tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286357832024-03-17T12:30:04.153-07:00Kayaking the Lakes of South DakotaThis blog features the waterways in the Sioux Falls area. My intent is to describe the many paddling opportunities within an hour drive of Sioux Falls.Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.comBlogger275125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-2289480953900466342014-11-28T18:03:00.004-08:002014-11-28T18:06:24.074-08:00Jay Heath (1941 - 2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMWH_B4Cp3wGKoiLmdnFGnP8K6O_E5Toe6J6lEgZdeLIKLvyIlrpL1-bh3fe2o-Oe26tnkyF2bPSjqRnLqYw0EcqZiQYN4GONC_uW0HNS-77NmuVEMQ1uHyMRL2h9go08K_Rh/s1600/SAL025231-1_20140729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMWH_B4Cp3wGKoiLmdnFGnP8K6O_E5Toe6J6lEgZdeLIKLvyIlrpL1-bh3fe2o-Oe26tnkyF2bPSjqRnLqYw0EcqZiQYN4GONC_uW0HNS-77NmuVEMQ1uHyMRL2h9go08K_Rh/s1600/SAL025231-1_20140729.jpg" height="320" width="225" /></a></div>
Sioux Falls - Jay Albion Heath, age 72, died peacefully at home on Monday, July 28, 2014, four and a half months after receiving a diagnosis of esophageal cancer.
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Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 2:00 PM on Friday, August 1, 2014 at St. Lambert Catholic Church in Sioux Falls. Family present visitation will begin at 5:00 PM on Thursday at George Boom Funeral Home with a liturgical wake service beginning at 7:00 PM. Memorials will be forwarded toward a donation to Perry Nature Area, a beloved and favored recreational spot for Jay and his family.
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Jay was born on November 30, 1941 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Betty Eastman and George Willis Heath, Jr. He grew up in New England and the South until moving to Anchorage, Alaska to begin 7th grade. After attending Anchorage High School, Jay left school at the age of 17 to join the U.S. Navy in 1959, where he obtained his G.E.D., and began his lifetime love of maritime travel.
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After completing his enlistment, Jay moved to Los Angeles, where he attended community college while working in the defense industry. He then moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he pursued his college education while working as a television cameraman. It was in Aberdeen that he met his beloved future wife Marcella. The couple was united in marriage on November 28, 1969 in Grenville, SD. Following graduation, Jay entered the U.S. Peace Corps, where he spent two years as a teacher trainer, traveling extensively across South and Central America. The couple made their home in Sioux Falls, SD in 1979.
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Following the Peace Corps, Jay served as a teacher, principal, and superintendent in South Dakota and Minnesota. After completing his Doctoral Degree in Education from the University of South Dakota, Jay served as a Professor of Educational Administration in Nebraska and South Dakota. As an educational leader, he led over 20 accreditation teams for school evaluations across Europe, Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Pacific. Jay retired in 2006.
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Jay and Marcella were especially proud of their sons Jason and Derek. These fine young men were the central focus of their lives. Jay was a member of St. Lambert Catholic Church. He was a past officer in the South Dakota Canoe/Kayak Organization. He was an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Board Member. He was a volunteer at the Sertoma Park Outdoor Campus. He was active on the Minnehaha County Museum Board and Historical Association and the South Dakota State Archeological Association.
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Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Marcella of Sioux Falls; two sons, Jason (Courtney) Heath of Chicago, IL, and Derek (Molly Brown) Heath, Sioux Falls; and one sister, Patricia (Johnny) McCaskill, Jackson, TN. Preceding him in death were his parents Betty Eastman Baiocco, George Willis Heath, and a sister, Nancy. Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-91854498125783052842014-04-28T14:36:00.003-07:002014-04-28T14:41:15.432-07:00A Special Message for My Readers<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A Special Message to my Friends and to the Readers of this Blog:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A few weeks ago I received the diagnosis of esophageal cancer, an aggressive form of cancer that has effectively ended my participation in kayaking/canoeing for the 2014 season. I am taking a “sabbatical” this season and may not add much fresh material, but the blog will remain active as a resource of paddling opportunities for those searching out locations and descriptions of the lakes, creeks, and rivers of South Dakota. I am hoping to visit some of my familiar paddling spots or to observe some events this season, probably in the company of my pal Dave Finck. In that event, I will try to write about these experiences. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the meantime, my very best regards to all who have followed this blog over the past eight years, and I so regret that I should have contracted this disease. I’d much rather be paddling this season than tending to my treatment program. I hope to recover from the disease and be back on the waters of South Dakota later this year.</span></div>
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Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-89521262743494789572014-03-10T13:56:00.000-07:002014-03-10T13:56:39.886-07:00Checking Out the Waters: March 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zh7eTLBe4jYevwrr3siLANXo7qBUve9uptVpfQrr1ZcOXGcZkRDTC9hN1Pl3_Ln7zPNNEVRKUpq9pEdq2ziulRKmSHJigVE3IYRSECATpIQs_a60HdyUn5cHpd2-umgWN3-m/s1600/IMG_1700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zh7eTLBe4jYevwrr3siLANXo7qBUve9uptVpfQrr1ZcOXGcZkRDTC9hN1Pl3_Ln7zPNNEVRKUpq9pEdq2ziulRKmSHJigVE3IYRSECATpIQs_a60HdyUn5cHpd2-umgWN3-m/s1600/IMG_1700.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Finck on Lake Alvin</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
March is a time of great restlessness for those of us living
on the northern plains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has
been a very long and cold winter and the arrival of a day with some sun and a
temperature in the high 50s is enough to become our obsession.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOjuc3x-tAnpOAApF3EutXSm50PcCWstQZlnwF_NxEJtE7dIXKawLIbzVmgPOhvtKc6sAUcvbf6_FSsfI6AcFhJx47rc7bQm8Vi7aFdoRNtgMDgYGWhEnYDoKO9YW7Tyfwgdc/s1600/IMG_1705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOjuc3x-tAnpOAApF3EutXSm50PcCWstQZlnwF_NxEJtE7dIXKawLIbzVmgPOhvtKc6sAUcvbf6_FSsfI6AcFhJx47rc7bQm8Vi7aFdoRNtgMDgYGWhEnYDoKO9YW7Tyfwgdc/s1600/IMG_1705.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Alvin</td></tr>
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Dave Finck and I decided to take a “road trip” this morning and
visit several of the area waterways south and west of Sioux Falls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t help but look back two years
ago and enjoy photos and narratives of a couple of cruises that I took on Lake
Alvin and Lake Lakota in mid-March.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There won’t be any such early cruises this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I would guess that we are at
least three weeks away from being able to get out on area lakes.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhwPSZDWJ_95_qOU5NJjN73uWBOSeQIIGh18yQgdrwRW8_6zntFtuD5iGBx62RJoR9gldU3Mf25aLUZqFwk5feTbGw1mxXmCBFHn8VD_Lt3YdaKBWTROrUr5P6PhNY9A8snQw/s1600/IMG_1701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhwPSZDWJ_95_qOU5NJjN73uWBOSeQIIGh18yQgdrwRW8_6zntFtuD5iGBx62RJoR9gldU3Mf25aLUZqFwk5feTbGw1mxXmCBFHn8VD_Lt3YdaKBWTROrUr5P6PhNY9A8snQw/s1600/IMG_1701.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Alvin</td></tr>
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Our first stop this morning was Lake Alvin, then we drove
across the Big Sioux River at the Grandview Bridge crossing, south of Sioux
Falls near Lake Alvin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there,
we drove to the Klondike Rapids and walked across the bridge from the Iowa side
to South Dakota.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then continued
south to Lake Lakota, just on the southeastern edge of Newton Hills State Park.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3njXfDWpNqMQgoWqXdg3rtHnUunaGaRaRGa5ToJLSX_GFDTGPNKwDDWaQMlNxk6GN5330gRZvy3omsnH0IVX1iufQPxgBztCJi2Q-gQEsKwoLqXGMzSAv4NEnNKL94chWMBmO/s1600/IMG_1707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3njXfDWpNqMQgoWqXdg3rtHnUunaGaRaRGa5ToJLSX_GFDTGPNKwDDWaQMlNxk6GN5330gRZvy3omsnH0IVX1iufQPxgBztCJi2Q-gQEsKwoLqXGMzSAv4NEnNKL94chWMBmO/s1600/IMG_1707.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Sioux River looking upstream from Grandview Bridge</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-airTZPow8hDp4ua-OkJVn_mhg14Hmii9lDa3zFCABaImkU-cwqJi15xcnDeesUnJkKf76rx80ZHxV9aoBpK885AZATs6ciYLkq_-4aBk0U2Be2WmJR53r3EXNXyiEZoCGlS/s1600/IMG_1709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-airTZPow8hDp4ua-OkJVn_mhg14Hmii9lDa3zFCABaImkU-cwqJi15xcnDeesUnJkKf76rx80ZHxV9aoBpK885AZATs6ciYLkq_-4aBk0U2Be2WmJR53r3EXNXyiEZoCGlS/s1600/IMG_1709.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Sioux River looking downstream from Grandview Bridge</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_WWvswq3Cz5TYphkEJH_pJDmLm57IjevTmqaVwqmSTf579vzgkap17Th4mMpE5Zh4T5nZve9o-kvvdaPXX7lMoQolztC7HkaShT8dMo3g2DKwC-jUkqFy_UdqEiX8jFNUEse/s1600/IMG_1712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_WWvswq3Cz5TYphkEJH_pJDmLm57IjevTmqaVwqmSTf579vzgkap17Th4mMpE5Zh4T5nZve9o-kvvdaPXX7lMoQolztC7HkaShT8dMo3g2DKwC-jUkqFy_UdqEiX8jFNUEse/s1600/IMG_1712.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Sioux River at Klondike Rapids</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjnCmOoOmUfxkOn-45OE6xhyphenhypheng23C2x0bUsA5BjVf23Ifj9xPv55lBZvdBF47xYZTLOEKyM_fWo6iGR3adYwGRDTFmqqSWysYV1lFTylxaUOfTe7ngz-aqQSzdiPsei7KeZHoU/s1600/IMG_1724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjnCmOoOmUfxkOn-45OE6xhyphenhypheng23C2x0bUsA5BjVf23Ifj9xPv55lBZvdBF47xYZTLOEKyM_fWo6iGR3adYwGRDTFmqqSWysYV1lFTylxaUOfTe7ngz-aqQSzdiPsei7KeZHoU/s1600/IMG_1724.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Lakota</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid78PY8rm5l4DzFBfkA1-dLAUuwfFxtvKxQtGXwZW0jSNKfSG1HjI3dZMGJ4l8i3wIeKfh0yGkomaWxSEmCyJ5vyZCekWqD3s8mkJtuAibakaPOBza55VfpoO5yZdu_3csndy2/s1600/IMG_1725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid78PY8rm5l4DzFBfkA1-dLAUuwfFxtvKxQtGXwZW0jSNKfSG1HjI3dZMGJ4l8i3wIeKfh0yGkomaWxSEmCyJ5vyZCekWqD3s8mkJtuAibakaPOBza55VfpoO5yZdu_3csndy2/s1600/IMG_1725.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Lakota</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQzaWlQT8xFv30OBDJWCViEvyAZw4WLt5Ydl1RGs4Zsb0ry0g6NW-C2PId5SMUXrJ-o47t2zw83E_s5yGWbTPHbRiYgH2K3lcxHRqghl-BqIpj-5ZpDOS7SD5UiZ7aAgRgZwy/s1600/IMG_1728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQzaWlQT8xFv30OBDJWCViEvyAZw4WLt5Ydl1RGs4Zsb0ry0g6NW-C2PId5SMUXrJ-o47t2zw83E_s5yGWbTPHbRiYgH2K3lcxHRqghl-BqIpj-5ZpDOS7SD5UiZ7aAgRgZwy/s1600/IMG_1728.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Service: Kayak Rentals at Lake Lakota</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From Lake Lakota, we drove west to check out Swan Lake,
located between Viborg and Hurley.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgHPjTEvOrIzIoSmuzl27LOC-LVsGFwIqGxmR-ji7c_DIChMj0LJjvHJdLFouTzp2kqUSSL6M2WzfPdSRghZEaCo31XOMq7ypims9SWftTb_qoYd6IiheVxmO-Y42omKP87bp/s1600/IMG_1732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgHPjTEvOrIzIoSmuzl27LOC-LVsGFwIqGxmR-ji7c_DIChMj0LJjvHJdLFouTzp2kqUSSL6M2WzfPdSRghZEaCo31XOMq7ypims9SWftTb_qoYd6IiheVxmO-Y42omKP87bp/s1600/IMG_1732.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swan Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK9vae2IWgtSpLnDWzl5_qnw9kK7FM5MFzM1b6O76v0eHx5r-sH7ToYx6CfvXtC-EvNEQdUiy0DvhPDhWPMcELPiCDApkDsoMups9vgnV5SESVH4HIGhyWVUdZr1Tk-Xg-Tkv/s1600/IMG_1731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK9vae2IWgtSpLnDWzl5_qnw9kK7FM5MFzM1b6O76v0eHx5r-sH7ToYx6CfvXtC-EvNEQdUiy0DvhPDhWPMcELPiCDApkDsoMups9vgnV5SESVH4HIGhyWVUdZr1Tk-Xg-Tkv/s1600/IMG_1731.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geese on Swan Lake</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
All of these areas are in transition now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ice is becoming splintered and porous
with pools of recently melted surface water scattered about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would not want to walk out on any of
those surfaces, although we did see a guy ice fishing on Lake Alvin with a vehicle
parked on the ice. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5xcx0NK_r9ZK4Ma0yBHHHpkUe5uL2PTmgu4jKOwuGou9K3xuUMtHu6ZIuMMbUQdqS0eTMlDZ1Pd2gQNkWOhsBZWuH-VsTg8Bj3pwUZTWKDmKKFeeN9wp4JxEcsaxe5ELFWNF/s1600/IMG_1697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5xcx0NK_r9ZK4Ma0yBHHHpkUe5uL2PTmgu4jKOwuGou9K3xuUMtHu6ZIuMMbUQdqS0eTMlDZ1Pd2gQNkWOhsBZWuH-VsTg8Bj3pwUZTWKDmKKFeeN9wp4JxEcsaxe5ELFWNF/s1600/IMG_1697.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guy out on the ice at Lake Alvin</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Geese were headed north overhead, and we could hear their
loud calls to each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Swan
Lake, we came across a large flock of geese standing around on the ice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60hh7vf1sVUQPc5MutxQTZHXrxCnh8HjYpOV4QaCEwJiLpZcgl_PTBX1cxSKFOBzSOsRdZGOuTv9VY4eXwELZnB3c_oObRZ_nwmhoP4B31UyxzbXFnMQ4Jk-bKWLS980CwTN-/s1600/IMG_1740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60hh7vf1sVUQPc5MutxQTZHXrxCnh8HjYpOV4QaCEwJiLpZcgl_PTBX1cxSKFOBzSOsRdZGOuTv9VY4eXwELZnB3c_oObRZ_nwmhoP4B31UyxzbXFnMQ4Jk-bKWLS980CwTN-/s1600/IMG_1740.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geese on Swan Lake</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The lakes are about to experience a great change as the warmer
surface water shifts with the deep cold water and the annual breakup takes
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kayaking and canoeing might
resume within just a few short weeks.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWNxLUINzQucJR4HwSGun6Z27noEsOZVBriKf9XSVFyMBT1YDbaloJ38hgEWRMugn4kX0UGhxFrlhUlS-zyeVP5u6u8DzwBFCJQTSAS96gy9YsvRQ9OT3_2_0CYdt9Wz8J9q7/s1600/IMG_1744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWNxLUINzQucJR4HwSGun6Z27noEsOZVBriKf9XSVFyMBT1YDbaloJ38hgEWRMugn4kX0UGhxFrlhUlS-zyeVP5u6u8DzwBFCJQTSAS96gy9YsvRQ9OT3_2_0CYdt9Wz8J9q7/s1600/IMG_1744.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swan Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the photographs from today can be accessed on my Flickr page at the following URL: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157642172200184/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157642172200184/</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-16001281156383709222014-02-02T16:55:00.000-08:002014-02-03T09:36:39.263-08:00SDCKA Annual Conference: 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZHNlgCxJAs1vjJ9GmLEAM3StPKVT2XPNFIeXG9-MEAgLxUnWzedjYv3O4oEnm_4JZQOXi17GBtKkfyUZwb71o8vWhBPkEPDhzsXWg9PltDkBV2XJCZwGVnG5nUpIZe1t7Ns1/s1600/IMG_1651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZHNlgCxJAs1vjJ9GmLEAM3StPKVT2XPNFIeXG9-MEAgLxUnWzedjYv3O4oEnm_4JZQOXi17GBtKkfyUZwb71o8vWhBPkEPDhzsXWg9PltDkBV2XJCZwGVnG5nUpIZe1t7Ns1/s1600/IMG_1651.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<!--StartFragment-->
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The Annual South Dakota Canoe/Kayak Conference was held
yesterday at the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This event is always held at mid-winter and sets the stage
for the approach of the paddling season in a couple of months. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUN-fOJeLP3yuS0EUXEGf2WPZc8ynFIunKKROLtQWOzXDd0dPrFxA_84u-_CLrDIL2dw_igVsHK_QsPexvjWo0f5MlsKFYOmXW0cQIX1l603q1qT-wDR9s1QEUaoKDSP7E6Se7/s1600/IMG_1650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUN-fOJeLP3yuS0EUXEGf2WPZc8ynFIunKKROLtQWOzXDd0dPrFxA_84u-_CLrDIL2dw_igVsHK_QsPexvjWo0f5MlsKFYOmXW0cQIX1l603q1qT-wDR9s1QEUaoKDSP7E6Se7/s1600/IMG_1650.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fifth-one paddlers gathered in the auditorium of the Outdoor
Campus after an hour of socializing and networking in the lobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>President Steven Dahlmeier opened the
conference with a look at the activities of the association over the past
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He provided the continuity
for the conference as a variety of presentations were offered over the next
four hours.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFGNMKHbx6U3-h2gXOeb79OVrDQY92m2bCXF0ZcVvN7nks4CDJWH2qQ5U-TU2bnD5ySwPtx-zyNUyN7gPACkd-PJi_AT_FFo5SoJGvLXM2P3cD5lq0_Agr2_Y2M2ClJBHnFpM/s1600/IMG_1648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFGNMKHbx6U3-h2gXOeb79OVrDQY92m2bCXF0ZcVvN7nks4CDJWH2qQ5U-TU2bnD5ySwPtx-zyNUyN7gPACkd-PJi_AT_FFo5SoJGvLXM2P3cD5lq0_Agr2_Y2M2ClJBHnFpM/s1600/IMG_1648.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayak Outfitted for Adaptive Paddling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first presentation offered a review of the adaptive
paddling activities provided for people with disabilities who wanted to stretch
themselves through kayaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cory
Diedrick, board member of the SDCKA, was a key figure in this process, and he
was accompanied during the presentation by paddlers who were able to take
advantage of this opportunity as well as others who helped bring this plan to
fruition. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Presentations were offered on the health and future of the
Big Sioux River, both within the Sioux Falls area and on the upper river
watershed from Summit to Brookings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In addition, a representative of the Iowa DNR presented a review of the
demolition of the Klondike Dam and how that affects the river flow on the Big
Sioux River in that stretch between SD and Iowa.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Several South Dakota paddlers and a support team
participated in the MR 340 this past summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This event took paddlers 340 miles down the Missouri River
between Kansas City and St. Charles in 88 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kati Albers, David Mays, and Pat Wellner offered their
photos and recollections of that major accomplishment.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeztcbSAMLhCk3ob-_kYyGZvyHQ30mgh7T63rYEfVbUvfCKAfievJXdKfdgkmkj0gDUMFLDwQdt9JwspKd-qfY9xqLOLiDoakT9S9pOfhvUjMcGgb3sxesPi4PjgDBlGZQpcQP/s1600/IMG_1656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeztcbSAMLhCk3ob-_kYyGZvyHQ30mgh7T63rYEfVbUvfCKAfievJXdKfdgkmkj0gDUMFLDwQdt9JwspKd-qfY9xqLOLiDoakT9S9pOfhvUjMcGgb3sxesPi4PjgDBlGZQpcQP/s1600/IMG_1656.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A group of SDCKA members offered some tips for paddlers
regarding choice of paddles, safety equipment, and gear for cruising.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Pete Larson, long time SDCKA board member, presented his
slides and story of a 14-day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon this past
summer.</div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0NtJgNNAdWzUQE3K45rRqjd-pOCc1E9sC3_PFrel2L85XJ1X3g2VCX52u8rOpQg74E2WOyE808auINiywToxYazPxULnGz8w3ERbp0B8_60RNArPsUMbwOI8okXIbC7m_n4v/s1600/IMG_1666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0NtJgNNAdWzUQE3K45rRqjd-pOCc1E9sC3_PFrel2L85XJ1X3g2VCX52u8rOpQg74E2WOyE808auINiywToxYazPxULnGz8w3ERbp0B8_60RNArPsUMbwOI8okXIbC7m_n4v/s1600/IMG_1666.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jarett Bies and Steven Dahlmeier discussed the South Dakota
Kayak Challenge (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/South-Dakota-Kayak-Challenge/74472547629?ref=br_tf">https://www.facebook.com/pages/South-Dakota-Kayak-Challenge/74472547629?ref=br_tf</a>)
race between Yankton and Sioux City and plans for next summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, Jartett presented the
first look at a new 50-mile race along the Missouri River from Fort Randall to
Pickstown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details of this race
can be found on a dedicated Facebook page at the following URL: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/50fortTofield?ref=br_tf">https://www.facebook.com/50fortTofield?ref=br_tf</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
For many of us at the conference, this gathering was the
first time we had chatted since mid-November when the waters in the Sioux Falls
area iced up for the long winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We laughed it up for a few hours and began to anticipate our first
cruises of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, we
just watch the daylight hours lengthen, the sun continue to strengthen, and the
snow and ice to gradually melt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Normally, we are able to get out on the water in April, and that means
just another 8 or 9 weeks to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-60187940826816365592013-11-15T16:54:00.000-08:002013-11-15T16:54:22.408-08:00Big Sioux River: 26th Street to Bicycle Trail Bridge in Sioux Falls<!--StartFragment-->
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday after being unable to get out on Fensterman Slough
as planned, Dave Finck and I decided to canoe upstream on the Big Sioux River
from just beyond the bridge over 26<sup>th</sup> Street to the rapids under the
bike trail bridge, a distance of about 2.5 miles round trip.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Whatever ice had been on the Big Sioux River through Sioux
Falls had melted with the warmer temperatures, the wind, and the river
current.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were only traces
left along some of the shoreline; otherwise, the river was clear of ice. The
water was remarkably clear after some of our cold weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it was possible to look down
into the water a couple of feet and see a thick carpet of leaves suspended over
the bottom for 18 inches or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These carpets of leaves reminded me of clouds in the sky.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The current was surprisingly fast as we powered our way
upstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depth of the water
within the channel was probably three or four feet, but the river is about 50
feet wide at this point, and there are gravel bars or mud banks along the
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We touched bottom a couple of
times in Dave’s 17 foot canoe, but did not grind to a halt until we reached the
gravel bars that form just past the rapids under the bike trail bridge.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Taking a trip down the river at this time of the year is
sort of a farewell to the paddling season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The monochromatic brown tones of the vegetation going
dormant is the major feature of the landscape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Passing along the shoreline, the view into the trees is
markedly different than just a few weeks ago when the undergrowth was thick and
the world seemed green. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
As we muscled our way upstream against a fairly strong
current, we could look into the deserted YMCA camp along the right bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought of all the years that my own
boys attended Camp Leif Ericson and had such a great time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the left side of the river, the
bike trail snakes its way northwest, and we could see riders enjoying the 57
degree sunny day.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There were a few ducks still on the river enjoying their
final days on an ice-free Big Sioux River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wondered where the ducks go for the winter, and Dave Finck
thought that they headed for the Missouri River where the water is at least
partially open most of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zDw806uechWNCamfqzeXAX5jJnsTlFripDGZLjHNBVAfvNJNVxivRj7sWXdDKj96jvHlPILG2G8MNsI28eA1DRg8TWUalP9XNcM9fNWWd6yAWjWaeasFVnR7-ynduPydqnTr/s1600/IMG_4527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zDw806uechWNCamfqzeXAX5jJnsTlFripDGZLjHNBVAfvNJNVxivRj7sWXdDKj96jvHlPILG2G8MNsI28eA1DRg8TWUalP9XNcM9fNWWd6yAWjWaeasFVnR7-ynduPydqnTr/s400/IMG_4527.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We made it up to the rapids and ground to a halt on a gravel
bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After turning the canoe
around, we made a very leisurely return trip back to the put-in at 26<sup>th</sup>
Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paddling was hardly
necessary, just an occasional stroke to steer the boat; otherwise, the return
was mostly a float trip down a quiet river with plenty of opportunity to look
at the landscape, the water flow, and the trees that have fallen into the
stream.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLs_AWJUNnmR1yrMlsq1BRVbPi0oEdqv84G4doGmnpok4_23vDwZZG9f4DBbQC8ykpYzyRcPo2ubugZPwwOAuZWfH1KWdjyOYLZrYM2uQqxXlUDqzseVWA216lPZGjRr4pYaF/s1600/IMG_4544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLs_AWJUNnmR1yrMlsq1BRVbPi0oEdqv84G4doGmnpok4_23vDwZZG9f4DBbQC8ykpYzyRcPo2ubugZPwwOAuZWfH1KWdjyOYLZrYM2uQqxXlUDqzseVWA216lPZGjRr4pYaF/s400/IMG_4544.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cruise yesterday was really a moment to reflect upon the
now closing paddling season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
forecast ahead is for colder days, and I expect to see ice on the river
soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we found at Fensterman,
the lakes are either closed down or just on the edge of being frozen for the
next few months.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPapSatSOMI0L797DT1L5yOZBTQDrlLaGlgR1A-pWt-mIzPmrh7Irtn_aybKLi4tubLPgC8wpxEiipdH3mfakxA9mfROieQGhrr8SfRMV5TPDlTBH304sc2OqAIPwQRcbQgYA/s1600/IMG_4550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPapSatSOMI0L797DT1L5yOZBTQDrlLaGlgR1A-pWt-mIzPmrh7Irtn_aybKLi4tubLPgC8wpxEiipdH3mfakxA9mfROieQGhrr8SfRMV5TPDlTBH304sc2OqAIPwQRcbQgYA/s400/IMG_4550.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Very soon, I will clean up my kayak, remove the rack from
the roof of my Honda Civic, and unload all my paddling gear from the trunk and
carry it up into the attic above the garage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be late March or early April before there is much
chance of getting on the water again here on the Northern Plains.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhqgLmGTvq6oMZCT7i_doOG5EoAq3tEIfx8j_wM9rdw4H-zAvwjMGyVx_aCugGTbCK6p_0toS4u3220wtwIqy4ldhBBHioU-kwciEGtCV5p2SRnpC5huPO6DBKu1TWj6toi3S/s1600/IMG_4535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhqgLmGTvq6oMZCT7i_doOG5EoAq3tEIfx8j_wM9rdw4H-zAvwjMGyVx_aCugGTbCK6p_0toS4u3220wtwIqy4ldhBBHioU-kwciEGtCV5p2SRnpC5huPO6DBKu1TWj6toi3S/s400/IMG_4535.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Finck on the Big Sioux Through Sioux Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A full set of the photographs of the BSR cruise yesterday
can be found on my Flickr page at the following URL: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157637678498436/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157637678498436/</a> </div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-72611312373594827052013-11-14T19:07:00.001-08:002013-11-15T12:02:24.346-08:00Fensterman Slough--Too Late for this Year<!--StartFragment-->
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<div class="MsoNormal">
For a long time, I have wondered about Fensterman Slough, a
long east/west oriented body of water located west on Highway 42, just
northwest of Wall Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suspect
that this is one of the least known paddling opportunities in the general Sioux
Falls area.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fBYx8mze0WzB3liMNSxvO7ya2BBAPObn2c4liwa5qe5KjfXfDpfpTTWV3tOq5ydRty4jMWWZBXfj-HW7NPN7iB1dv3ePaS4txSdczuP-GvzYD0DU9fWXNzIvnIyHXN_OK0gS/s1600/IMG_4513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fBYx8mze0WzB3liMNSxvO7ya2BBAPObn2c4liwa5qe5KjfXfDpfpTTWV3tOq5ydRty4jMWWZBXfj-HW7NPN7iB1dv3ePaS4txSdczuP-GvzYD0DU9fWXNzIvnIyHXN_OK0gS/s400/IMG_4513.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fensterman can be reached by tuning north off of Highway 42
at 460<sup>th</sup> Avenue and traveling a short distance to 265<sup>th</sup>
Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a Dead End sign
along 460<sup>th</sup> Avenue, but don’t let it discourage you; just continue
until Fensterman Slough is in sight ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Signs identifying it as a waterfowl production area mark it,
and there is a road into the parking area that leads down to the shoreline.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
At the western end of Fensterman, the slough is narrow and
winding. Toward the east, the slough curves around heading generally northeast
to a wider end through many peninsulas and bays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The east/west axis seems to be about two miles in length,
and the widest section across seems about half a mile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are low hills surrounding the
slough, although tree cover is scattered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a rough road leading from a parking area down to
the shoreline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bank is several
feet high, and it is a challenge to get down to the water’s edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed it easily enough by grabbing
handfuls of tall grass to balance my descent and to pull myself back up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be easy enough to launch a
canoe or kayak at this point.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Dave Finck and I had set out this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in
his van pulling a canoe trailer heading west out of Sioux Falls, past the Wall
Lake turn-off, hoping to find Fensterman and take a cruise around it. All we
had was a copy of the South Dakota Atlas and Gazetteer to point the way. The
temperature had been up to around 50 degrees in the past few afternoons, and we
hoped to find the slough still ice-free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we drove west on Highway 42, however, we saw ice covered ponds near
the road and began to fear that we were too late for this exploration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Finding Fensterman was something of a challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, there are no signs
indicating the slough, and we had no idea where or if there was an access
point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we drove about the area
trying various roads, generally circling the slough site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, we reviewed the map and decided
to go back down to Highway 42 and look again for a north route that might lead
us to Fensterman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier, we had
passed a “dean end” sign and thought that the dead end might indeed be the
shore of Fensterman Slough.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Proceeding north on 460<sup>th</sup> Avenue, we passed the
dead end sign and continued on until we saw blue water ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a few homes in the area and a
road leading up to a grassy parking area and a sign indicating boat access.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Walking down a pathway through the browne grass, we reached
the shoreline and looked out over a lake covered with ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps the surrounding hills prevented
the west wind from breaking up the ice over the lake, even in the 57-degree
temperature of this afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Launching a canoe was just not possible today, and it seems as though
the long winter has taken hold of Fensterman Slough for the next several
months.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We wandered down a long narrow path along the southern
shoreline through the grass and looked over the slough from several vantage
points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The slough looks like a
fine place to paddle, and the nature of the waterfowl protection area suggests
great bird watching ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
were some unidentifiable white birds sitting out on the ice a couple hundred
yards off shore.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We saw an island located a hundred feet or so off the
southern shore, and I thought of how next year I will step onto the island and
walk around it.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Fensterman will be on my list of waterways to paddle early
in the spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am looking
forward to paddling the entire shoreline of the slough as soon as spring
arrives and the ice is gone for the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I wonder about the distinction between a lake and
a slough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scott Lake, just north
of Hartford, for instance, was called Scott Slough until some point when the
slough was dropped in favor of lake.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been visiting the rivers, creeks, lakes, sloughs, and
ponds of this area for a number of years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is very pleasing to find a new waterway in the area, especially one
relatively easy to visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flashing
paddles, next year, on Fensterman Slough!<br />
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To access all the photos taken at Fensterman Slough today, please see my Flickr page at the following URL: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157637677997395/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157637677997395/</a></div>
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Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-92223036879440830162013-11-02T16:10:00.002-07:002013-11-02T21:26:20.949-07:00Lake Poinsett: A Guest Narrative from “Patricia from Omaha”<!--StartFragment-->
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<i>The following is another guest narrative from “Patricia from
Omaha.” She has become a regular
guest contributor to this blog, describing her paddling adventures on area
lakes and waterways that I may not have visited. The narrative this time presents a cruise on Lake Poinsett, one
of the largest lakes in South Dakota with a surface area of 7,886 acres. The
lake is northwest of Brookings, just a few miles west of Estelline, SD</i>. <i>(JAH)</i></div>
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On my way to a campout with my sister from Fargo, I spent a
night at the Lake Poinsett Recreation Area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I checked out the rec area's boat ramp on the south shore
but decided against using it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Poinsett is a big round lake, and my philosophy is that if I can see the
whole lake from the ramp, there's no need to put the kayak in the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However Google Earth showed both an
attached lake and a river to the north, so I went in search of an access on
that side.</div>
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I started driving clockwise around the lake; at about the 9
o'clock position I found a beach with a boat ramp, but it wasn't close enough,
so I pressed on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The campground
host had described a ramp on the north shore and that was my goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was following roads close to the
lake, and found a promising ramp at the end of NW Lake Drive off of Highway
28/192<sup>nd</sup> Street. A little further east on 28 and just after the 458<sup>th</sup>
Street intersection, I saw a boat ramp sign and a road that led back to a sandy
beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found nothing further, so
this is where I returned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I backed
the van close to the water and unloaded the kayak, glad not to have to paddle
across the entire lake to get here.</div>
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A large flock of seagulls watched me put in and paddle to
the left past them, looking for the river. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was late afternoon with a light wind and a pleasant
temperature.</div>
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I arrived at the north inlet quickly; it was very shallow
but the water was flowing strongly from the lake side and help push me across
the soft sand (more about that later).</div>
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Around the turn lay a body of water with a bay to the left,
full of trees and ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paddled
that direction for a bit; the ducks all flew off but I did snap this turtle
catching the afternoon sun.</div>
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Back in the main body, I paddled further north, coming to
the bridge on Highway 28, from which I had spotted this waterway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Near the bridge were more gulls and a
solitary pelican.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bridge was
high and easy to travel under, so I pushed on.</div>
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Like a rerun on TV, on the other side of the bridge was a
body of water with gulls and… another bridge, on 459<sup>th</sup> Avenue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one was a different animal
however; it had massively heavy metal plates hanging on the other side and a
mechanism for lowering them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
learned later that it is a dam to keep too much water from flowing back up from
the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking at its pictures
on Google Earth, it was pushed hard back in 2011.</div>
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I confess I felt very uneasy paddling under the pieces of
the dam and relieved when I was past it. On the other side was a long and
narrower stretch of water, more quiet and agrarian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were rushes and a heron on the shore, and farm
buildings with cows further up.</div>
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Paddling on, I came to my third bridge, this one on 192<sup>nd</sup>
Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a fairly ordinary
and solid looking roadway and I passed under it easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now my waterway was definitely a river,
with odd square blocks placed across it at one point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn't sure if the blocks were meant to stop boats or were
just leftover from some former structure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were far enough apart to allow easy passage, so I kept going.</div>
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The river turned into the twisty and intriguing path that I
enjoy exploring, just to see what's around the next corner…and the next and the
next. Believe it or not, around one of the corners lay my fourth bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked smaller and more rickety than
the previous three, but was still easy to paddle under. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally the usual combination of tiring
muscles and decreasing sunlight caused me to turn around.</div>
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On the way back I saw these farm buildings and tall pines
that make a graceful picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
strangely bent tree caught my attention, reminding me of a Japanese torii
arch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's funny how one spots new
sights on the return trip, or how the aspect of something familiar changes.</div>
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So I paddled back, past the rickety bridge and the plain
concrete one and the bridge with the scary dam plates and the pretty concrete
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reached the narrow spot
where the water rushing in had eased me over the sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The current was not working in my favor
now and I was having a difficult time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I paddled hard but the spot where the channel was the thinnest and the
sand highest stymied me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like
Platte Creek, I have no pictures from this part as I was busy trying to make
some progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sand was too
soft for any leverage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
contemplating getting out (and wet) when I tried one more tactic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paddled up to the troublesome spot,
leaned almost flat forward in the kayak, reached my arms and paddle as far to
the fore as they could go, and dug into the water on the other side of my
obstacle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was enough to
get me up and then over, and with relief I paddled along the lake shore back to
the beach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My
adventure continued however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
I wiped off the kayak and loaded it in, I found that my van was having a
similar problem as the boat; it just couldn't get going in the soft sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had backed too far down the beach.
With no cell phone reception there and being on my own, I needed a
solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rocking the van back and
forth didn't work and neither did trying a lower gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally I remembered that I had some
small logs for campfires in the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I laid them in front of my tires like a wooden road, and with that (and
a prayer) I got out of there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
park ranger later explained to me that the place I used as an access used to
have a boat ramp, but it was washed out in the flood of 2011 and there were no
plans to replace it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
river north of Lake Poinsett was a great paddle, excluding the sand traps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have liked to explore even
further, and I would use that same access, although I would keep my van up on
the hard surface and carry the kayak to the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it was, I re-learned a valuable lesson about being aware
of your surroundings.</div>
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Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-9031183783226681502013-11-01T13:10:00.001-07:002013-11-01T13:10:50.538-07:00Split Rock Creek: Garretson City Park Through the Palisades<!--StartFragment-->
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sqUQErSffZL2eUB4cbo3rSmAyj32ILwCv9A9rZKK4an4QU1mpteI0IdDDz_S6GNID4w3_KsTK43qVPRgkPHoNHk9KWZIWjGMy9O3D5w4lUMqQOp0iTqlQWHaMARyJf2n6EwA/s1600/IMG_4443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sqUQErSffZL2eUB4cbo3rSmAyj32ILwCv9A9rZKK4an4QU1mpteI0IdDDz_S6GNID4w3_KsTK43qVPRgkPHoNHk9KWZIWjGMy9O3D5w4lUMqQOp0iTqlQWHaMARyJf2n6EwA/s400/IMG_4443.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we slip into November here on the Northern Plains,
paddlers are either putting away their gear for the season or taking every
opportunity for what may well be a final cruise of the year. As a retiree, I
have some advantage over my working pals and can go out on a weekday during
“working hours.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a matter of
fact, I revel in that status!</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Today seemed like the best day of the week for paddling, so
Dave Finck and I met at the city park in Garretson for a cruise up through the
palisades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has come to be
something I have done toward the final days or weeks of the paddling season for
the past several years.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
It was sunny, about 42 degrees, and quite windy as we arrived
at the put-in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind was
blowing down through the canyon that forms the creek bed at about 25 miles per
hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The high quartzite cliff walls that rise up along both banks
tended to provide a lee along the cliff face and to reduce the force of the
wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, we were paddling into
a stiff head wind as we made our way upstream from the put-in just above the
dam.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Paddling along this magnificent waterway, the seasonal shift
into winter was evident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much of
the leaf cover is gone and the grasses have turned brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is little evidence of waterfowl
now, although we did see a flock of robins that seemed to have delayed in their
flight south.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The sun was bright over the cliffs, providing interesting
shadows across the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
steered my kayak from cliff face to cliff face along alternating sides in order
to experience the varying effects of sun and shade.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We made our way upstream to the riffles that lead into the
impoundment formed by the dam within the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some years ago, there was a single home located at this
point, but now there is another large home visible from the creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the point, about 1.25 miles upstream, where paddlers
turn and head back downstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Along the way back, we came across a flock of 15 turkeys moving through
the grass on the right bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
were spread out in a line that moved across the landscape into a grove of
trees.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Along the return route, little paddling effort was
required.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind just blew us
back, and only an occasional paddle stroke was needed to track the course
downstream.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
As has become a feature of a Garretson cruise, we moved
under the arched bridge and into Devil’s Gulch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind here was also brisk, and it blew us up the
waterway, past other sets of quartzite cliffs to the feeder stream flowing in
from the woodlands. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We paused within the Gulch to view the changing landscape
and then paddled back under the railroad bridge, through the arches, and into
the main stream just above the “take-out.”</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Our cruise this morning was for about an hour and fifteen
minutes, and the distance was about three miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we loaded up the kayaks, the wind was reported as 23 mph,
and the temperature was in the mid 40s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had on jackets, boots, hats, and gloves this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As usual, once we were off the water
and trying to load up the kayaks, the cold seemed to intensify.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fingers didn’t work all that well as
I worked on the knots for the ropes that secure my kayak atop the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
This was a great weekday morning cruise, and I found myself
enjoying the way the kayak cruised through the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all know that there is little time remaining in this
paddling season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I am
expecting to get in at least a couple more cruises this year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
A full set of the photographs for the cruise this morning
can be found on my Flicker page at the following URL:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157637201467723/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157637201467723/</a></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-67093904488535633822013-10-27T18:57:00.000-07:002013-10-27T20:09:13.661-07:00Big Sioux River: Grandview to Klondike - Late October 2013<!--StartFragment-->
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, Sunday, October 27, was a beautiful day for a cruise
on the Big Sioux River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David and
Mary Finck and Larry Braaten led a fleet of 16 kayaks from the put-in just
above the Grandview Bridge to the Klondike Rapids, a distance of about 8 miles.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-pFoIzhUEzn6LVtL0WR19b0Z7u5k7bEp7DWXXDSsZmmzuIpaE6mp7Q_5GA9sRfNfuZ55mUF5b2vphjJoeXgtNdwU0XWORyfOpuR-SbgurjPB4swWHiA_AXUT6DqumJvdJWc1/s1600/IMG_4390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-pFoIzhUEzn6LVtL0WR19b0Z7u5k7bEp7DWXXDSsZmmzuIpaE6mp7Q_5GA9sRfNfuZ55mUF5b2vphjJoeXgtNdwU0XWORyfOpuR-SbgurjPB4swWHiA_AXUT6DqumJvdJWc1/s400/IMG_4390.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We gathered at the public access area along the Big Sioux
River at the Grandview Bridge at 1:00 p.m. and arranged a shuttle of drivers
downstream to the public access area just above the Klondike rapids.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcn1H69AyXkwnJzlS5M2mhEydDxh21G9JZ0-bl7KxU6cz1uIciKlmc8twgD06I1liKq1sjJjPxCVgTJo7eyIfjm8He_RWADBcmsVtjeAEEk6EdkXabZs6tBILbtxFOSAb8EHvA/s1600/IMG_4393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcn1H69AyXkwnJzlS5M2mhEydDxh21G9JZ0-bl7KxU6cz1uIciKlmc8twgD06I1liKq1sjJjPxCVgTJo7eyIfjm8He_RWADBcmsVtjeAEEk6EdkXabZs6tBILbtxFOSAb8EHvA/s400/IMG_4393.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By 2:00 p.m., we were underway for our cruise downstream
under sunny skies with little wind and a temperature of about 60 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A day like this is such a blessing at
this time of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe
that most of us were eager to seize the day before the inevitable descent into
winter.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
This stretch of river between the Grandview and the Klondike
bridges is free of strainers or rapids; it is really a tranquil paddle along a
varied landscape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water was
deep enough for easy navigation, with only occasional shallows encountered when
losing the channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depth ranged
from too deep to touch bottom with my long double-blade paddle to only a few
inches across an occasional sandbar.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipZQm4DdyuLE71czjRjgehUu1X96-nbURRb_YhpN2czroO4aaubbp4SjzUHbUyA-sgzLC4WGp1mOMRJVsPyGf01bxTCUGvIWGyc97SJps0iZc7QLbBOSmL-bCPIK2_HWKL7jv/s1600/IMG_4404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipZQm4DdyuLE71czjRjgehUu1X96-nbURRb_YhpN2czroO4aaubbp4SjzUHbUyA-sgzLC4WGp1mOMRJVsPyGf01bxTCUGvIWGyc97SJps0iZc7QLbBOSmL-bCPIK2_HWKL7jv/s400/IMG_4404.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were some high cut banks that rose more than a hundred
feet and some old trees in the waterway from floods of the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJbczvscrR-m2kiJrBCEII0aHNH6_V39YpbiRSFl2yGIueGHOacgJr0yNmbIwjamNX4ZkHCO-Y7k4tVJW8q9sOw__cfrbMnionKxmV7k2YxoholuQHdsdJG0c-2ljEyB7IHAz/s1600/IMG_4421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJbczvscrR-m2kiJrBCEII0aHNH6_V39YpbiRSFl2yGIueGHOacgJr0yNmbIwjamNX4ZkHCO-Y7k4tVJW8q9sOw__cfrbMnionKxmV7k2YxoholuQHdsdJG0c-2ljEyB7IHAz/s400/IMG_4421.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We stopped along the way, as all of Dave Finck’s cruises do,
for a stretch and a stroll up and down the hard packed sand shoreline. Sixteen
colorful kayaks pulled up on the beach of a river present an attractive sight
to me. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mHMVS49OE_atwX2HLhnBWghBM29nP2aXPNXGiYxHar638owKT85kjT8mq5CUSszmay_l0ghmOX0Z9A6_FSGVTHi4J5SnOuUVP2ZvKruSbiJ8sBPPNkj8YNYB9H1NIjw1_8ii/s1600/IMG_4412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mHMVS49OE_atwX2HLhnBWghBM29nP2aXPNXGiYxHar638owKT85kjT8mq5CUSszmay_l0ghmOX0Z9A6_FSGVTHi4J5SnOuUVP2ZvKruSbiJ8sBPPNkj8YNYB9H1NIjw1_8ii/s400/IMG_4412.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These cruises are one way to make and keep friendships among
the paddling community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cruising along in discussion groupings of two or three
kayaks, standing around chatting at our rest stops, and assisting each other in
launching and recovering kayaks from the river build shared experiences.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ89JahQFOt5Mo4Lb_P-G9IlsAUMaGz3P9Tg64Wo8iUfSt4XRevdSukWOjTMLauUDsUG_2dPKx1vOrF9MoT6SdgJHnuMc4hlZyEM7ZJuVheGHLu5iR0J38vWtzlx-38mSoDkOR/s1600/IMG_4414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ89JahQFOt5Mo4Lb_P-G9IlsAUMaGz3P9Tg64Wo8iUfSt4XRevdSukWOjTMLauUDsUG_2dPKx1vOrF9MoT6SdgJHnuMc4hlZyEM7ZJuVheGHLu5iR0J38vWtzlx-38mSoDkOR/s400/IMG_4414.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we moved downstream, we passed the remains of an old
railroad bridge that once crossed the river between Grandview and
Klondike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only the concrete
support on one bank and some rotting pilings on the other bank remain of those
days when the railroad played a more important role in area commerce.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI82aNzCNdbR60AcOWbkrKYTJsYc7KKurC6NkHwswAbp1y0P3bqk8QXx6_Pm2TTuGWrE-_gGFmaBzU-p-qc__Fh0lYXAwoG_VNn2VoWYhV9GC7H-GbE4XoJ5V1nnYcNNC9gOWY/s1600/IMG_4427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI82aNzCNdbR60AcOWbkrKYTJsYc7KKurC6NkHwswAbp1y0P3bqk8QXx6_Pm2TTuGWrE-_gGFmaBzU-p-qc__Fh0lYXAwoG_VNn2VoWYhV9GC7H-GbE4XoJ5V1nnYcNNC9gOWY/s400/IMG_4427.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We paddled through a landscape in transition from a colorful
summer to the drab monochromatic winter brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised to see so many trees that had yet to lose
their leaves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suspect that will
all change over the next week or two. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9MTqP72fF1DvPU5-41ukm7oLnjPwdUj71h40JAfmZ1Q0s2F1frqssAnA_XfAbcN-KISxjS83Ryou2OMHMOIvbFWZFN-6kJlL05KAhxVFD8ltrlz1BBOsdxVLYGVQmm8Jxlj6/s1600/IMG_4431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9MTqP72fF1DvPU5-41ukm7oLnjPwdUj71h40JAfmZ1Q0s2F1frqssAnA_XfAbcN-KISxjS83Ryou2OMHMOIvbFWZFN-6kJlL05KAhxVFD8ltrlz1BBOsdxVLYGVQmm8Jxlj6/s400/IMG_4431.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The water was cold, but all of us were able to paddle
without heavy clothing. The sun was wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we had pulled out at Klondike, however, a chill
was developing and a jacket would have been comfortable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5r-SbmAeDmUpmZFi9jLKf6S2aQtvkLpqFotIxKMGx0pMbX7XiSTjNrlP527q_XVL1ZDUk8B1PXHXqDcukeLToNt5NwQtP96rhK08oGbeaEsAQEV6tS0smFMBht4tVxpXxTd2/s1600/IMG_4409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5r-SbmAeDmUpmZFi9jLKf6S2aQtvkLpqFotIxKMGx0pMbX7XiSTjNrlP527q_XVL1ZDUk8B1PXHXqDcukeLToNt5NwQtP96rhK08oGbeaEsAQEV6tS0smFMBht4tVxpXxTd2/s400/IMG_4409.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the lower section of this cruise, extending about half a mile above the Klondike rapids, the river gets wider and deeper as it backs up from the rapids. There were even some wavelets on the surface during this section from a light wind that came up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6OUjkI6O2wbU3Eraldzzo8pUxZH-zDPzxV4YSg4z7AP89YaUOZItJGrQ5kAzzU-wJy5BHnZHqHyolnoIXgRiYg8pUQHvRIHu5f2N7lTNQGwovjNFIz5P1VwL4kwFp8WfUsl_/s1600/IMG_4438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6OUjkI6O2wbU3Eraldzzo8pUxZH-zDPzxV4YSg4z7AP89YaUOZItJGrQ5kAzzU-wJy5BHnZHqHyolnoIXgRiYg8pUQHvRIHu5f2N7lTNQGwovjNFIz5P1VwL4kwFp8WfUsl_/s400/IMG_4438.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are take-out possibilities on both the Iowa and South
Dakota sides just before the rapids, and we checked both sides out during our
shuttle arrangements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither side
offered an easy exit from the river, but we felt that the South Dakota side
provided the better of bad choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The river was about two or two and a half feet deep along the bank as we
got off the river, so it was a deep-water exit. Dave Finck was wearing
waterproof boots, and he arrived at the take-out first to take charge of
assisting paddlers in landing their boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPyF58yzo5Od2-m-_GTihOPxY0zOmR6viplwbKssLv6Ye2y2dNa7xI0XjCudq2QwlItimFqHyDxQfb0M9B5SbdKCoPLKmD4u0UWhxjVDm45UC5Ruq2SJ0O4Fb-PsWChQZ6oRD/s1600/IMG_4440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPyF58yzo5Od2-m-_GTihOPxY0zOmR6viplwbKssLv6Ye2y2dNa7xI0XjCudq2QwlItimFqHyDxQfb0M9B5SbdKCoPLKmD4u0UWhxjVDm45UC5Ruq2SJ0O4Fb-PsWChQZ6oRD/s400/IMG_4440.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As each boat approached the bank, two people helped
stabilize the kayak while one or two others offered assistance in getting
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this assistance, all of
us were able to get out without tipping over and falling into the river.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik64WColZpoW2Az0kwF_cI7Wtj93_edBv3EXfGL8Z750Ahige9jfz0y4jIhhkZmPyJwBeAvgGKx59tGbnl8e2m2YVHh1lW15qNOn9KBIbUNdoB4WJ8EuhFdNrJFpWNvXOn8nCO/s1600/IMG_4441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik64WColZpoW2Az0kwF_cI7Wtj93_edBv3EXfGL8Z750Ahige9jfz0y4jIhhkZmPyJwBeAvgGKx59tGbnl8e2m2YVHh1lW15qNOn9KBIbUNdoB4WJ8EuhFdNrJFpWNvXOn8nCO/s400/IMG_4441.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
River cruises are a social occasion, and they are really not
very feasible for the solo paddler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The shuttle is important, and it is also unwise to paddle alone on
moving water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBp5ok3cYIUZoiQFZPfgp0zRs0_UJ_S4mFSvl4FNm3EPocovmWXFmvxlpUJGfUM2dubp1nqq_yH8Fb6gRkf6Tgp9Rp1KLmdUWa5OEJSOOWQ9hx0CuBfPfqaKh6bRAiEj7fiNo1/s1600/IMG_4436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBp5ok3cYIUZoiQFZPfgp0zRs0_UJ_S4mFSvl4FNm3EPocovmWXFmvxlpUJGfUM2dubp1nqq_yH8Fb6gRkf6Tgp9Rp1KLmdUWa5OEJSOOWQ9hx0CuBfPfqaKh6bRAiEj7fiNo1/s400/IMG_4436.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We spent about three hours on the cruise this afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an enjoying and satisfying time
getting outside in the sunshine in our kayaks and stretching our paddling
muscles. The fall landscape was beautiful, and there is a sense of squeezing in
another cruise before the kayak racks come off the vehicles and the boats go
deep into the garage for several months.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3lEl-nAktHlBB5uFlmPcVI4k3Bjvy9SbwaINKIjhBGdZYTe6rkiCpl_-vtXpFQAOpuJ0LBWdsFBmyavuwRM5Ci4qeoGen-d1v70cxqVuYcMG70UMhRAEmSe1iRj2y6LwKlNt/s1600/IMG_4415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3lEl-nAktHlBB5uFlmPcVI4k3Bjvy9SbwaINKIjhBGdZYTe6rkiCpl_-vtXpFQAOpuJ0LBWdsFBmyavuwRM5Ci4qeoGen-d1v70cxqVuYcMG70UMhRAEmSe1iRj2y6LwKlNt/s400/IMG_4415.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A complete set of the photographs that I took on this cruise
is available on my Flicker page at the following URL:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157637027727365/" target="_blank"> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157637027727365/ </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-46739407005200743562013-10-25T14:20:00.000-07:002013-10-25T14:20:12.217-07:00Lost Lake – at last<!--StartFragment-->
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFF5bEixzH3YZZtP4rBbmPeXxJaqaFPDMXmjp1q-tgldJ6xK-5ORUQF43tTGBWGU5fk7_Kddn5GSC1V0A4RIZps9hA1kJGgud1y6OhwqiE8x-xCxOhyvsvuWvzLZtykw62jOv/s1600/IMG_4380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFF5bEixzH3YZZtP4rBbmPeXxJaqaFPDMXmjp1q-tgldJ6xK-5ORUQF43tTGBWGU5fk7_Kddn5GSC1V0A4RIZps9hA1kJGgud1y6OhwqiE8x-xCxOhyvsvuWvzLZtykw62jOv/s400/IMG_4380.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People have often confused Loss Lake with Lost Lake, both
along Highway 19 in northwestern Minnehaha County, South Dakota. Loss Lake is
about 5 miles south of Humboldt, and Lost Lake is about 2.5 miles north of
Humboldt, both located on the east side of the highway. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWceYA0U4O06X-NnskP8laAFAQwW-Fv9nNOAMVJW8yDSqfZgZcK7yhWVyVKzFl5iyIyonz4ho_N9MtoaUUOY4Favx-YukCCzFdoiPgUurn_Ns5HkiwSp7D0N8Wx7JY_s3hyTfQ/s1600/IMG_4292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWceYA0U4O06X-NnskP8laAFAQwW-Fv9nNOAMVJW8yDSqfZgZcK7yhWVyVKzFl5iyIyonz4ho_N9MtoaUUOY4Favx-YukCCzFdoiPgUurn_Ns5HkiwSp7D0N8Wx7JY_s3hyTfQ/s400/IMG_4292.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jay Heath and Dave Finck on Lost Lake, SD</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I have often visited Loss Lake, today was my first
visit to Lost Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lost Lake is
very secluded and requires a passage along rough roads with little
signage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dave Finck, DeDa Odekirk
and I left Sioux Falls this morning in Dave’s van and trailer with three kayaks
and one of his Kevlar Wenonah canoes, driving west along Interstate 90 to the
Humboldt exit.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_RdXvW4WobkZ1fW6DsE5orOEW8hmakV9A3cFr08BeulwqzTKZeoNEY1xYTM6NtbZXgPtTKOSrQ5PwIdIIA1wmgQC6fwfXRncgHrKHl9JgBNecj4z4zW9zBruEl6gYCKjfAVZ/s1600/IMG_4376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_RdXvW4WobkZ1fW6DsE5orOEW8hmakV9A3cFr08BeulwqzTKZeoNEY1xYTM6NtbZXgPtTKOSrQ5PwIdIIA1wmgQC6fwfXRncgHrKHl9JgBNecj4z4zW9zBruEl6gYCKjfAVZ/s400/IMG_4376.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From there we drove
north on Highway 19 to 256<sup>th</sup> Street and continued east to 458<sup>th</sup>
Avenue where we turned north and then soon turned west along a dirt track road
leading through the woods to a launching spot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvubl0HirBctYucY6AOh65IVeYRdt6ovF7qevJoqJTmlEyEBymhxpCzqIq6LiWFayo1MMAA1bIMpBVUR4pJOpygNO0MEI9yunxs5EIoZMzKlvA1JLHLh5TIgkZVe11ibwzVzE/s1600/IMG_4375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvubl0HirBctYucY6AOh65IVeYRdt6ovF7qevJoqJTmlEyEBymhxpCzqIq6LiWFayo1MMAA1bIMpBVUR4pJOpygNO0MEI9yunxs5EIoZMzKlvA1JLHLh5TIgkZVe11ibwzVzE/s400/IMG_4375.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was no signage directing us to the lake, although we
could see the path on the South Dakota Atlas and Gazetteer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GPS on a iPhone seems to give a good pathway
to the lake, Google Maps mistakes Loss for Lost Lake. The entrance to the lake
passes through a wildlife production area.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzqXqhn2aHZP9A2MjR2kcJ2H9B2oC9iWq430CRI6164yhfUx1kzuSgruyfW7K2tNRhNiIVDxCjaPPTXssg444voQUHspvu3EZI-CAE3OB5qHyB_u0hHhAf6wASvP6Buz9Rso2/s1600/IMG_4372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzqXqhn2aHZP9A2MjR2kcJ2H9B2oC9iWq430CRI6164yhfUx1kzuSgruyfW7K2tNRhNiIVDxCjaPPTXssg444voQUHspvu3EZI-CAE3OB5qHyB_u0hHhAf6wASvP6Buz9Rso2/s400/IMG_4372.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The roads around Lost Lake are pretty rough; driving on them
after a rain would probably be quite a challenge for a two-wheel drive vehicle.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UpdPBPflFIYB0uWeyViSYrmslSWnczZzE-Wt8bRM87kazzI8v7jqeGQwGoVQjEOkOwQjUK0hvZFCSbNvn68d67WfWDmxExul4EGXNKJ2LnVjZcGfNjcPPWtlmv1tq3Ei9pOW/s1600/IMG_4377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UpdPBPflFIYB0uWeyViSYrmslSWnczZzE-Wt8bRM87kazzI8v7jqeGQwGoVQjEOkOwQjUK0hvZFCSbNvn68d67WfWDmxExul4EGXNKJ2LnVjZcGfNjcPPWtlmv1tq3Ei9pOW/s400/IMG_4377.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lost Lake was so named because the surrounding hills hide it
so well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The surface area of the
lake is about 163 acres, making it about 60% larger than Lake Alvin. The shape
of the lake includes an irregular shoreline with several large peninsulas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is scattered woodland along the
shore and a very few buildings within sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no evidence that the lake is frequently visited.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBm1TahxY01CETFSNrZIhmWlO91glo6Nwj_sgmIqya-A3Il1Y4F4lOB-58If4Q0KejEJmO4rvI1M3-STH-ZuKFnBMN66Of6ETpZonhVP9np44WFc8HDG2kHrmuNrTYFWvmdH8/s1600/IMG_4294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBm1TahxY01CETFSNrZIhmWlO91glo6Nwj_sgmIqya-A3Il1Y4F4lOB-58If4Q0KejEJmO4rvI1M3-STH-ZuKFnBMN66Of6ETpZonhVP9np44WFc8HDG2kHrmuNrTYFWvmdH8/s400/IMG_4294.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DeDa Odekirk on Lost Lake, SD</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We arrived at the lakeshore about 9:15 a.m. with the morning
temperature about 33 degrees, clear sunny skies, and a wind of about 17 mph.
There was no ice on the lake, but puddles along the road and in some of the
ditches were ice covered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The wind was out of the southwest creating waves of about a
foot as we set out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed to
us that a counterclockwise circuit around the lake would move us across the
wind and provide the best opportunity for a smoother cruise. Deda was in her
kayak, while Dave and I took his canoe and left our kayaks on the trailer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqN6Eq2r1z9m24tErUjOspb_A24phDCdn4SUS5I5ruvNfJIRN8S5QuiB2iByagD7NUh9-rCuUdVNoRAHSVxCTrq6amx5c7voapyMm1TRyWaWJjoJSKRnA0qbzqxtdjWJy96PqV/s1600/IMG_4353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqN6Eq2r1z9m24tErUjOspb_A24phDCdn4SUS5I5ruvNfJIRN8S5QuiB2iByagD7NUh9-rCuUdVNoRAHSVxCTrq6amx5c7voapyMm1TRyWaWJjoJSKRnA0qbzqxtdjWJy96PqV/s400/IMG_4353.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We set our moving around the eastern shore and headed toward
the north bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the way we
encountered a lone pelican and a few gulls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the bird life, I imagine, has already left for a
warmer climate further south.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDR6KOv-yW8eKRVkXTZGOgPiIBSzmzSm_z90LXx7fRAYplE3cWsticlzuIf6lZeu4eRnrwR6AFICCvsKp73S3TKi8XRDzuvTr6c05ZB7x7VQd8BATy3jc5qeBzGj8iNOAQwPQ/s1600/IMG_4305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDR6KOv-yW8eKRVkXTZGOgPiIBSzmzSm_z90LXx7fRAYplE3cWsticlzuIf6lZeu4eRnrwR6AFICCvsKp73S3TKi8XRDzuvTr6c05ZB7x7VQd8BATy3jc5qeBzGj8iNOAQwPQ/s400/IMG_4305.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we cruised along the northern bank and headed west, we
soon found ourselves in much calmer water and were able to move along while
watching the landscape pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
lake shore is turning monochromatic as the winter browning continues over the
next few weeks.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JAwyfUv6ydjQ25FumIj2VuVweyOBmZQnlBJeev_e0k086k8rm_F4KBQ0EYgJDc8IahoUNVYlctCOhrzWRyTQUdELVJoUrgnDtj96H1GtW1HbRtddfadcPJmvytkEDgDPtv3Q/s1600/IMG_4327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JAwyfUv6ydjQ25FumIj2VuVweyOBmZQnlBJeev_e0k086k8rm_F4KBQ0EYgJDc8IahoUNVYlctCOhrzWRyTQUdELVJoUrgnDtj96H1GtW1HbRtddfadcPJmvytkEDgDPtv3Q/s400/IMG_4327.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the distance, we could see some traffic moving north and
south along Highway 19, but we were alone on the water and along the
shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no sight of
anyone else in the area.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9aBN4HO_vqz1GR29WHFusZsZ67H9Y0lXsG1mR0VI7IlYXCRcYsMME5fsQYJ8pqKs8X_njHE0MBNrBYnkTDLqcfOHPhZNBbQw58VfYTULEdQmFls0dqMOzn5xT1OIQ9n1wc9y/s1600/IMG_4340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9aBN4HO_vqz1GR29WHFusZsZ67H9Y0lXsG1mR0VI7IlYXCRcYsMME5fsQYJ8pqKs8X_njHE0MBNrBYnkTDLqcfOHPhZNBbQw58VfYTULEdQmFls0dqMOzn5xT1OIQ9n1wc9y/s400/IMG_4340.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moving into the southwestern part of the lake, we
encountered a bay of submerged trees with a few feet of decayed trunk extending
up from the muddy bottom. Obviously, the water level in the lake has risen over
the past several years and destroyed this stand of trees.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfi_XzH0esQRa2Bbvi2D-bSXO8zu1UaOpEHkbimAE92U-Hw3vSJrD0JtzgWCD7Zk780etV9lf-3Q1hqgOlvMnzniU4_PLO1q0hkpvTGnFUwqmijMCwLxRcMUjwXwIN5nxFPYA/s1600/IMG_4352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfi_XzH0esQRa2Bbvi2D-bSXO8zu1UaOpEHkbimAE92U-Hw3vSJrD0JtzgWCD7Zk780etV9lf-3Q1hqgOlvMnzniU4_PLO1q0hkpvTGnFUwqmijMCwLxRcMUjwXwIN5nxFPYA/s400/IMG_4352.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We continued along the southern shoreline in relatively calm
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shoreline ranged from
rocky headlands to hard packed sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was able to enjoy the cruise without even getting my feet wet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3Bd2h92Ou2I4cWASwI57AvcauoWB2kcD5mrN2wF1TAKTlHmPFRFI2ii9DRU7N5miSHflQ8X2zsBulD6K7iU76LQHVDDxnBPuuLbqIDd6uLhxhl1BW89ne2W6vqwWic4TfqYg/s1600/IMG_4299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3Bd2h92Ou2I4cWASwI57AvcauoWB2kcD5mrN2wF1TAKTlHmPFRFI2ii9DRU7N5miSHflQ8X2zsBulD6K7iU76LQHVDDxnBPuuLbqIDd6uLhxhl1BW89ne2W6vqwWic4TfqYg/s400/IMG_4299.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unlike my cruise last week, this time I dressed warmly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all had on warm jackets, hats,
gloves, and shoes. Last week, I got quite chilled; this week I was
appropriately dressed.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYWkI2ZIyje1gkMKCb6qm2-K6HWpikUZpYkzcXglPyFHRC6rctV50oa9NbXN8zon-SEPKhgjLNxVOe4XuxDhnaNNEVZSROIlLbWEmqSzdHlUvlapnfR4PrgFzAwLaxKEC7dkC/s1600/IMG_4323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYWkI2ZIyje1gkMKCb6qm2-K6HWpikUZpYkzcXglPyFHRC6rctV50oa9NbXN8zon-SEPKhgjLNxVOe4XuxDhnaNNEVZSROIlLbWEmqSzdHlUvlapnfR4PrgFzAwLaxKEC7dkC/s400/IMG_4323.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DeDa Odekirk Warmly Dressed for Chilly Cruise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were out on the lake for about an hour and fifteen
minutes today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> By the time we finished, the temperature had risen to nearly 40 degrees. </span>Lost Lake is a good
place to visit; the shape is interesting and there is good opportunity for
viewing wildlife. Of course, finding roads that lead to the lake is quite a
challenge, but perhaps the search for access is part of the adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will plan on returning to Lost Lake
in the spring or summer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdBkRT1wGU4Frxoky16_4j3Zo_NFLAnK8S6YhFFLcdJhxJfrEx2iJQzvitsC9IL0C-VCtbf_EIAJWeGbVhXUf9PbYDrk83SCffoAJgcpp5Y2DQTiJzKlS4p9rBNd4zNE-jzgN/s1600/IMG_4366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdBkRT1wGU4Frxoky16_4j3Zo_NFLAnK8S6YhFFLcdJhxJfrEx2iJQzvitsC9IL0C-VCtbf_EIAJWeGbVhXUf9PbYDrk83SCffoAJgcpp5Y2DQTiJzKlS4p9rBNd4zNE-jzgN/s400/IMG_4366.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a full set of the photos I took on the Lost Lake cruise,
please access my Flick account at the following URL:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636944679853/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636944679853/</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-53105331441940487522013-10-17T21:12:00.000-07:002013-10-17T21:12:29.499-07:00A Nippy Cruise on Lake Alvin<!--StartFragment-->
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPgq55_YEWdvI9QnlD5lL9wC1SDugqqkoCq-29bagQO0bG3F4fKw6b9Bik1FTKEHxA18msTwi0ERJ8DXq6Cc0e5m8RDInqMJRzI2uxQKVbI-6a7aSlHXStPsByaShh6ZT9AGa/s1600/IMG_4231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPgq55_YEWdvI9QnlD5lL9wC1SDugqqkoCq-29bagQO0bG3F4fKw6b9Bik1FTKEHxA18msTwi0ERJ8DXq6Cc0e5m8RDInqMJRzI2uxQKVbI-6a7aSlHXStPsByaShh6ZT9AGa/s400/IMG_4231.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the season quickly slipping away, it seems imperative
to take advantage of any reasonable opportunity for another cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, with a decent forecast ahead, last
night I loaded up my kayak in readiness for a rendezvous with Dave Finck and
DeDa Odekirk this morning at Lake Alvin.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYAe2X9T3ROAsBmGb6kldbzrkBfLvCYnWespc7nKkm7Q9TYmVdocavkmL-iCzUN_Fj_DdI4M9a4fLyxwi5fLBHbJl1thYCJg6Js2Hl5W9AiZdKHQGe1TafvZUYqhtc0h2Z1RO/s1600/IMG_4233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYAe2X9T3ROAsBmGb6kldbzrkBfLvCYnWespc7nKkm7Q9TYmVdocavkmL-iCzUN_Fj_DdI4M9a4fLyxwi5fLBHbJl1thYCJg6Js2Hl5W9AiZdKHQGe1TafvZUYqhtc0h2Z1RO/s400/IMG_4233.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I arrived at the public access area on the south end of the
lake first and gazed out over a smooth body of water with no wind and a midst
drifting off with the early sun. Soon, first Dave and then DeDa arrived, and we
set off heading south toward the entrance to Nine-Mile Creek.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_skS2JOMnczFa1k4GM0lVFFfab0w50f3YKYSR9-XYbInqrutqq6M0bOMZcpguHpVsQCwZrcd8HlFQG8FUMA06VwAH3vlGAPihR7Ct-S_1RCx2YIHJkwtpJFE-eoQ96Vca4e5P/s1600/IMG_4234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_skS2JOMnczFa1k4GM0lVFFfab0w50f3YKYSR9-XYbInqrutqq6M0bOMZcpguHpVsQCwZrcd8HlFQG8FUMA06VwAH3vlGAPihR7Ct-S_1RCx2YIHJkwtpJFE-eoQ96Vca4e5P/s400/IMG_4234.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was chilly as we set off; the temperature was in the low
30s, and we were wearing hats, jackets, and gloves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCtvovdsqFWyNzyhGVJHdcKJmoxwsZFhDNFs_h5pHTyNo_QBNXOYLiOBAA9F6Qo7bULjXx3L9lFOXDSk-T-4YQcwZ8tLdVZHWDfQjzalc29YgVF3EzGSqI6QsE90QKUrK8q3w/s1600/IMG_4236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCtvovdsqFWyNzyhGVJHdcKJmoxwsZFhDNFs_h5pHTyNo_QBNXOYLiOBAA9F6Qo7bULjXx3L9lFOXDSk-T-4YQcwZ8tLdVZHWDfQjzalc29YgVF3EzGSqI6QsE90QKUrK8q3w/s400/IMG_4236.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We moved up into Nine-Mile Creek through water deep enough
to make it an easy passage, even around the left bank and into the main channel
of the creek.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu9T45F8elZZ99JI60cC6nO6377RsOv3wbTsOBWze_bipBHanIzs6WtBJ6Z2lrNFTWsRZK9odD4HC2r_YdDkh95K2PZ6TIQ5HvL6JcpqmWqg149siM_RzMlp5V1kDPBHfUn2U/s1600/IMG_4239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu9T45F8elZZ99JI60cC6nO6377RsOv3wbTsOBWze_bipBHanIzs6WtBJ6Z2lrNFTWsRZK9odD4HC2r_YdDkh95K2PZ6TIQ5HvL6JcpqmWqg149siM_RzMlp5V1kDPBHfUn2U/s400/IMG_4239.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We saw only a few birds along the way, mostly ducks or small
duck-like birds that quickly few off upon our approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, it seemed as though much of the
bird life had departed for more a more agreeable climate further south.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvqjNfYwxj3c76xPdqZns2uzWN3nPdOdtp79HxCbMIRh1QjJHx8jH3vrTJQroRxwTDb7S8xjnOYzVPTvRCrxZXyVcU031P9TxnefuSdSurM3DcDdWhqMZabk9At0-i2qHBFCF/s1600/IMG_4237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvqjNfYwxj3c76xPdqZns2uzWN3nPdOdtp79HxCbMIRh1QjJHx8jH3vrTJQroRxwTDb7S8xjnOYzVPTvRCrxZXyVcU031P9TxnefuSdSurM3DcDdWhqMZabk9At0-i2qHBFCF/s400/IMG_4237.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The effect of a frost was evident in the grasses along the
bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was my first sight of
frost this year, although we have already moved delicate plant life away from
our yard and deck in preparation for the deepening chill of the fall. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e5Zc2zmukezphxyC9qgXJDqQKia7Xeg-YNHlp_3TjajiDUWtm0dCPEMINdIAa9-NuwNoEkH9r_3cs4ey0i9j-6pm76tyPeqfvQiSzpiVeZW3hFIgn1HacP-eSoX1tHenbJ-2/s1600/IMG_4247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e5Zc2zmukezphxyC9qgXJDqQKia7Xeg-YNHlp_3TjajiDUWtm0dCPEMINdIAa9-NuwNoEkH9r_3cs4ey0i9j-6pm76tyPeqfvQiSzpiVeZW3hFIgn1HacP-eSoX1tHenbJ-2/s400/IMG_4247.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We passed under the bridge and continued upstream until the
normal blockage at a small rapids about a mile up the creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued upstream until grounding my
kayak on rocks and had some trouble turning around for the return downstream.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuAFKCKR0aB_4Y3fUGTCX4AYT2sRtVlNQ9IJRLEX95F-UnUmHacsPeVxu8GtYfgrFkQnr_5DoRNqgZqz6gz4PhiWYLhUb_yGtr2QQilbdTvjMxL6IuTwHohNe44uA3V0eq_c2/s1600/IMG_4249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuAFKCKR0aB_4Y3fUGTCX4AYT2sRtVlNQ9IJRLEX95F-UnUmHacsPeVxu8GtYfgrFkQnr_5DoRNqgZqz6gz4PhiWYLhUb_yGtr2QQilbdTvjMxL6IuTwHohNe44uA3V0eq_c2/s400/IMG_4249.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The trip back downstream went smoothly, and soon we found
ourselves entering back into the main body of the lake.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDE58U64h32jpAJMOsP9zbR2m3GFk9pJuc9J_ZvOxxo3l8T-atQIJep-5FZ7y6WnknOT73L0mKTafjJv4vctDtVc5ys7lVk7HGtiNA_tYeHyxU9O6W_ztAP-iTUt7k4aXyS8Cq/s1600/IMG_4254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDE58U64h32jpAJMOsP9zbR2m3GFk9pJuc9J_ZvOxxo3l8T-atQIJep-5FZ7y6WnknOT73L0mKTafjJv4vctDtVc5ys7lVk7HGtiNA_tYeHyxU9O6W_ztAP-iTUt7k4aXyS8Cq/s400/IMG_4254.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We moved north on the lake along the right bank and
continued up to the north end by the fishing pier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, we moved across the lake and paddled up the
channel leading to the spillway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seemed to us that there was about 18 inches more water in the channel
than this time last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
water was flowing across the top of the spillway today; last year, Dave Finck
and I were able to rest our arms on the top of the spillway and look down the
precipitous drop of 30 or 40 feet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mO697OPqnQGMnoW6ca2CdUozMYxOod9Zpf8tstc3vBz7dy5CkoYbTgmIZydI1VoT1TgGMHzruFGunt2GXYXKUpyK6Toxm6eew1m6cY3CW6r050Uzj9xqBNQA_SDisBZGM7eQ/s1600/IMG_4258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mO697OPqnQGMnoW6ca2CdUozMYxOod9Zpf8tstc3vBz7dy5CkoYbTgmIZydI1VoT1TgGMHzruFGunt2GXYXKUpyK6Toxm6eew1m6cY3CW6r050Uzj9xqBNQA_SDisBZGM7eQ/s400/IMG_4258.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Backing out of the channel, we continued our return to the
public access area on the southern end of the lake.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Q1jDbonmfEdgBpnM6zAgocrI0J630xvR5yZvgxWi6nlZ4HM9Z4q5N6vuBDavb_zYcP0fX-0ap7O99_1ocas_FNhLltMuOeUgkg5v7DuHHp8u3EvO3L4Af3S18bg-dHjTZpb5/s1600/IMG_4266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Q1jDbonmfEdgBpnM6zAgocrI0J630xvR5yZvgxWi6nlZ4HM9Z4q5N6vuBDavb_zYcP0fX-0ap7O99_1ocas_FNhLltMuOeUgkg5v7DuHHp8u3EvO3L4Af3S18bg-dHjTZpb5/s400/IMG_4266.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We spent about two and a half hours on the water this
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we pulled out
our kayaks, the temperature had risen into the 40s and a light wind had begun
blowing across the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While paddling,
I did not notice the cold temperature or any wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Standing around as I loaded up the kayak, however, I began
to feel a deep chill throughout my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have often repeated the old saying: “There is no inclement weather,
there is only inappropriate dress.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, I was wearing only a thin long sleeved shirt and a thin nylon
jacket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was inappropriate
dress, and I experienced a penetrating chill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next time, I will be better prepared!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCC_NYXMSUdGLFLpsrm5ht0jAvrm0-QMQ9zeinI34TC9IqerNNREDevTb4eJCyDeEqLiisZDqd2GKDG7n1tq4PKhgY1tLzbiV3SSPZv7Vx8L-2fZMibIfW5SZqpWQc52MlLek/s1600/IMG_4265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCC_NYXMSUdGLFLpsrm5ht0jAvrm0-QMQ9zeinI34TC9IqerNNREDevTb4eJCyDeEqLiisZDqd2GKDG7n1tq4PKhgY1tLzbiV3SSPZv7Vx8L-2fZMibIfW5SZqpWQc52MlLek/s400/IMG_4265.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A complete set of the photographs taken on this cruise can be found on my Flickr page at the following URL: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636668401914/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636668401914/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3uPHQl3_KG-4yt3ooV-CDKbL63PwubjCeHD8au85Zju5FTYGFBebujruNZvuOk0Gbx3L4SjvsJUibAdqrK3s2l1U87GWxErUXEsmT_ORd4ActBoXDMyJE9wUIcLr54tuINoi/s1600/IMG_4250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3uPHQl3_KG-4yt3ooV-CDKbL63PwubjCeHD8au85Zju5FTYGFBebujruNZvuOk0Gbx3L4SjvsJUibAdqrK3s2l1U87GWxErUXEsmT_ORd4ActBoXDMyJE9wUIcLr54tuINoi/s400/IMG_4250.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-28730653134256526702013-10-11T11:14:00.000-07:002013-10-11T11:15:15.438-07:00Windblown on Loss Lake<!--StartFragment-->
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lhEIJpmco7wPFJdf-sbPcfFFPc125LBNZdDakahah1Lk_8Aig9teYDLs1WwSuPG7-7GEqRuoB045rpJfsaAykksKKGoHl5wFnoNz3uP1PK-TiJTe_Rj6SDl6jWiwd2CyzPi3/s1600/IMG_4219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lhEIJpmco7wPFJdf-sbPcfFFPc125LBNZdDakahah1Lk_8Aig9teYDLs1WwSuPG7-7GEqRuoB045rpJfsaAykksKKGoHl5wFnoNz3uP1PK-TiJTe_Rj6SDl6jWiwd2CyzPi3/s400/IMG_4219.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After cruising with the pelicans yesterday on Grass Lake,
Dave Finck and I headed a few miles west to visit Loss Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is another of the area lakes that
I have tried to visit once a year, but it had now been two years since my last
cruise there.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02vFZaQR2i707fgqxfh8sHgBE1xKuWANGY1k79NDpDNHLkWMIXMYN47n1aot7ITyiZpNFBgVOyY-q88neOjZifq1eXtiW9_vShMMft6hMrO_Zid_pbMgnYcemeugSP6cpySm6/s1600/IMG_4220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02vFZaQR2i707fgqxfh8sHgBE1xKuWANGY1k79NDpDNHLkWMIXMYN47n1aot7ITyiZpNFBgVOyY-q88neOjZifq1eXtiW9_vShMMft6hMrO_Zid_pbMgnYcemeugSP6cpySm6/s400/IMG_4220.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Upon arrival at the nicely developed launching area, I
walked out onto the fishing dock to look over the state of the water on this
windy day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the surface was
riffled with wind, it didn’t look too bad, and we felt no real concern about
conditions.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnPqEz6djRVWncEaM3X46ZJB2pZ8G-r9MeTuW6_SfjrhvQDc60tO5FzGCuED0jK5ayE6MorLy8SZgco1tD0HCM7VeBpF3XSsgyB3F_5jbAL874JR_loOgKUL9bYzijqb3XQXz/s1600/IMG_4222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnPqEz6djRVWncEaM3X46ZJB2pZ8G-r9MeTuW6_SfjrhvQDc60tO5FzGCuED0jK5ayE6MorLy8SZgco1tD0HCM7VeBpF3XSsgyB3F_5jbAL874JR_loOgKUL9bYzijqb3XQXz/s400/IMG_4222.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, we pushed off and moved west down the south
shoreline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking out into the
main body of the lake, we noticed white caps and wind powered rollers moving
down the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, those
conditions seemed offshore and unlikely to cause us difficulty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just continued paddling west with
the wind and following waves behind us. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RRiz_8Ccp2Yg2UrlG2RQ8Nfg3_m4fiPMRTbB_Kz3yLAYUzA9brMUO_7kaVMNkV389JuBvDD6FGKUNIQKTYE6XmtUDdsZNNmxHlzRPiJjk8AF1L2LNN0kxcTMJ6J0Uq6_hmXZ/s1600/IMG_4223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RRiz_8Ccp2Yg2UrlG2RQ8Nfg3_m4fiPMRTbB_Kz3yLAYUzA9brMUO_7kaVMNkV389JuBvDD6FGKUNIQKTYE6XmtUDdsZNNmxHlzRPiJjk8AF1L2LNN0kxcTMJ6J0Uq6_hmXZ/s400/IMG_4223.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before long, we found ourselves racing west with the wind
and two-foot waves chasing us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
wind was driving us down toward the western shore, and in the distance we could
see an electric fence along the western shoreline. The wind was too strong and
the waves too big to turn away from the shore, and soon we found ourselves onto
the shore and jumping out of the canoe to hold it while avoiding the electric
fence.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIx2boWjfrQi6Rv7AW8YgRbnCfmS506FONTAa2DkwSnd3WtoZ9MpVJYmnq_598XxN_NXE7rcY4IFimhIPgNx3IMCFiOwonLU5pgmOIpUcmMzNGssQN0ieQ5-6Du-Qw-l_xLJy/s1600/IMG_4225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIx2boWjfrQi6Rv7AW8YgRbnCfmS506FONTAa2DkwSnd3WtoZ9MpVJYmnq_598XxN_NXE7rcY4IFimhIPgNx3IMCFiOwonLU5pgmOIpUcmMzNGssQN0ieQ5-6Du-Qw-l_xLJy/s400/IMG_4225.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were unsuccessful in launching the canoe to return into
the wind through the waves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
only reasonable option at that point was to carry the canoe along the shoreline
for a couple hundred feet and make another attempt in slightly less windblown
conditions.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIdUSi5psu7Af_hT21nIPYqi8LcUCBKo-ONHnru635J1S3BpYmMXCAF2xF5zxgI2_ll3mwnJbMFWPcYNn6CBzV8b5GOqymOqih-np-GA4GEkY29mNxORDQGPXZVx2UFTqwxkW/s1600/IMG_4224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIdUSi5psu7Af_hT21nIPYqi8LcUCBKo-ONHnru635J1S3BpYmMXCAF2xF5zxgI2_ll3mwnJbMFWPcYNn6CBzV8b5GOqymOqih-np-GA4GEkY29mNxORDQGPXZVx2UFTqwxkW/s400/IMG_4224.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Finck - windblown on Loss Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With great effort, we were able to make slow headway east,
back toward the launching area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was one of those situations where I would count 100 strokes, check
for progress, groan, and paddle another 100 strokes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a challenging trip back, and we were beat with the
effort. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took us about 20
minutes to make it to the west end and over an hour to get back</div>
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A few years ago, my paddling pal Jarett Bies told me about
he and his wife, Laura, getting windblown on Loss Lake and finding it very
difficult to return to the put-in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was incredulous and just could not envision that this small lake could
become a challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has always
been a slow, tranquil, and contemplative cruise for me, often with a flat calm
on the surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am no longer
incredulous!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All lakes can turn
savage, and paddlers just have to be aware of how current conditions do not
always mirror our recollection of past cruises..</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eaBSkk05RTUb_Z1hJC910b6blmQOchYyBZ99zUz81InHgT7_V0UwHmirt5b4_wlsZk0ErlHpWXXD4_A7O8ekepKsDWxYPRpiclx4HIaHS7vqc6yJGStZh5zJCtkMkRfeuc_L/s1600/IMG_4221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eaBSkk05RTUb_Z1hJC910b6blmQOchYyBZ99zUz81InHgT7_V0UwHmirt5b4_wlsZk0ErlHpWXXD4_A7O8ekepKsDWxYPRpiclx4HIaHS7vqc6yJGStZh5zJCtkMkRfeuc_L/s400/IMG_4221.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jay Heath at Loss Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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For a description of past cruises on Loss Lake, the reader
can access the appropriate link on the right side of the blog in the area
waterways section. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Photographs of this cruise can be found on my Flickr page at
the following URL:</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636406138036/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636406138036/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-75342565432554640722013-10-10T18:07:00.000-07:002013-10-10T21:04:10.301-07:00Pelicans on Grass Lake<!--StartFragment-->
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We have had a great couple of days here in Sioux Falls for
this time of the year, and a change seems to be coming beginning tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The forecast for today called for
“breezy” conditions, with winds from 15 to 25 mph and gusts to 30 mph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, Dave Finck and I decided to take
advantage of an otherwise really fine day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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He picked me up with his van and kevlar Wenonah canoe
strapped on top at 8:00 a.m., and we drove west on Highway 42 and north on 459<sup>th</sup>
Street to Grass Lake. I have normally visited Grass Lake a couple of times a
year, but I think that it has been at least a year since my last cruise on
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to have been
unchanged since my last visit.</div>
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Grass Lake has a rough launching pathway that is just a rocky
trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went down the trail and
then over to the right side of the shoreline to launch in a smoother spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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A strong wind was apparent as we shoved off and headed west
along the northern shoreline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
wind was coming from the southeast, so we made a rapid passage down the lake in
a following sea with waves of about a foot in height pushing us along.</div>
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As we cruised west, it occurred to us that the passage back
to the launching spot might be a bit more challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, we pushed on toward the western
end of the lake – about 1.5 miles from the put-in.</div>
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The landscape is quickly losing its color and reverting to
the brown cover that will last until next spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the trees are changing color now, and the sight is
beautiful even though it signals a return to the dreaded winter months.</div>
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Our cruise this morning was highlighted by a very large
flock of while pelicans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed
to us that there were upwards of 200 of these magnificent birds lounging around
a rocky outcropping extending out from the northern shoreline about a mile west
of the put-in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the spot
where I have quite often come across large groups of waterfowl, especially
pelicans.</div>
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We cruised in as close as possible, and they seemed to
tolerate this approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Eventually, they decided to move a couple hundred feet toward the
southern shore.</div>
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We continued on another quarter mile or so and then cut
across the lake to the southern side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we turned and faced into the wind and waves, we found ourselves
straining to keep on course heading east.</div>
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We decided to keep inshore and paddle within a lee formed by
the high banks on the south shoreline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This eased our passage markedly, and we thought that moving on down the
lake to the east end and then across to the north side would be the best
option.</div>
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First, though, we passed by the old windmill on the
southwestern shore that has been one of my most photographed sights on the
lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all this time, it
still stands, although perhaps a little more worn each year.</div>
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As we moved along the southeastern shoreline, we spotted a
sign that had been peppered with bullet holes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt a great need to land the canoe, climb the steep bank
and check out the sigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hoped
that it would read:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“no
shooting.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No luck!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a sign identifying the
collaboration of agencies to manage some aspect of the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sign has apparently become a target
of sorts for people with a great need to blast away.</div>
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The climb up the bank was hard enough, requiring me to grab
brush and grasses to help get atop the slope. I thought that I had found a
better way to get back down to the canoe, but I fell into an unseen hole in the
brush and got scratched on my neck and hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Worst, though, I cracked a bent-shaft paddle of Dave’s that
I was using as a walking stick of sorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, I got the photograph!</div>
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We spent about an hour and a half on this windy lake
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a strain paddling
into and across the wind and waves, but my fall climbing down from the high
bank was our only incident, and, of course, the crack in Dave’s paddle.</div>
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It was a great morning on Grass Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A complete set of the photos of this
cruise can be found on my Flick page at the following URL: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636405551855/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636405551855/</a></div>
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Other narratives of cruises on Grass Lake at various seasons
over the years can be found in the menu on the right side of the blog in area
waterways. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-8146473001996945182013-10-05T11:06:00.000-07:002013-10-05T11:08:49.946-07:00McCook Lake, North Sioux City SD: September 3, 2013<!--StartFragment-->
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><i>I have received another guest narrative from "Patricia from Omaha" describing some of her paddling activity in waters in or near South Dakota. This time, she offers a look at McCook Lake, a body of water that I have known about and even driven past many times during the years I taught at the University of South Dakota. The lake is in far southeastern South Dakota, on the west side of I29 at North Sioux City.</i> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I visited McCook Lake on my
way home after a great Labor Day paddle on the Big Sioux with about twenty
SDCKA members and friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn't know where the boat access was, but the helpful staff at the Adams
Homestead nearby gave me a map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you're looking for it, take exit 4 from I-29, turn west and make almost an
immediate left onto Streeter Drive (it parallels the southbound on-ramp).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make a right onto either Wycoff or
Alcoma followed by a left southbound on Lake Shore Drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ramp will be on your right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The parking lot seemed severely posted
for vehicles with trailers only, so after I unloaded my kayak, I parked on a
nearby side street.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">McCook Lake is shaped like an
upside down letter J.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The outer
shore is crowded with houses and boat docks for the most part, while the inner
shore is all reeds and trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's
an odd contrast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm betting the
lake was crowded on Labor Day but this being the day after, there was only one
other motorboat and three paddle boarders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put in about 10:45 with sunshine and very little wind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I started to the left on the
short end of the lake because, well just because.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paddled past the houses, sharing the water with several
noisy Canadian geese and was amused by a heron walking about on someone's boat
ramp (too fast for me to get a picture).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When I reached the end of the
lake, I turned to follow the inside shoreline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was mostly reeds, with another heron who kept moving
along in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">As I paddled along I came
upon an opening that turned out to be the backside of an island along the
shore. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">I paddled along the back of
the island, where I caught up with the heron, and then returned to the main
lake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Proceeding along the inner
shore, I came across another parallel island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Behind this one were three paddleboarders, one of whom was
still learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind was
picking up, making their task harder but keeping the bugs away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pressed on, wondering why anyone
would choose to stand up with one paddle when you can sit down with two.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Further up the lake there
were two lines of yellow balls that looked like runway landing markers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm guessing they were for the water
skiers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I passed a boat ramp
belonging to a private club; someone had said they carried their kayak from the
road down here, but I didn't see any advantage to doing that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The public access worked fine, and the
lake isn't that big.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">At the other end of the lake,
I ran across more wildlife: a green heron and a turtle in the same bunch of
dead trees.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I turned around at the end of
the lake and was escorted part of the way back by a column of Canadian
geese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind was picking up
even more now, so I was glad to get back to the ramp about 1:15 pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a nice lake for an easy paddle
on a quiet day, with more birds than I would have expected given all the homes
and boat docks on the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-35164786580144930222013-10-03T08:07:00.002-07:002013-10-03T08:07:59.456-07:00Third Big Sioux River Clean-Up this Fall<!--StartFragment-->
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Earlier this week, Cory Diedrich, the secretary of the
SDCKA, put out another call for the third Big Sioux River clean-up in three
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week a fleet of eleven
kayaks and one canoe spent a couple of hours cleaning the river as it flows
through Sioux Falls from 26<sup>th</sup> Street upstream to the bicycle trail
bridge, a distance of about 2.5 miles round trip.</div>
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Last night, four of us answered the call and assembled at
the Minnesota Avenue bridge on the eastern end of Yankton Trails Park in Sioux
Falls for this latest phase of the project.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There is no designed put-in at the Minnesota Avenue bridge,
only a steep rock-strewn and weedy slant down to the water’s edge from the bike
trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Mary Finck and Cory Diedrich were in the kayaks, and Dave
Finck and I were in the canoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Last week, Dave and I cruised down the channel of the river and served
as the hauler for debris gathered by the kayaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I was assuming that we would have the same role, the geezers
just gathering the junk picked up in the river and along the shoreline by the
kayaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With only four of us,
though, that role changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead, we were also collecting debris as well as transferring loads
from the kayaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We worked the shorelines from Minnesota Avenue nearly up to
Western Avenue, a distance of about a mile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a significantly larger amount of debris in the
water, stuck in tree strainers in the stream, and along the shoreline than we
found on the section downstream last week.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The current was surprisingly fast in the river, although the
depth ranged from a few inches to about three feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The river is about 50 to 75 feet in width along the section
we worked, and the channel was sometimes difficult to locate.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The kayaks had no difficulty with water depth, but in the
canoe we sometimes scrapped along and had to backtrack to get into water deep
enough to continue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the debris
load increased to three hundred pounds or more, the canoe settled into a deeper
draft, making the passage more difficult at times. </div>
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We thought that we would move upstream, turn around, and
then head back down, picking up litter and debris as we went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it happened, though, we were unable
to resist grabbing trash on our way upstream as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big items remained for the return trip, including a
plastic swimming pool, one tire, a big section of lawn edging, and larger
pieces of plastic.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
By the time we made it back, the canoe and kayaks were
heavily loaded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We figure that we
picked up about 500 pounds of debris in this short section of the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
All of us were beat with the work of paddling upstream,
fighting through strainers to collect plastic bags and bottles, and hauling the
debris back downstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times,
we had to drag the loaded boats across shallow sand or gravel bars. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We finished our work as night was falling with lightening
flashing and thunder rolling across the northern skies; we had spent about two
hours on the river. Even though we were all tired, we still felt good about our
river clean-up project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">The complete set of photos of this clean-up event can be found on my Flickr page at the following URL:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636134688285/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636134688285/</a></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-4909445608396319992013-10-01T12:17:00.000-07:002013-11-11T09:01:28.404-08:00Big Sioux River: North Access of Big Sioux Recreation Area to Madison Street Bridge<!--StartFragment-->
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Today was a beautiful day for a cruise on the Big Sioux
River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was nearly
perfect with sunny skies, temperatures in the 60s, and low wind
conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, there was
the satisfaction of going canoeing on a weekday morning rather than going to
the work place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Retirement is
good!</div>
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I met Dave Finck at the Madison Street take-out this morning
about 8:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had left his canoe
at the north end of the Big Sioux Recreation Area (BSRA), just down from the
Rice Street Bridge on the northern edge of Brandon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He parked his van alongside the river on a dirt track
leading down from Madison Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although I understand that this is a state-owned access point to the
river, there is no signage to indicate a river access point. Coming from Sioux
Falls along Madison Street, there is an entrance to the road on the right, just
before the Madison Street Bridge over the Big Sioux River.</div>
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We got into my car and drove back to where he had left his
canoe and carried it down a very rocky pathway to the sandbar put-in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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As we shoved off, the day just seemed wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The river had adequate water depth all
the way downstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just a
matter of finding and staying in or close to the channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was generally two to three feet
of depth, although sometimes it was five or six feet deep, and sometimes only
inches across a gravel bar. </div>
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The scenery along the river was spectacular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trees are just now changing color,
and an array of fall colors is apparent in the grasses, bushes, and trees all
along the shoreline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still,
though, the majority of trees retain their green leaves for the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All too soon, though, the fall will
deepen into winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Already, there
is a nasty forecast for the weekend.</div>
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At this point in the year, the strainers seem pretty fixed
at their point in the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
current was not fast enough to cause any real navigation hazards with strainers
or rocks.</div>
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As the season wears on and the river flow diminishes, the
river just seems to narrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is still plenty of depth to float a canoe easily downstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had only one occasion in which we
had to get out of the canoe, and that was largely because of taking the wrong
side of a sand/gravel bar in the middle of the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just had to jump out of the canoe and float it over a
shallow spot for a few feet before clamoring back aboard to continue.</div>
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We came across one guy fishing between the two access points
within the BSRA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he was not
having any success this morning, as Dave Finck told him:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A bad day of fishing always beats a
good at work!” </div>
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We seemed to quickly pass the three miles between the north
and south access area of the BSRA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our canoe was moving nearly directly into the sun for most of the trip
as the river flowed southeast before turning more westerly.</div>
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The river passes under the footbridge leading from the disc
golf course of the BSRA to the archery range and the trail that leads up onto
the ridge overlooking the Big Sioux valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife and I along with our little dog Finnegan have
crossed over this bridge so many times on our walks on the Prairie Vista trail
through the BSRA.</div>
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Our last canoe trip on this stretch of the river was in the
spring when we had to skip the south end of the BSRA take-out because of
mud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked good this year, but
we wanted to continue downstream another mile and a half. </div>
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There are some efforts at bank stabilization along this
section of the river through the use of old cars embedded in the banks.</div>
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We easily made our way downstream and under the Madison
Street Bridge to a large sandbar where we left the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The take-out was on sand, so our feet
didn’t even get muddy when getting out.</div>
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Our cruise this morning was a short 4.5 miles and took us
about an hour and a half of actual time on the water.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSIdlzpWgZXbRwrb1hJLb-Y6D4sK2TWubxfgxPkHEy-mR8IsLLOT2-6zxg6rZaXBTRuCXGL_cPvADbQMUSfdVgmJQQx1kuS7lYXB-Xi1ELpKMZr_snTVo8fBIVu2geaTRdOWw/s1600/IMG_4144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSIdlzpWgZXbRwrb1hJLb-Y6D4sK2TWubxfgxPkHEy-mR8IsLLOT2-6zxg6rZaXBTRuCXGL_cPvADbQMUSfdVgmJQQx1kuS7lYXB-Xi1ELpKMZr_snTVo8fBIVu2geaTRdOWw/s400/IMG_4144.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Finck on the Big Sioux River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This was a very relaxing way to spend a couple of hours on a
weekday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was conscious
of the wonderful life I enjoy as a retired person in good health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The vistas seen along the river today
were gifts to treasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjqQtUWDgSBzzFGMTx9E2OcfaHIjLomglZrDGswGvEDzrAAKuX9PjtSL-UkpXafMDCrhPx0pxaVQMr3XUzb-wPVQFB0-SDjv8NM-RD8z9fVQRSjrk8zE0u4V26qLcPepKmvuM/s1600/IMG_4146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjqQtUWDgSBzzFGMTx9E2OcfaHIjLomglZrDGswGvEDzrAAKuX9PjtSL-UkpXafMDCrhPx0pxaVQMr3XUzb-wPVQFB0-SDjv8NM-RD8z9fVQRSjrk8zE0u4V26qLcPepKmvuM/s400/IMG_4146.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jay Heath on the Big Sioux River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For a complete set of the photographs taken on this cruise, please access my Flickr page at the following URL: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636091747353/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636091747353/</a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-25340926345678693862013-09-26T08:08:00.002-07:002013-09-27T07:42:18.786-07:00Big Sioux River Clean-Up: September 2013<!--StartFragment-->
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Clearing debris from the Big Sioux River as it flows through
Sioux Falls is one of the public service activities of the South Dakota
Canoe/Kayak Association.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
past two weeks, members gathered twice with their kayaks and canoes to pick up
debris from the stream and along the banks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On each occasion, about 400 pounds of litter were gathered
for pick up by the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first
section of the river clean-up was from 57<sup>th</sup> Street to Tuthill Park.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Last night, members met at the canoe launch area along 26<sup>th</sup>
Street to begin a sweep upstream to the bike trail bridge over the river, a
round trip of about 2.5 miles.</div>
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The group was made up of 11 kayaks, a canoe, and others who
remained to clean the launch area, the woodlands nearby, and the parking lot
and trails.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Paddlers in the kayaks headed upstream to work the
shoreline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most paddlers had
attached a receptacle of some kind to their boat for refuse collected.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Often paddlers got out of their kayaks in shallow water to
more effectively collect items along the shoreline.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The canoe moved upstream to collect full cargos of refuse
from the kayaks and transport it back downstream to the launching point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Along the trip upstream in the canoe, we came across two
deer that were in the woods between the bike trail and the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One crawfish was found among the debris
in the bottom of one of the kayaks.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There was ample depth to the river as we all moved
upstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kayaks were able to
get up to the rapids under the bike trail bridge, but the loaded canoe ground
to a halt in the shallows about 50 yards from the rapids.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The kayaks set off upstream about 5:45 p.m. and the canoe
followed about fifteen minutes later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The job was finished at twilight, about 7:30 p.m., and the debris was
stacked for pick up later by the city.</div>
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In addition to the public service, an event of this sort
builds a narrative of shared experiences and reconnections among the SDCKA
members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The association holds
only one general conference a year, in January at the Outdoor Campus in Sioux
Falls, so opportunities to build relationships take place on organized cruises
and at public service events of this sort. We all get to know each other a
little better through these reconnections.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cEOQs28IBy6xdOL7nchA0JfJIdInhjsFt7AS4RSv7eikXf3dHD-Jz1W7nIo3hmYZTm0HB-0tfKxAUWrUX6VeC3CGZEyQZZTmBvecMT5N2_YUAKJsYOkMKZGii587yZdUyhaO/s1600/IMG_4093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cEOQs28IBy6xdOL7nchA0JfJIdInhjsFt7AS4RSv7eikXf3dHD-Jz1W7nIo3hmYZTm0HB-0tfKxAUWrUX6VeC3CGZEyQZZTmBvecMT5N2_YUAKJsYOkMKZGii587yZdUyhaO/s400/IMG_4093.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Although we all got a bit dirty in the activity, it was also
a beautiful early fall evening on the Big Sioux River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>As we all packed up our boats and gear
in the deepening darkness, it seemed to me that there was a general feeling of
satisfaction with doing something good with our paddling friends on a fine
evening.<br />
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A full set of the photographs from this clean-up cruise can be found on my Flickr page at the following URL: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157635899692614/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157635899692614/</a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-77494532882604461032013-09-23T16:56:00.000-07:002013-09-23T16:56:48.162-07:00Scott Lake: September 2013<!--StartFragment-->
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It has been a year since Dave Finck and I last visited Scott
Lake, and this seemed like a good time to return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had some anxiety last night as I saw a forecast for winds
of 25 mph and thought of waves cresting on the lake, so we made a fairly early
start of it this morning and left Sioux Falls about 7:30 a.m. for an arrival
time of 8:00 at the lake shore. The only hope for a good cruise on one of the
area lakes facing that sort of forecast is to arrive early.</div>
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Scott Lake was known as Scott Slough until being
reclassified at some point in the last several years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lake is just north of Hartford, SD, and is oriented
roughly east and west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The South
Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks has developed a good public access
area with plenty of parking off a gravel road, a fishing pier, a launching
ramp, and a vault toilet. It is a popular fishing spot for people in the
Hartford area.</div>
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The lake is about .75 miles long and perhaps .25 miles
wide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a slough-like area
on the southeastern side, just east of the public access area, with a lot of
bird life, including great blue heron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The wind was nearly 20 mph out of the south as we set out on
the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The south side of the
lake is fairly sheltered with trees, so there was quite a variation in surface
conditions on the water, ranging from nearly calm in the extreme lee of the
shoreline to rolling waves out on the north side away from any sheltering
landscape or trees.</div>
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For a variation this time, we took one of Dave Finck’s
canoes with a side-mounted electric outboard motor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We thought that we would try “geezer canoeing” with the
motor and just cruise along the shoreline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we cruised along within the lee shore, I felt like I was
riding on a motorcycle rather than a canoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My seat was in the bow, so I was just holding on to the
gunwales with my hands and keeping my knees on the side of the canoe.</div>
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As we did last time, we started out from the ramp and turned
east, entering into the slough to cruise among tree and weed stumps and very
calm water. There is a beauty to this sort of waterway with the underwater
growth clearly visible, the bird life around the shoreline, and the tree cover.</div>
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We entered the slough on the eastern end and paddled through
this calm backwater to a grass-clogged slot back into the main body of the lake.</div>
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Heading back across to the northern side, we encountered
rolling waves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dave Finck engaged
the electric motor, and we cruised silently along the northern shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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As we moved along, we came across a lone pelican on the
water that did not fly away upon our approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, the pelican remained nearly in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we got closer, the great bird
flapped off a few feet but did not fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seemed that an injury prevented flight, and I wondered about its fate
as the season deepens into winter.</div>
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As we watched the pelican, we suddenly found ourselves
“high-topped” on a large rock just below the surface in water a few feet deep.
This is a situation that can easily result in a capsize, especially in a large
flat-bottomed canoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately,
we were able to inch the canoe off the rock and continue into the waves. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is an island in the western end of the lake, and we
landed the canoe for a stroll along part of the shoreline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, we were able to walk around
the island, but this year there was more water in the lake and more growth
along the shore of the island.</div>
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Still, we did move about the shore and observed the tracks of birds and
small animals, probably raccoons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Fighting the wind, we made our way back to the southern
shore and coasted along in the lee toward the public access area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The wind today sometimes was just too much for even the
electric motor on the canoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
broadside to the wind while crossing from north to south, we had to use paddles
as well as the motor to keep from being blown into the rocks or the shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, we decided to just rely on our
paddling rather than fiddle with the electric motor.</div>
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Since the lake is rather small, we decided to return to the
slough to check it out in more detail and then to go over the northeastern
shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, we returned to
the launching pad in the public access area and wrapped up the cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our time on the water this morning was
just over an hour and a half.</div>
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I had been interested in the notion of motor-canoeing, and
this experience with an electric motor was something that had appealed to me
for some years. I don’t know that I would want to do a lot of
motor-canoeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dave told me that
you have to be in calm conditions in order to enjoy the sensation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I think about it, I guess that physical
exercise is one of my motivations for paddling; I suppose that motor-canoeing
is sort of like sailing my kayak, a change of pace, something to add a new
twist to cruising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">For the complete set of photos of this cruise, please refer to my Flickr Account at the following URL: </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157635808287423/" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157635808287423/ </a></div>
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Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-58910986000675081612013-09-11T14:45:00.000-07:002013-09-11T14:45:59.914-07:00Split Rock Lake (MN)<!--StartFragment-->
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It has been almost exactly one year since Dave Finck and I
visited Split Rock Lake, an impounded section of Split Rock Creek – the stream
than begins north near Pipestone and flows into the Big Sioux River south of
Brandon, SD.</div>
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The lake is the centerpiece of Split Rock Creek State Park
along Highway 23 just outside of the small town of Ihlen (MN), between Jasper
and Pipestone. The park is a jewel: beautifully maintained with campgrounds, a
swimming beach, fishing pier, a 2.5-mile hiking trail, and kayak rentals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This little park is really a
wonderfully tranquil spot that seems to me like a hidden treasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Minnesota park sticker or a daily admission
fee is required for entrance. </div>
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The fleet of rental boats available in the park is a special
bonus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rental price is only
$10 for four hours, and the park manager told us that midweek rentals are easy
– they were all available while we were there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reservations for rental boats is not an option, they are
first come, first served.</div>
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We arrived to a deserted lake, just as with most area
waterways on a weekday late summer day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The weather was magnificent: no wind, sunny skies, and a temperature of
about 68 degrees. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great
day to be retired!</div>
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The lake is about .75 miles long from the dam at the
southern end to the entrance of Split Rock Creek, then it extends north into
the creek for another .75 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At its widest spot, the lake is about .4 miles across.</div>
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There is an inlet on the east side of the lake that extends
eastward for about .3 miles into the reeds until reaching a bridge that we
could not pass – the water level was too high to permit passage of the canoe.</div>
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The lake gradually transitions into Split Rock Creek on the
northern end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continued
northwest until reaching a bridge on the eastside of Ihlen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Passing under the bridge, we
encountered the single wire of an electric fence, the same fence we found last
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no passage
possible under or around that fence.</div>
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The chief attraction of Split Rock Lake is the serene
setting and the pleasing range of trees, bushes, and aquatic reeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, we encountered a deer
standing at the water’s edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
year, we did not see much wildlife: there were a few birds, including a great
blue heron that flew up upon our approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, we saw a few groups of carp swimming along in shallow
waters on the northern end of the lake. </div>
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There was plenty of depth to the lake this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The muddy eastern side and a rocky
entrance into Split Rock Creek that we encountered last year were covered by
much more depth this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had
no difficulty easily moving along the circumference of the lake, including the
eastside inlet and the northern entrance to Split Rock Creek.<br />
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A hint of fall was in the air with some trees and bushes changing their color. Those first signs of fall are like an electric prod for paddlers: we need to get out on the water more often because a big change will be upon us in only a few weeks. With fall, the long winter is on the horizon!</div>
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Our cruise this morning took us about an hour and a half,
and we covered about five miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We stopped for lunch in Pipestone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What a great way to begin the day!<br />
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The full set of photos for this cruise can be found at the following <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157635479814157/" target="_blank">URL:http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157635479814157/</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIreENNj5PTqol8kGXbxJ7CKYj9b-AJ-yZwpil8qklsxqOzlwSGXLbHFJrFYDxYOzJlhLyUpWYy7dqq9Ebu7Lp5KOS_5-VIrFPxDTM-nOq6CS3OnoKK8fA_3W3pj510KPgRYcF/s1600/IMG_4007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIreENNj5PTqol8kGXbxJ7CKYj9b-AJ-yZwpil8qklsxqOzlwSGXLbHFJrFYDxYOzJlhLyUpWYy7dqq9Ebu7Lp5KOS_5-VIrFPxDTM-nOq6CS3OnoKK8fA_3W3pj510KPgRYcF/s400/IMG_4007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Finck on Split Rock Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-8458928711156290802013-09-10T13:12:00.001-07:002013-09-10T13:12:50.884-07:00OLLI Paddling for Seniors<!--StartFragment-->
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-aaErpIWQXDmL_drZpjjB441weijPID9oVLxQM6_38VfwvguJ-3dzmSm7A8n2aUXaitAlKJy4m4dnSko4BzRHhwQSNa6DaEGdGZMx2oZuNvpV-M9ej2XTlVo3xh7-yEpLvkG/s1600/IMG_3943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-aaErpIWQXDmL_drZpjjB441weijPID9oVLxQM6_38VfwvguJ-3dzmSm7A8n2aUXaitAlKJy4m4dnSko4BzRHhwQSNa6DaEGdGZMx2oZuNvpV-M9ej2XTlVo3xh7-yEpLvkG/s400/IMG_3943.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the past three years, I have been increasingly engaged
in classes offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), a national
lifelong learning program offered primarily for seniors throughout the nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A center has been established under the
sponsorship of University Center here in Sioux Falls, and a wide range of
programming is offered to the membership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Part of the programming is a range of activities to promote fitness,
especially for seniors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
contribution of mine has been to offer sessions on kayaking and hiking in the
Sioux Falls area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
This morning, I presented a two-hour session on an
introduction to kayaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
held in collaboration with the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls, a program of the
South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We began with an orientation to kayaking in the auditorium
and then moved to the large pond on the campus behind the main set of buildings
for our on-water segment.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Ten OLLI members came to the session, most of them with no
or very limited kayaking experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was a first attempt in what seemed an interesting activity for
them.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Working with me in the activity was Derek Klawitter, a SDGFP
naturalist who is an experienced instructor in watercraft operation and safety.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Following the orientation, we all moved out to the boathouse
by the pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Derek had already set
out the kayaks needed for our class, and we fitted all participants with
lifejackets and paddles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Derek and I helped all participants into the kayaks and
launched them from the beach; they didn’t even have to get their feet wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon all ten participants were on the water and padding
easily about the pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
small conversation groups for some, and others were happy to just move about
the pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8Xcn1X3NBZZMVe7UjEC2jV9SKWwOimeD6lwuUvfxAvOkws7BQwPzYjqw0_gdomNPiVLZQ_NWSK_HgC9OXxBFl3nOa1AaZZG0tPCCk_u-mRvVhlZ3JLmjLJ9zr0679-e1PUuB/s1600/IMG_3948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8Xcn1X3NBZZMVe7UjEC2jV9SKWwOimeD6lwuUvfxAvOkws7BQwPzYjqw0_gdomNPiVLZQ_NWSK_HgC9OXxBFl3nOa1AaZZG0tPCCk_u-mRvVhlZ3JLmjLJ9zr0679-e1PUuB/s400/IMG_3948.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While Derek supervised from the shoreline, I moved about the
paddlers encouraging and coaching them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Within minutes, the paddlers seemed to have picked up enough technique
to easily move themselves along. There were lots of smiles and feeling of
accomplishment, and a good time was had by all.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We spent about an hour and fifteen minutes on the
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the session concluded,
the paddlers drove their boats up onto the shore and we pulled them up so that
they could just step out of the kayak. Nobody even got their feet wet
throughout the cruise.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
This was a great opportunity for seniors to have a tailored
introduction to kayaking, to try out the boats, and to consider whether they
might want to continue with this fitness activity.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKIBgMGdtOxGOPfsVExkA1Q2oR30G2dvM8h55xj0e9wrU5UKpjs3Csk9AMcntNdjdW8xA_7_atyee_BntA9rJHwUdHfocybGzC1jzqVyh4u5MliE3LkINoo4y4BLPLa3aSQSf/s1600/IMG_3983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKIBgMGdtOxGOPfsVExkA1Q2oR30G2dvM8h55xj0e9wrU5UKpjs3Csk9AMcntNdjdW8xA_7_atyee_BntA9rJHwUdHfocybGzC1jzqVyh4u5MliE3LkINoo4y4BLPLa3aSQSf/s400/IMG_3983.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We in Sioux Falls are fortunate to have the Outdoor Campus
and the OLLI program available for seniors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Outdoor Campus, by the way, is a gem for the
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are lots of
paddling opportunities for anyone through the facilities of the Outdoor Campus,
including paddling classes and opportunities at the campus pond, Family Lake,
and the Big Sioux River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
even willing to put together special group events for those wishing to have a
paddling experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
information is available at the Outdoor Campus website and through contact with
the staff there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-8088360745564476272013-08-14T16:17:00.004-07:002013-08-14T16:17:43.931-07:00Lake Alvin: Mid-August 2013<!--StartFragment-->
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Much of my kayaking of late has been at either Family Lake
or the pond on the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls where I have served as a
volunteer for paddling classes or events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today, however, the morning was overcast with temperatures in the 60s,
and I decided to slip away to Lake Alvin for a morning paddle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My paddling opportunities will be
limited over the next three weeks or so, and I wanted to take advantage of the
day.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found the lake quite full; the water was lapping over part
of the dock as I put in within the recreation area on the northern end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water at the dock had a sheen of
green algae for a couple of feet out into the lake, as it often does at this
time of year. </div>
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For the past several years, I have used a mat over the trunk
of my car to slide the kayak up onto the rollers of the Yakama rack atop my
Honda Civic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When there is a
contrary wind, the mat tends to fly off the car and complicate my loading
routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find myself sometimes
trying to hold on to the mat to prevent it from blowing off while, at the same
time, manhandling the kayak up over the trunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My pal, Dave Fink, has begun using a similar process to
slide his kayak up onto his van, but he has improved my method by adding hooks
to the mat that slip onto the rack and keep the mat in place despite effects of
the wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After returning from a
recent trip, he gave me a set of hooks to attach to my loading mat, and they
are now in place and working well.</div>
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There was a light breeze blowing out of the east, and I
tried umbrella sailing for the first time this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I set out from the dock, the wind was about 45 degrees
off the bow, and I did make slow progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind was just too light to sustain my interest in
sailing, so I put the umbrella under a deck bungee and took up the paddle.</div>
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Heading south toward Nine Mile Creek, I passed a great blue
heron along the eastern shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
I continued down toward the creek, a pair of these large birds flew just ahead
of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon my approach, they
would launch off into the air and move ahead of me for a couple hundred
feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so the relationship
would continue as I moved up into the creek.</div>
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Because of the high water, it was easy to negotiate my kayak
over the bar that forms at the mouth of Nine Mile Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I continued up the creek only as far as the bridge upstream
a half-mile or so and then turned back for the long slog back to the recreation
area dock.</div>
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As usual on a midweek morning, the lake was empty of any
boat traffic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only people I
saw were sitting in lawn chairs fishing on the public access dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, no one was in sight either
on the lake or on the shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just me and the birds today!</div>
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As I loaded up my kayak for the trip home, I noticed some
new signage located up from the recreation area dock indicating the relatively
new hiking trail that leads into the wooded area above that portion of the
lake. There is a great view over the lake from this hiking trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone interested in it can check out
my hiking blog at <a href="http://hikingsiouxfalls.blogspot.com/">http://hikingsiouxfalls.blogspot.com</a>
for a description and set of photographs that I completed last fall. </div>
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I was out on the water for an hour and a half this
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a tranquil cruise
over familiar waters, but then Lake Alvin is only 15 minutes away from my
eastside Sioux Falls home, and I go there frequently over the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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A complete set of the photographs of this cruise can be seen on my Flickr page at the following URL:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157635070165773/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157635070165773/</a></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-90443921426665983802013-07-30T19:34:00.001-07:002013-07-31T12:52:34.858-07:00Renwick Lake in Icelandic State Park, ND: July 23, 2013<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;"><i>Patricia, a
reader of this blog from Omaha who also paddles lakes and streams in South
Dakota, has sent me a new guest narrative describing her recent cruise on
Renwick Lake, located in Icelandic State Park, North Dakota. This is Patricia’s third guest narrative
this season; her observations and experiences closely reflect my own solitary
cruise</i><b><i>s.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">Icelandic
State Park, containing Renwick Lake, is located a few miles east of Cavalier,
ND, near the Canadian border.
There is a dam at the east end, which is causing detours during work,
and the Tongue River is somewhere at the other end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">I was in
search of the river and started out about 10:45 from the boat ramp<b>.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">It was a
clear and windless day, so paddling was easy. I started to the left along the dam, and then came across a
steep bluff filled with cliff swallow nests. The bank was teeming with swallows darting in every
direction and landing in the holes.
I paused to watch them speeding around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">In the
reeds that fringed most of the lake shoreline, I discovered these two fugitives
from the park beach over on the north shore. This being a Tuesday, there was no one else on the water,
and only one family on the beach when I finally pulled out. Their mom told me the park was often
deserted on weekdays, but very busy on the weekends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">Further
along the south shore I came to the golf course. It looked like a Grecian sylvan scene – with golf
carts. I stopped hugging the shore
and paddled out to get a closer look at what appeared to be a large rock but
turned out to be an equally large tree trunk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">I was
enjoying this paddle with the cool temperatures, calm water, and solitude. The only human activity I saw was an
occasional crop duster overhead, including one biplane. I continued toward the west end of the
lake, keeping an eye out for the Tongue River. There were several areas of dense vegetation in the water
along the shores that hampered my exploration. I picked my way very carefully through these and found a den
of some sort on the shore, but no river yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">There was
lots of bird noise and activity around the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spied this pelican at the far north end and paddled toward
him, hoping he might lead me to the river’s mouth, but found only more reeds
and trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was having a great
day anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">As I turned
back, the placid water made for some impressive reflections of the great clouds
overhead, adding to the splendor of the lake’s solitude and peace<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(But still, no river.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">I was
beginning to feel like I would never find the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paddled back along the west shore, getting stuck and
freeing myself from the matted vegetation, when I caught a glimpse of the
smallest break in the trees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">It was
barely discernable, but there was the river, finally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very narrow where it flowed into the lake, but as I
entered it became a decent-sized stream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The banks were mostly reeds with groups of trees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">I paddled
up the twisting river about half an hour until I approached what appeared to be
the beginnings of a beaver dam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t want to disturb it, so I turned and headed back to the boat ramp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">There were
several spots in the banks that appeared to be where animals would come down to
the water, but I never saw any.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">I pulled
out of the water about 1:00 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Renwick Lake was a great kayak trip for me, with beautiful scenery and
the potential for birds and wildlife sightings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t hurt that the weather was so cooperative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But brother, it’s a long drive north!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">My
apologies fore the date stamp on the pictures; I changed batteries and forget
to reset the camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Argh!</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->
Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-63384577283140954582013-07-18T17:45:00.000-07:002013-07-18T17:45:28.240-07:00Lake Alvin: A Mid-Summer Cruise<!--StartFragment-->
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This morning I decided to head out to Lake Alvin for an
early morning paddle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been
through a long string of sweltering days here in the Sioux Falls area, so an
early start seemed essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have not been on Lake Alvin since late April and looked forward to seeing the
transformation from spring to full summer.</div>
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I arrived at the public access point on the southwestern
shore about 9:00 a.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sky was
clear, the temperature about 80 degrees, and there was a brisk wind coming out
of the south.</div>
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As usual, I paddled across the lake and began my trip south
into Nine Mile Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
approaching the southern end of the lake and the entrance into the creek, it is
critical to keep to the left (east) side of the shoreline to pass over the
silted bar of mud and sand that comes down the creek into the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I continued south into the creek and easily passed under the
bridge and into the narrow stream than flows south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a number of curves in the stream, and the channel
tends to move from one side to another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A paddler has to keep examining the flow and be ready to scoot over to
the appropriate side as dictated by the bottom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the channel, the water depth is generally two to three
feet and is generally a few feet wide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The creek is where I most often come across wildlife,
including beaver and waterfowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today, a great blue heron kept ahead of me; it would rise out of the
bush upon my approach and move upstream until I approached again.</div>
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After paddling upstream, I lowered my rudder and coasted
down the current to the mouth of the creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess that the distance on the creek portion of the cruise
was about 3 miles roundtrip.</div>
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Even though the lake itself was a bit choppy from the brisk
south wind, the creek was tranquil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bank and towering plant life provides a windbreak of about 8 feet,
so the creek is nicely protected.</div>
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After exiting Nine Mile Creek, I decided to explore the
waters on the southeastern end of the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of the shallow conditions and muddy bottom, I
normally avoid that portion of the lake. I cruised over to the side and found
myself fascinated by the many schools of small black fish.</div>
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Looking over the surface of the water, these schools looked
like shadows on the water that moved about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the schools were several feet in length and
seemingly contained hundreds of fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They would approach my kayak and surface for a moment in a sparkling
display as they came to the surface for a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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These schools would move about that section of the lake,
forming into various shapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
any one time, I could see six or eight groupings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My attention was riveted on these fish for a few moments.</div>
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After passing through the fish, I continued moving north and
passed groups of carp swimming generally in the direction of the fish
schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wondered if the carp
were headed for a meal of small fish!</div>
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Heading north on the main body of Lake Alvin, I was
traveling with the wind, and little paddling effort was needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As often occurs on a windy lake
surface, the waves were sometimes outpacing my kayak, creating a following sea
condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued north until I was across from the recreation
area launching site, about two-thirds of the way up the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, I turned and headed into
the wind for my return trip to the southeastern access area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The wind created a healthy chop in the water, and I moved
over to the western shore to make my way back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When waves develop on a lake, I feel safer paddling close to
the shore.</div>
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In the wind, I resorted to my old paddling instruction in
which I learned that it is the push of the arm that translates into power
rather than pulling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, as
normal in these conditions, I made my way from one landmark along the shore to
another and counted my strokes.</div>
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Today, I spent about 90 minutes on the water and didn’t see
anyone, either on the water or on the shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was totally a solo experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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For the past three weeks, I have been serving as a paddling
volunteer at the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last Tuesday, I performed this service at the pond behind
the Outdoor Campus complex and worked with two people who had limited
experience in paddling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
further information of paddling opportunities available through the Outdoor
Campus, check out the heading in the menu on the right side of the blog.</div>
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Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-6018884232086697462013-07-14T17:52:00.000-07:002013-07-14T19:43:27.597-07:00Vermillion River – Catch It While You Can: Guest blog by Jarett C. Bies <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The following guest blog was submitted by Jarett Bies. Jarett has offered two previous guest narratives on this blog, and I always enjoy both the substance of his adventures and his writing style. He is a very experienced paddler and is the past president of the South Dakota Canoe/Kayak Association. The Vermillion River is one of the streams within our general area that I have not paddled, and reading Jarett's account whets my appetite for making this trip soon.</b><br />
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I live about a mile from the Vermillion River and invited a couple of friends out for a Sunday run between 309nd Street and the bridge just east of University Avenue (at 312th Street) about one week ago.<br />
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The river is declining in depth due to a lack of recent rains, but it still offers a nice trip and plenty of sights for canoe and kayak enthusiasts in the southeast part of South Dakota. This stretch is about two miles northeast of history-rich Spirit Mound, so if you've ever wanted to visit one of the few sites where Lewis and Clark actually stood, and fold a short paddle into the trip, this entry will help you.<br />
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The river flooded in June due to heavy rains this year, especially near Centerville. It runs from Lake Vermillion to the Missouri River, and parts of it, including the stretch we ran, are man-made. I am hoping to get the chance to run the curvy stretches closer to Centerville before the summer is over. Jim, Brian and I were just out to have a jaunt on the water. We all live pretty close to the Missouri River but alas, sometimes the logistics of a Big Water op are not as appealing as a run down a smaller stream.<br />
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Muddy would be an operative word for the Vermillion. I planned ahead and packed a pair of “mud shoes” for the put-in and such, then switched smoothly into my regular paddling boots so that I wouldn't have that muck in my fiberglass kayak. It worked well. We'd planned on starting in a back water channel just north of 309th Street, but upon arrival scouted the area and found a tiny patch of gravel near the water to use for a launch. This would require descending a short vertical face but it was less muddy.<br />
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There were still spots where my weight led to ankle-deep SPLOTS into the mud, so don't go into a Vermillion River outing without the knowledge that you'll end up dirty. You will.<br />
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This video shows the unique nature of the weather that day. I joked that it was obvious there would be no kayak racing in South Dakota that day because there was no wind (our annual Memorial Day weekend race on the Missouri is notorious for being a wind magnet) and the 90s temperatures with no breeze led to sweaty faces and plenty of gnats. But regardless it was still a great little operation. After battling with the heat and mud, we got everyone into the water and began our journey.<br />
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Wildlife came into play almost immediately, and not in a good way. We all saw silver carp, the new invasive species that is here to stay, unfortunately, jumping and splashing in the shallow water where we started. Reading Jay Heath's account of these Asian explosions on the Jim River, we all knew they could be dangerous or annoying, but thankfully the four or five we saw at the start were all we saw. Only five minutes into the trip we began to hit bottom with paddles, but we never bottomed out in our craft and the flow seemed strong enough. A bit of rain would truly benefit both the river and the farmers who raise grains in the area.<br />
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We saw a great blue heron in the first 10 minutes of the paddle and she remained with us, perching above us until we approached, our voices leading her to take wing and pop down the river a few hundred meters until we did it all over again. I wasn't able to get any great photos but she was a welcome addition to the trip. A bird of prey also did this leapfrogging motion down the river with us, and of course each time this owl or hawk left its perch and moved so too did a gang of smaller birds reminding it that it wasn't welcomed in their nesting area.<br />
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The fact I had vanilla back at the house made us all regret not using it on our skin before we left as it's rumored to be a deterrent to gnats, and they were thick in many of the spots along the river. Wet muddy tracks of raccoon and deer were plentiful along our paddle as well, and the bug spray-sunscreen product I got from my mom (it's an Avon product) worked well in keeping the gnats and mosquitoes away from my face.<br />
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We paddled past the remains of the Carp Street bridge on our journey. Word is Carp Street used to be the one of the main east-west connections for Wakonda and Vermillion folks before the rerouting of the Vermillion River back in the 1960s. Unless you have a stout off-road vehicle, do not approach Carp Street as a place to paddle. There's at least three-quarters of a mile of rutted “used to be road” between the pavement and the water. Putting in at 309th is much easier.<br />
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With our heron escort on one bank and the hawk or owl on the other, time passed quickly as we descended the river, and the trees eventually thickened and gave us some shade as we traveled. We surprised a large snapping turtle sunning on a bank and he scrambled towards the shelter of the stream with a large splash. So while the river is brown and muddy, it still appears filled with life. Regional fishing enthusiasts say catfish are abundant on the Vermillion, and the flooding earlier this season may have led some lunkers up from the Missouri, so if you have a license and the inclination, you might add angling to your jaunt on the Vermillion.<br />
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Shortly after the remains of the Carp Street bridge we came across a pair of rocky shelves that created minor ripples/rapids on the stream. With a clunk-clunk-bonk, both Jim and Brian bopped over them, but I was tender on my glass boat and found a skinny channel where I could avoid the bumps. It did add a little bit of energy to the lazy Sunday cruise. Our finish line came up quite quick, we probably paddled a total of 90 minutes, and we were able to get out on some rocks and avoid the shoe-swallowing muck of the bank. We made quick work of the shuttle and reload, swiping at gnats all the while, then relaxed with a cold beverage before the work week swept us into its maw.<br />
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The average depth was low, but the scenery and the approachable nature of this waterway would lead me to recommend it to anyone who is in the Vermillion-Centerville area who isn't afraid of a little mud. Hit it at the right time of day and you'll find much more wildlife. I want to thank Jay Heath for the chance to share our journey on his blog. Thanks for reading my account of the Vermillion River between 309th and 312th Streets, just north of Vermillion, S.D.Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28635783.post-59432343013273389452013-07-08T19:52:00.000-07:002013-07-14T19:45:16.027-07:00Big Sioux Recreation Area (North) to Madison St. Bridge <!--StartFragment-->
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A couple of Big Sioux River cruises took place over this
past weekend that I missed because of family scheduling concerns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, today I seized the opportunity to
cruise with Dave Finck down the river from the north end of the Big Sioux
Recreation area in Brandon to just past the Madison Street bridge, a distance
of about 4.5 miles.</div>
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Originally, we had planned on the quick three-mile trip from
the north end of the Recreation Area downstream to the southern end: the
so-called Brandon-to-Brandon cruise.</div>
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Dave left his kayak at the northern put-in and joined me at
the southern end of the Recreation Area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The mud at the “take-out” was discouraging, so he suggested that we move
the shuttle point and the cruise ending to an area just downstream of the
Madison Street bridge over the Big Sioux, just upstream from the confluence of
Split Rock Creek with the Big Sioux. </div>
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We left his van at the take-out and took my Honda Civic back
to the put-in at the northern end of the Recreation Area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The put-in there was muddy also and I
nearly toppled over as I was approaching my kayak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dave was there, however, to provide a steady shoulder and a
push-off through the mud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems
that the older I get, the more willing people are to assist the old gent on his
way, and I take advantage of that sentiment.</div>
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We easily moved downstream on the Big Sioux.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My last trip down this segment of the
river was in November, and the river was much narrower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the water flow decreases over the
summer months, the river seems to mostly just get narrower; there always seems
to be a channel in the river that permits passage downstream.</div>
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We had no problems cruising downstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The few strainers in the stream were
easy to avoid, the water was deep enough so that we did not run aground, and
the weather, while hot, was beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2e43fn4j-RxvuVYudEo5gf9FgW4IHpTdGoTjzpc74sh4BipNhCCjQUygs8quIxYyOKArV839FfWE1t2L1L6LLUZAsLt-jYkntMwo8_BS5d4FoiAOsqu5vj1EgMUO6IFnuqD9/s1600/IMG_3886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2e43fn4j-RxvuVYudEo5gf9FgW4IHpTdGoTjzpc74sh4BipNhCCjQUygs8quIxYyOKArV839FfWE1t2L1L6LLUZAsLt-jYkntMwo8_BS5d4FoiAOsqu5vj1EgMUO6IFnuqD9/s400/IMG_3886.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The growth of trees and bushes along the shore offered the
notion of cruising through a deeply forested landscape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were scattered high cut-banks
that provided a vertical perspective to the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little evidence of the massive ice storm of April remains
along the shoreline, and much of the old strainers have been swept downstream
with the spring flood. </div>
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We cruised under the pedestrian bridge linking the two
shorelines of the Big Sioux Recreation Area, and I thought about how many times
my wife, our little dog, and I have hiked over the bridge and up onto the long
ridgeline that defines the Prairie Vista hiking trail.</div>
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About 45 minutes into the cruise, we passed by the muddy
take-out at the southern end of the Recreation Area and continued downstream
toward the Madison Street bridge.</div>
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Along the way, we passed a large turkey vulture sitting in a
tree and giving us his full attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We also saw a deer moving through the undergrowth along the left bank,
but it disappeared before I could grab my camera.</div>
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Downstream, we passed one of the crushed classic cars that
are sometimes seen in use as a bank stabilizer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">A large herd of cattle were cooling themselves in the river as we passed, and I wondered what it would be like in a kayak should a crazed stampede send them dashing further out into the stream.</span></div>
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By the time we passed under the Madison Street Bridge and
approached the somewhat sandy unmarked take-out, we had been on the water about
an hour and fifteen minutes and traveled about 4.5 miles. </div>
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This is a nice segment for most people to cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, we did not experience any
hazardous conditions, the water was deep, the wind welcome, the skies clear,
and the joy of cruising down the river during working hours delightful for a
couple of retired guys. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Jay Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15033786950619309936noreply@blogger.com2