Winter came early to the northern plains this year. The first temperatures in the 30s arrived in September, and by early October a killing frost brought the growing season to an end. There have been three snowfalls this month, and each left from one to three inches on the ground. For the past two weeks, there seems to have been constant cloudy and rainy weather. I cleaned out the hall closet and found my boots, gloves, hats, and coats. The snow brushes and ice scrappers have been found and placed in our cars. The snowbirds (those who escape the winter up here in the north and head for sunny climes in southern or southwestern states) have either gone or are planning their departure.
But, today we had a rare sunny day with temperatures in the 50s. It was an irresistible opportunity for a fall cruise, so I loaded up the kayak and headed to Lake Alvin. Pheasant hunting season began this past weekend, and it seemed prudent to restrict my kayaking to lakes within or bordering on state parks or the Big Sioux through Sioux Falls. Guys with red hats, guns, and big dogs make me a little anxious, and being on the lookout all the time for hunters or listening to booming shotguns destroys my sense of tranquility on a paddle. So, Lake Alvin it was!
When I arrived at the public access area on the southwestern shore, there was a posted notice from the SD Game, Fish, and Parks that read “No Vehicles Past This Point.” That seemed to mean that it was prohibited to drive up to the parking area or approach the dock by car. Since I have a park sticker, I just left and drove over to the Recreation Area on the north end of the lake and launched at the dock there. On my drive through the Recreation Area, I came across a Game, Fish, and Parks guy in a pick-up truck. I asked him about the sign, and he said that it didn’t mean “no vehicles” really. It was an effort to keep all-terrain vehicles from entering the property and chewing up the hillside. To me, the sign did not convey that message, and I wondered how many boaters or fishermen have been inhibited from use of the public access area by this posted notice. The guy left me a message on my windshield letting me know that cars were okay at that site.
There was one boat out on the water as I launched: a fishing boat with a guy wearing a bomber cap with earflaps pulled down and a bulky coat. I was in rolled up shirtsleeves.
I set out from the dock in Recreation Area and headed north up toward the swimming beach, moved over to the eastern shore, and headed downwind to Nine Mile Creek, my favorite part of the lake. The wind was moderate and offered an opportunity to use my umbrella sail for a few minutes.
Moving up Nine Mile Creek, I kept a lookout for animal life. A rustling in the dry grasses tipped me off to some critter moving along the shore, but on the two or three occasions that I heard such scurrying, I did not see anything. Much of the shoreline grass has lost its color and flexibility. Many of the trees have lost their leaves. This cold weather has also killed much of the algae on the lake, and visibility extends down a couple of feet in many places.
There is plenty of water in the lake, and the Nine Mile Creek channel is generally from two to three feet in depth. I was able to move up the creek until it narrowed to a two or three foot gap and finally became too shallow to proceed. There were a few ducks still hanging around and the very occasional insect, usually a bee. I had an enjoyable 90 minutes or so on the lake today.
The weather for the rest of the week is forecast to be rainy. Maybe there will be a brief time in the morning before the rains begin for the next few days, and I decided to leave the kayak on my car in hopes of a Big Sioux River paddle within Sioux Falls. I hate the thought of taking the rack off my car and storing all my paddling gear for the next five months.
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