony for the group was the presentation of a Certificate of Achievement from the Veterans to the son, Jacob Daugherty for not only finishing the 134.5 mile trip but for his decision to enlist in the Armed Forces to follow in his Dads footsteps.
Mayor Joetta Hatfield of Fort Gay, WV and Cathi Kise Wells of the Louisa/LC Trail Town Committee organized the event to welcome the kayakers to our community. They may have convinced them that NEXT year, they can do the Levisa Fork and come back and see us!
