Lake Vermillion - A November Cruise

Lake Vermillion- Kayaking in November

Earlier in the blog there is a description of my kayaking cruises at the southwestern end of Lake Vermillion, running into Battle Creek. Lake Vermillion is about 25 miles west of Sioux Falls, just north of Highway 42. I found this part of the lake to be more tranquil because of a lack of other watercraft. Also, it is a sheltered part of the lake and not nearly as subject to wind conditions. Today, however, I decided to return to Lake Vermillion and cruise up into the main body.




Lake Vermillion is generally in the shape of the lower case letter “j.” The curl of the letter is the lower, southwestern arm that is fed by Battle Creek. The longer arm is oriented north and south and is much narrower than it is long. The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks maintains two access points. On north shore of the east/west lower arm, there is a well developed launching point with a first rate dock and boat ramp. There is also a restroom facility, picnic areas, and camping sites, including three of those small log cabins. In addition, there is an access point on the southeastern shore just north of the dam.



I put in at the main launching point in the park and headed east to the main body and then went north along the western shore to the point where the lake turns into the Vermillion River. The lake is probably about three miles in length, including the lower arm. I moved up the western shore pushed by a southerly wind. When moving with the wind, there are frequently waves generated, and on this occasion the waves were, at times, perhaps six or eight inches in height. The water offered a clear view of the bottom at four feet depth. I kept looking for wildlife along the banks, but there was little to be seen. About a mile into the cruise, I must have flushed up a group of pheasants. Maybe a dozen of them shot up through the grasses and took off flying. Now, I had hoped not to see any pheasants! I had visions of guys with red caps and guns tearing through the brush trying to get their limit, and that notion had caused me a little anxiety even before taking off for a cruise. But, there were no hunters to be seen nor gun shots heard. I did see a group of cormorants moving off as I approached. Other than those birds, though, I saw no wild life.



I came across a single fishing boat about halfway up the lake. As I approached, I called out a greeting, and the guy seemed startled; he kept swinging his head around in different directions trying to localize the sound. Perhaps he was lost in his own thoughts and just didn’t see or hear the silent approach of my kayak. Later, on the trip back down the lake, I came across him again. I observed what a wonderful gift a great day like today is to us; he said, “Yeah, we’ll pay for it though!” With that affirming conversation, I paddled on.



The lake continues as a rather wide body of water for about two and a-half miles upstream. At that point, the lake narrows from the western shore until it blends into the Vermillion River. I made it to that northern end of the actual lake in about an hour and a quarter. It took me about the same time to get back. I was going into the wind, but I was also moving right along in the main channel. So, the trip took me two and a-half hours, and that is about all the time that I can manage in a kayak without getting out.



The lake has a few expensive looking homes along the southeastern shore, right across from the state park. Then, there is a community of homes at the very southwestern end along the highway and across from the launching point at the park. After leaving the launching point, however, I did not see another dock. The eastern side of the lake seems more scenic to me, with high cliffs and no development after those first few expensive homes at the very southern end of the lake above the dam. The next time I go to Lake Vermillion, I think that I will take advantage of the southeastern launching point and move up the eastern shore.



Going out in my kayak in November was a real treat to me. Today, the temperature was expected to reach nearly 70. I was kayaking with no jacket, just a wind shirt for the morning. I generally have taken the kayak rack off my car and put my boats away for the winter by now. Of course, I am in the first year of retirement, and I have more opportunities to take advantage of very nice days in the late fall. Still, I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity for another cruise this year.

Lake Alvin - Paddling Season Coming to a Close

Lake Alvin – the Paddling Season Closing Down

This was a beautiful fall day in late October, and I wanted to be sure and get in at least one last cruise before the onset of winter. I decided to head out to Lake Alvin, about 10 miles southeast of Sioux Falls, and see how the lake environment was changing as the season advances. I arrived about 10:00 a.m. to a deserted lake – no cars, no boats, no people about – and a temperature of about 40 degrees. The sun was bright on the water; there was a little breeze that created wind waves in the more exposed portion of the lake of about 4 inches or so. I stayed out for about two hours, and the temperature gradually rose into the 50s. I did not need a jacket nor were gloves necessary.

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The docks are still in at both the State Park and at the public access area. More importantly, the water was higher than I had seen it all summer. I was able to paddle up into the outlet of the lake all the way to the spillway without touching bottom. I paddled around the total perimeter of the lake and then went up Nine Mile Creek until I reached the bridge over 479th Ave. This was the first time since last spring that I was able to make it up Nine Mile, and I could easily have continued even further. The water in the creek was consistently 3 to 4 feet deep. The water throughout the lake was clearer than it has been; I could see bottom easily up to about 2 ½ feet.



During most of the cruise, there was little sign of wildlife; but, as I moved up into the southwestern part of the lake toward the mouth of Nine Mile Creek, I saw lots of waterfowl. I came across a large flock of geese – maybe 30 of them – and they remained stationary on the water as I allowed my kayak to drift along with the wind toward them. There were a couple groups of ducks behind the geese, and they were spooked by my presence and flew off. Later, the geese also took off in a group and moved east, away from me. At about the same point, I saw multiple large bullheads coming up to the surface of the water around my kayak.



The cruise was pretty quiet. As I mentioned, there were no other boats. From time-to-time, there was some vehicle noise, but mostly the only sound was the wind moving through the dried leaves of large cottonwood trees.

On this trip, I put in at the State Park and was able to enter and exit the kayak from the dock without getting my feet wet. The water was a little chilly, and I did not want to wade into the lake to get into the kayak. It all worked out pretty well, and I had a totally dry cruise around the lake.



Normally, by this time of the year I have taken the Yakama rack off the top of my car. I have a Honda Civic Gas/Electric car, and the rack has a major effect upon my gas mileage. Normally, I get close to 50 mpg with the Hybrid, but with the rack affixed to the top of the car, the mileage drops down to about 38 mpg. I think that I will leave the rack on a bit longer this year. I am hoping to get in another cruise before the inevitable winter conditions arrive.

There are a couple of earlier descriptions of conditions on Lake Alvin in this blog. If you are interested in reading more about this very accessible body of water, just look at some of the earlier entries. .

Split Rock Creek to Big Sioux

Split Rock Creek to Big Sioux River Bridge Over Highway 42

The South Dakota Canoe Association sponsored a cruise today that began at McHardy Park in Brandon along Split Rock Creek and ended at the Highway 42 bridge over the Big Sioux River at the developing Arboretum to the east of the Perry Nature Center and across from Arrowhead Park at the eastern edge of Sioux Falls. Gene Preston of the SDCA organized and led the cruise, and there were four canoes and four kayaks that made up the fleet. One of the advantages of going on a SDCA sponsored cruise, of course, is the shuttle arrangements from the "take out" point back to the "put in." Gene made those arrangements and that made the trip so much easier for all.



The water was down a bit along Split Rock Creek, so the canoes put in at a point downstream. The kayaks, however, put in at McHardy Park along a sand beach. I took my older Dagger Bayou 10.5 foot kayak on the trip. Even though the kayaks bumped along on some rocks and scooted through some shallows, none of us had to get out of the boats during the trip. Split Rock Creek meanders along out of Brandon, past the race track, and through a variety of landforms and water conditions. There were a number of riffles to pass through, and occasionally some light rapids. The land was typical for prairie streams, low and high banks alternating and lots of old cottonwood trees. There was a good bit of bird life to observe, but the socializing aspect of a group cruise tends to warn wildlife off. Split Rock Creek passes the confluence of Beaver Creek and then the Big Sioux River. The passage becomes easier as each confluence is passed – more water, deeper passages, and fewer riffles.



The cruise for the kayaks took about three hours, with pretty steady movement. We did not stop for strolls along the sand and gravel bars. The road distance between the park in Brandon and the bridge at Highway 42 is about 6 miles. I would guess that the river mileage is more in the range of 10 miles. The temperature was about 50 degrees, it was sunny, and the breeze was light. Since none of the kayak paddlers had to get out into the water, it was a really great cruise.



This was a new waterway for me, although it has been frequently paddled. The SDCA has done this trip each year for some time. I am so glad to know about this paddling opportunity; I want to go on it next summer and
recreate the trip next fall as well. It is a wonderful half-day paddle.



I had considered selling my older Dagger kayak because I bought a newer one this summer with additional features. This trip showed me, however, how useful it is to have a smaller and sturdy kayak for use in rocky rivers. All the kayaks were able to slide through and over rocks, and none of us were worried about damaging the boats. I would not want to take my Folbot or a handcrafted kayak down a waterway such as Split Rock Creek. So, I will just hang onto the old Dagger and use it for rougher waters. It has served me well.