Lake Vermillion - The East Side - May 2007

Lake Vermillion – May 2007

Today I cruised up the east side of Lake Vermillion from the east site of the Lake Vermillion State Recreation Area well into the East Fork Vermillion River.



The east site of the recreation area is a public access and no park sticker is necessary to use that launching area. There is a spacious paved approach and parking area, a dock, and a toilet at this site. This part of the lake is very close to the dam at the southern end, and it is across from the main part of the recreation area. As I have mentioned in earlier Lake Vermillion posts, the lake is in the form of an “L” with the lower arm extending west back up into Battle Creek. This arm is an area that is popular with kayaks and canoes because there are few boats that venture up that way. The main part of the lake is oriented north and south and extends north for a couple of miles from the dam where it narrows down as it transitions into the East Fork Vermillion River.



Today there was a moderate wind out of the south, which created a following sea condition going north on the main body of the lake. There are enough coves along the lake so that wave conditions and wind strength varied as I moved north. I moved close to the eastern shoreline so that I could check out conditions for wildlife. Also, I tried to move into calmer waters when possible. At the northern end of the lake, the waterway narrowed considerably as it transformed into a river. I continued upstream on the river for another mile or so until I checked the time and saw that I had been out for 70 minutes. I was aware of the conditions likely on the way back, so I turned and made my way back south toward the launching point.



The wind on the way back had increased in strength and the waves had become noticeably larger. The return trip required constant paddling and no slow cruising along the banks. Instead, I began to focus upon the next point or tree to mark progress; sometimes I counted strokes to validate that I was moving from point to point. As I picked up speed, the kayak took waves over the bow and spray was coming back at me. It was not especially risky, just a steady slogging ahead trying to get back. While it took me only 70 leisurely minutes to make the run north, it also took 70 minutes to get back – 70 minutes of vigorous paddling along the shortest distance between points.



There were lots of pelicans on the lake today. I came across two large flocks at different points; one group was up on the river portion of the cruise. I find these birds beautiful as they wheel overhead. In addition, I saw several great blue herons and lots of ducks. On the way back along the shallower east side of the lake, I came across several gigantic carp just below and alongside the kayak. Occasionally, they would jump out of the water – snapping at bugs, I guess.



The last time I cruised up the main body of the lake (November), I thought that the east side looked more interesting. As I was moving up the east side today, I thought that the west side looked more interesting. It seems like the east side is shallower with more aquatic grasses growing. For that reason, perhaps, there also seems to be less boat traffic on the east side. I guess that either side has its positive points. Once you get far up into the northern part of the lake, the water narrows down as it becomes a river. At that point, you can move from side to side easily.

On this Thursday morning, I saw a couple of fishing boats out on the water, and there were a couple of guys fishing at the dock at the launching point when I returned. As I have noted before, Lake Vermillion seems best on a weekday when there aren’t speed boats racing up and down. If I were to go there on a weekend day, I would be sure and start off from the east launching point and stick to the eastern side on the cruise up the lake.



Lake Vermillion is pretty close to Sioux Falls and offers the closest larger body of water. There is limited development along the shoreline, so there is the feeling of being in an isolated waterway. There is also plenty of birdlife and probably other wildlife to observe, especially as you move north on the water.

Canoe and Kayak Festival - Sunday, June 3

The annual canoe and kayak festival sponsored by the SDCA will be held at Lake Alvin on Sunday, June 3, 2007, beginning at 1:00 p.m. The gathering point for this event is the public access area located at the northwestern part of the lake. The entrance to this point is off Highway 11 and not in the state park. This is not a "fee" area, so no park sticker is required.

The purpose of this gathering is for people interested in the sport to try out different types of boats. There is generally a wide range of boat types available: a variety of kayaks and canoes. There will also be five canoes available for people who do not have a boat. In addition, most of the boats at the event can be tried out by those attending. There will be some demonstrations put on by SDCA members as well.

This is a great opportunity for people who have questions regarding the sport or the type of boat that is most appropriate for them. It is also a time of networking and relationship building with area paddlers. The event is open to the public.

I will be there with at least one of my kayaks, and I look forward to meeting readers of this blog at Lake Alvin on Sunday afternoon, June 3.

Lake Lakota - May 2007

Lake Lakota – May 2007

Lake Lakota is part of the Newton Hills State Park and is about 28 miles from my eastside Sioux Falls home. This is my second narrative regarding this lake, and the reader is advised to check out both posts.



Lakota is about the same size in area as Lake Alvin (about 100 acres) but is shaped a bit differently. The launching point is within a fee area and is very nicely developed for family use. There is a covered picnic shelter, plenty of tables out under trees, a vault toilet, a swimming beach with a changing building, a well designed launching ramp, and a dock.



On a weekday morning (Friday, May 25), the area was nearly deserted. The wind was pretty brisk creating white caps in unsheltered parts of the lake, the temperature was about 60 degrees, and it was partly cloudy with plenty of sun. I thought that my 90 minute cruise was especially tranquil and contemplative. The only sounds were the wind blowing through the trees, waves rolling in on the shore, and lots of bird calls. I was able to paddle along lost in my thoughts and able to enjoy the beauty of this wonderful setting.



The lake is a creation of the impoundment of Pattee Creek. The creek enters the lake on the extreme northwest side through a culvert. This part of the lake is a narrow arm that leads out into the main body of water that runs generally north and south. The spillway for the lake is located just in front of the dam located at the southern end, from which Pattee Creek continues. The spillway is a rectangle concrete drain with grates on it which directs excess water down under the dam. You can actually rest a kayak along the spillway and watch the water go down the drain.



There are trees along most of the lake, some high banks on the southeastern part, several little coves which have quiet waters and lots of aquatic grasses in the lake. The waters are very clear; you can see the bottom clearly at six feet, and this is an especially interesting sight through the water vegetation. There was plenty of water in the lake; even where there was significant aquatic grass, the depth was at least four to five feet along the shore line. My kayak has a rudder, and I really like the way I don’t have to use corrective strokes, especially on windy days. Also, the rudder helps direct the kayak when I want to take photos or gaze quietly at some wild creature. On Lake Lakota, the thick aquatic grasses can cause plenty of practice in raising and lowering the rudder, especially in the shallower coves. Despite all the grasses, my rudder was never tangled.



As I was kayaking up the western arm of the lake, I came across the largest turtles that I have ever seen in these lakes. The water in this arm was calm and there was significant aquatic grass growing. I saw giant turtles sleeping with just their head showing. They must have not been spooked by my kayak, because I could see their nostrils showing, but they just hung there in the water. On a couple of occasions, I thought that I had come across rocks in the lake. The water was too deep for that, however, and these were actually very large turtles. I reached over and tapped one of them on the shell, but it did not cause any reaction. The shell on the largest of them must have been at least 18 inches wide and even longer in body.



There were very few waterfowl to be seen today and no mammals that I saw. I would think that this would be a good place to see animals because of the park land surrounding the lake and extending inland. But, I didn’t see any on this trip.



Kayaking the circumference of the lake and peeking into nearly all of the coves and the western arm takes a little over an hour – maybe 75 minutes. I think that this would be a good place to bring a friend or family member who just wants to hang out reading a book or kicking back while you are out in the kayak. The setting is just great for a mini-cruise in a beautiful setting.