Back to Lake Alvin - August 2009

I try to get out in my kayak at least once a week. Generally, my desire is to visit the area waterways in some sort of rotation so that I can update myself and the readers of this blog on conditions for paddling within an hour or so of Sioux Falls. Lake Alvin is like an old shoe; it is close, familiar, and predictable. So, I often feel as though I am not extending myself much when I go for a cruise on this very familiar body of water. Then, I sometimes snap out of my preconceived notion of destination and head out to Lake Alvin. You know, this is really a pretty nice place to go paddling. An important element for me is that time traveled from my driveway to the dock in the public access launching area today was 14 minutes. There are a number of other attractive features to Lake Alvin, which will again be emphasized in this narrative.

Today was partly sunny with a hint of rain in the big cumulus clouds moving across the landscape. It was also pretty windy, perhaps 20 mph, with temperatures in the high 60s. When I arrived at the lake, it was, as usual during a weekday morning, deserted. There were no other boats on the lake as I set out from the launching point.

Lake Alvin has an irregular shape that follows the old creek bed of Nine Mile Creek and is bordered by high banks along most of the shoreline. So, the wind across the lake is affected by the landscape. The shape of the lake means that wind conditions are nearly always variable. As you round one point, the wind tends to shift direction. There is generally a lee with relatively calm water along the shoreline below the banks.

Today, I set out from the public access area and paddled north and then east to the fishing dock on the far northern shore. It seemed to me that I was paddling into the wind, and I thought that I would just sail back to the south end after my cruise. On the way back, however, I found that shifting winds and the bends in the lakebed keep me still in a head wind. After passing the recreation area dock, though, the wind provided an opportunity for me to set my Spirit sail and cruise all the way back to the entrance into Nine Mile Creek.

Sailing today was a great experience. The wind provided plenty of drive, and my rudder gave me excellent control as I cruised south. The kayak was creating a bow wave and wake through the water, and I was kicking back, grinning at the ease of travel.

To extend the cruise, I entered Nine Mile Creek and found plenty of depth for the trip into this increasingly narrow waterway. This is one of my favorite aspects of cruising on Lake Alvin. Nine Mile Creek is where a paddler is most likely to see waterfowl, birds of all sorts, beaver, muskrat, raccoon, turtles, and deer. Today, I came across two deer sharing a drink of creek water. They seemed frozen in place at first, just giving me a close look but not immediately dashing off. I had time to take my camera out and catch a couple of photos before they fled. In addition, I saw a mother duck with a big group of little ones scattering at the sight of my approaching kayak. Nine Mile Creek is also where a paddler is most likely to come across turtles.


Once again, I began to feel fortunate to have Lake Alvin so close to my eastside Sioux Falls home. It has been nearly two months since I last paddled these waters, and I need to take more frequent advantage of the paddling opportunities it presents.

SDCA Annual Conference

South Dakota Canoe Association Annual Conference


(The Spirit Sail attached to Jay Heath's Kayak)

The SDCA held its annual conference on Saturday, January 25, 2009, at the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls. The program featured a number of South Dakota paddlers who presented topics including area paddling opportunities, kayaking the big waters of lakes in the Brookings area and Lake Superior, cruising on the Missouri River in the Pierre area, tripping to the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota, paddle construction, and a 42-day adventure through the Northwest Territories of Canada along rivers and lakes to the Arctic Ocean.

(Rick Johns, SDCA Board Member representing building, demonstrating kayak paddle construction)


(Dick Davidson, SDCA Board Member and legendary expedition canoe tripper, presenting Arctic adventures)


(Mary Finck, SDCA Board Member representing conservation)

While paddling in the Sioux Falls area is perhaps 8 weeks off, some of the members related their on-water experiences on the Missouri River that took place in the Pierre area just this month. In any event, the audience considered the upcoming paddling possibilities that are just over the horizon. The SDCA will be sponsoring a pool session at the Sioux Falls YWCA on Sunday, February 1, to help paddlers practice a wet-exit from kayaks, assisted and self-rescue techniques, and rolling. Those interested in attending should contact Jarett Bies, and information can be found on the SDCA website: http://sdcka.blogspot.com. Information on joining the SDCA to become part of the paddling network in South Dakota is also found on the website.


(Pat Wellner's dog Scruffy, a long-time kayak partner on Missouri River cruises celebrated during Pat's presentation at the conference)

First Use of Spirit Sail

First Sail


The sail for my kayak that I ordered from Spirit Sail arrived while I was in California visiting old Peace Corps pals. This past weekend was the first chance for me to try out the sail in light winds. A day or two before, the wind was blowing 25 miles per hour, and I thought that it would be best to make a first effort at sailing the kayak with a real sail under milder conditions. So, on Saturday, the winds were light, probably too light. In the morning, I looked out at the trees and saw leaves slightly moving. But, this was the day, and I just hoped that there would be some wind at Lake Alvin. The weather bureau reported winds at just over 5 mph, and for South Dakota that is almost a flat calm.

I headed out to Lake Alvin with Marsha and our dog; our Saturday routine always calls for a walk in one of the nearby nature areas around noon. Lake Alvin seemed okay for both needs – a walk for Marsha and Finnegan and a try-out of the sail for me.

Earlier, I had attached the sail mount to my kayak. I drilled out four holes on the fore deck of the kayak and, with some difficulty, managed to get the mount attached along with a backing plate on the bottom of the deck. The mount has a fitting to attach the sail, and it is possible to rig the sail while underway. I needed to practice attaching the sail and adjusting it, as well as sailing the kayak downwind.


The sail is called a “downwind rig” and is akin to sledding down a hill. As long as the boat is running within 30 degrees either way of the wind direction, the sail should draw. There are three settings for the mast, and the sail can be adjusted by grasping the mast mount, lifting it free of its seat, and adjusting it for straight downwind sailing or sliding it to either the left or right to the 30 degree mark for sailing slightly off the wind. It is by no means a sail that would permit tacking. My rudder acts somewhat like a centerboard.

The sail can be used for messing around on a lake as long as the kayak is placed in a position where the direction of travel is downwind. Like a sled, the kayaker might have to paddle upwind to a point and then sail back. If the direction of travel were to be lengthy, such as on a wide or long body of water, the sail might ease the burden of paddling and be used to effortlessly move along.

The sail can also be used just as a chance to experience the most rudimentary form of wind-born travel. Many of the features of sailing are there: the draw of the sail, the luff in a sail as the wind shifts across its surface, the snap of the sail as the wind grabs it, and the sound of water passing under the hull just from the pull of the sail.

This sail is called the “mid-size” and is billed as good for “older (geezer)” sailors. The sail area is only 8.5 feet, not really much more that my big golf umbrella. The advantage of the sail over my umbrella is that my hands are free to balance the paddle for a potential brace or draw. I steer the boat with my foot-operated rudder.

On this occasion, I found myself more concerned with operating the sail than in enjoying the time on the water. I paddled from the dock in the Lake Alvin Recreation Area down to the fishing dock and then sailed back. The sail back was slow with the wind conditions. I could have easily have raced myself with just a leisurely paddle. But then, I chose a day with limited wind. I want to try it again with the wind about 10 mph and see how the boat moves. For now, I have the sail in its bag and will carry it in the bottom of the kayak on future paddles. When the occasion presents itself, I will set up the sail and continue to learn how to use it effectively.

There is a certain irony in using a sail with the kayak. I got the boat, in large part, to provide another avenue for exercise – a form of exercise that is very appealing to me. The sail might reduce the exercise aspect of kayaking, and that would not be good. Also, it is not the effort of paddling that tends to bring on fatigue for me; it is, instead, the time spent sitting in the boat. I can only endure a couple hours before getting out and walking around. At my advanced age, four hours total is about my daily limit of paddling.

For now, however, I can imagine those first days of sail as early man set out in dugout canoes with a scrap of sail to ease the effort. My sail is very similar to those earliest devices.

By the way, the regional magazine Living Here did a feature story of me in their fall issue. The cover is one of my photos of kayaking Split Rock Creek among the rock palisades.