A Nippy Cruise on Lake Alvin

With the season quickly slipping away, it seems imperative to take advantage of any reasonable opportunity for another cruise.  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.

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.

It was chilly as we set off; the temperature was in the low 30s, and we were wearing hats, jackets, and gloves. 

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.

We saw only a few birds along the way, mostly ducks or small duck-like birds that quickly few off upon our approach.  Otherwise, it seemed as though much of the bird life had departed for more a more agreeable climate further south.

The effect of a frost was evident in the grasses along the bank.  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.

We passed under the bridge and continued upstream until the normal blockage at a small rapids about a mile up the creek.  I continued upstream until grounding my kayak on rocks and had some trouble turning around for the return downstream.

The trip back downstream went smoothly, and soon we found ourselves entering back into the main body of the lake.

We moved north on the lake along the right bank and continued up to the north end by the fishing pier.  From there, we moved across the lake and paddled up the channel leading to the spillway.  It seemed to us that there was about 18 inches more water in the channel than this time last year.  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.

Backing out of the channel, we continued our return to the public access area on the southern end of the lake.

We spent about two and a half hours on the water this morning.  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.  While paddling, I did not notice the cold temperature or any wind.  Standing around as I loaded up the kayak, however, I began to feel a deep chill throughout my body.  I have often repeated the old saying: “There is no inclement weather, there is only inappropriate dress.”  Well, I was wearing only a thin long sleeved shirt and a thin nylon jacket.  That was inappropriate dress, and I experienced a penetrating chill.  Next time, I will be better prepared!

A complete set of the photographs taken on this cruise can be found on my Flickr page at the following URL:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157636668401914/

Lake Alvin: Mid-August 2013

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.  Today, however, the morning was overcast with temperatures in the 60s, and I decided to slip away to Lake Alvin for a morning paddle.  My paddling opportunities will be limited over the next three weeks or so, and I wanted to take advantage of the day.

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.  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.

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.  When there is a contrary wind, the mat tends to fly off the car and complicate my loading routine.  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.  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.  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.

There was a light breeze blowing out of the east, and I tried umbrella sailing for the first time this year.  As I set out from the dock, the wind was about 45 degrees off the bow, and I did make slow progress.  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.

Heading south toward Nine Mile Creek, I passed a great blue heron along the eastern shore.  As I continued down toward the creek, a pair of these large birds flew just ahead of me.  Upon my approach, they would launch off into the air and move ahead of me for a couple hundred feet.  And so the relationship would continue as I moved up into the creek.

Because of the high water, it was easy to negotiate my kayak over the bar that forms at the mouth of Nine Mile Creek. 

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.

As usual on a midweek morning, the lake was empty of any boat traffic.  The only people I saw were sitting in lawn chairs fishing on the public access dock.  Otherwise, no one was in sight either on the lake or on the shore.  Just me and the birds today!

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.  Anyone interested in it can check out my hiking blog at http://hikingsiouxfalls.blogspot.com for a description and set of photographs that I completed last fall.

I was out on the water for an hour and a half this morning.  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. 

A complete set of the photographs of this cruise can be seen on my Flickr page at the following URL:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157635070165773/

Lake Alvin: A Mid-Summer Cruise

This morning I decided to head out to Lake Alvin for an early morning paddle.  We have been through a long string of sweltering days here in the Sioux Falls area, so an early start seemed essential.  I have not been on Lake Alvin since late April and looked forward to seeing the transformation from spring to full summer.

I arrived at the public access point on the southwestern shore about 9:00 a.m.  The sky was clear, the temperature about 80 degrees, and there was a brisk wind coming out of the south.

As usual, I paddled across the lake and began my trip south into Nine Mile Creek.  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. 

I continued south into the creek and easily passed under the bridge and into the narrow stream than flows south.  There are a number of curves in the stream, and the channel tends to move from one side to another.  A paddler has to keep examining the flow and be ready to scoot over to the appropriate side as dictated by the bottom.  In the channel, the water depth is generally two to three feet and is generally a few feet wide. 

The creek is where I most often come across wildlife, including beaver and waterfowl.  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.

After paddling upstream, I lowered my rudder and coasted down the current to the mouth of the creek.  I guess that the distance on the creek portion of the cruise was about 3 miles roundtrip.

Even though the lake itself was a bit choppy from the brisk south wind, the creek was tranquil.  The bank and towering plant life provides a windbreak of about 8 feet, so the creek is nicely protected.

After exiting Nine Mile Creek, I decided to explore the waters on the southeastern end of the lake.  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.

Looking over the surface of the water, these schools looked like shadows on the water that moved about.  Some of the schools were several feet in length and seemingly contained hundreds of fish.  They would approach my kayak and surface for a moment in a sparkling display as they came to the surface for a moment. 

These schools would move about that section of the lake, forming into various shapes.  At any one time, I could see six or eight groupings.  My attention was riveted on these fish for a few moments.

After passing through the fish, I continued moving north and passed groups of carp swimming generally in the direction of the fish schools.  I wondered if the carp were headed for a meal of small fish!

Heading north on the main body of Lake Alvin, I was traveling with the wind, and little paddling effort was needed.  As often occurs on a windy lake surface, the waves were sometimes outpacing my kayak, creating a following sea condition.  I continued north until I was across from the recreation area launching site, about two-thirds of the way up the lake.  From there, I turned and headed into the wind for my return trip to the southeastern access area. 

The wind created a healthy chop in the water, and I moved over to the western shore to make my way back.  When waves develop on a lake, I feel safer paddling close to the shore.

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.  And, as normal in these conditions, I made my way from one landmark along the shore to another and counted my strokes.

Today, I spent about 90 minutes on the water and didn’t see anyone, either on the water or on the shore.  It was totally a solo experience. 

For the past three weeks, I have been serving as a paddling volunteer at the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls.  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.  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.

Lake Alvin in Early Delayed Spring: End of April 2013

Public Access Area on Southwestern End of Lake Alvin

I have not cruised on Lake Alvin since last November. The spring has been delayed for about a month this year, and people are just now getting out on the area waterways.  This morning I decided to take advantage of the best forecast of the upcoming week and drive out to Lake Alvin.  The lake is just 15 minutes from my eastside Sioux Falls home, and I waited today until about 9:00 a.m. to leave.  The temperature was in the 60s, it was sunny, and a moderate wind was coming down the lake from the north.  As is often the case, I was the only person on or around the lake.  A guy showed up just as I was leaving with a couple of dogs that were anxious for me to leave the area so that they could run into the lake.

The dock is not yet installed for the public access area along the southwestern side, although it is in at the recreation area launching site.  I departed from the public access area and paddled across to the east side and then headed south toward Nine-Mile Creek.

Nine-Mile Creek Flowing into Lake Alvin

There is plenty of water in the lake, unlike my trip to Mud Lake last Friday.  The water level in Lake Alvin seems pretty normal to me. 

Going a mile or so up Nine-Mile Creek is my favorite way to begin a cruise on Lake Alvin.  The creek flows into the lake from the south.  Moving down the lake and up into the creek requires that a kayak hug the eastern (life side going up into the creek) shore in order to escape shoal water in the southern end of the lake.

Nine-Mile Creek is about 50 feet wide as it enters Lake Alvin, but it gradually narrows down on the journey south until it is perhaps 10 feet wide and too shallow for even a kayak.  A trip up the creek takes about 20 minutes going upstream and then about 15 minutes for the float back.  The creek had adequate depth all the way; I even used my rudder most of the time. 

There were lots of birds out today, especially waterfowl.  Geese and ducks seemed to be nesting along the shore and in the marsh and growth just into the shoreline. I saw a couple variety of ducks, lots of geese, a coupe of egrets, and lots of perching birds. I did not see any mammal life today, although there were some turtles just easing out into the morning sun.  I have heard that turtles have poor eyesight, but they seem to see my kayak approaching from 30 feet away. I no more than glimpsed them before they would slide off their resting spot and into the water.

After exiting Nine-Mile Creek, I proceeded north along the eastern shore of the main body of the lake until I was opposite the recreation area dock on the northwestern side.  From there, I crossed over to the western side and continued back to the public access launching area.

Paddling in a deep body of water was just the opposite of the Mud Lake cruise on Friday.  It was pleasant to cruise along, especially in Nine-Mile Creek, and hear only the sounds of bird life and watch the green shoots of grass poking through the brown winter cover.  The cruise today was just under two hours.

For anyone interested in past narratives of cruises on Lake Alvin, check out the inventory of narratives on the right side of the blog; there are 38 narratives of past cruises just on Lake Alvin.