This Seemingly Endless Winter

The Seemingly Endless Winter: No Kayaking on Lakes Yet

Last year at this time, we northern plains kayakers were out on the water. My first blog entry of the 2007-paddling season featured an early cruise by Steve Dahlmeier on Lake Alvin on March 19. This year, the winter seems endless. The temperatures have consistently been 10-15 degrees colder than normal, there has been lots of snow in March, the lakes are ice covered still, and my kayak has continued its service as a shelf for boxes and odd gear that has no appointed place in the garage.



I went out to Lake Alvin this morning to check out the conditions. It was my first visit to the lake since November; I drove out there in a snow shower and arrived to find the state recreation area deserted, the lake ice covered, and the dock pulled out. It was cold, and the wind was blowing. I was dressed in layers and had gloves and a sheepskin hat on. My little poodle came along with me, and he had his red sweater on. We went for a nice stroll around the recreation area, but the sight was the same all over: snow and ice.




Along the edge of the lake, a narrow break of open water was visible. The water there at the edge was clear, probably as clear as it ever gets in Lake Alvin. Migratory birds have returned, and there were geese at one of the wider breaks of open water near the spillway. Lots of robins were flitting about, but I wondered what they would find to eat. My wife worries about the early return of the robins, often just in time for a series of snowfalls in late March. They look so fat this time of the year, so I assume that they have filled up on worms from further south – enough to sustain them, anyway, during these first few weeks of their return.




After leaving Lake Alvin, I drove over to the Larchwood Road that crosses over the Big Sioux River to check out the flow there. The water was moving nicely, but the approach was a morass of mud. One look down the road was enough to convince me that going on would be a sad mistake. So, that approach to the river does not seem feasible for cars now during the thaw.



I guess that we all just have to hope for a rapid change of conditions here in the north. The temperatures this weekend are expected to climb into the low 50s. If that continues for a week or so, perhaps the lakes will open up. We also need some sunny and dry weather before taking a car down dirt roads to the banks of the Big Sioux. The first SDCA cruise is slatted for April 19 on the Big Sioux up near Flandreau. I read Jarett Bies’ blog the other day with photos of the ice-covered river in that area. We’re all just hoping for a big thaw and dry-out in the next couple of weeks.