Minnesota River

Weekend trip report

We had a great time with a dozen friends from the South Dakota Canoe and Kayak Assoc. We reserved camp sites at Lac Qui Parle State Park in the lower camp ground with the hope of being close to the water. The access near the sites was pretty muddy and had a steep bank, with recent high water levels the park is experiencing mosquito hatches of epic proportions. I think I even saw a small dog carried off into the tall grass.

Note to MN DNR, there were no dragon flies, damsel flies, red wing black birds, purple martins or even bats.... which means you have tried spraying and killed off the predators which makes things worse. Call me, I can help you out.

Some of us went over to the lake to paddle around Friday night, a couple hours of fun playing on the waves. after the obligatory campfire and rounds of kumbya a chili night was spent huddled under the covers (to cold for the mosquitoes). Saturday morning after a big breakfast we loaded up ten kayaks and one canoe and headed for Camp Release for the put in (located on county road 15). We shuttled the truck and trailers down to the take out at Wegdahl County Park.

The river itself was a beautiful ride, bald eagles, waterfowl and fish could all be seen from the water. The flow was perfect as it didn't take a lot of effort to move along. The only hazard was some new downed trees that we had to avoid but nothing that blocked the entire river.

We stopped for snacks and PBJ sandwiches at Priens Landing just down river from Montevideo. Easy in and easy out but it was a little hard to see from the water. There is a canoe in camp site around river mile 261.5 but it was poorly marked, perhaps one sign fell down.

Even after 5 hours the trip seemed to end to soon, mussels were pleasantly sore and we were refreshed from the sun and company. of course the ice cream after helped a lot too..

Super Moon Paddle

Garretson SD

We put in above the dam just after dark, the moon was already above the horizon but not yet above the trees. We could hear the water poring over the dam below us, creating a slight mist above the waters surface. Conversation was slight as the quiet of the night seemed to blanket the group as our boats floated through the darkness. As the moon rose above the tree line, cold silver light enveloped us and lit the rock walls with  a mystical cast. It would be no small stretch to imagine passing from one world to the next.

Another group of paddlers were congregating near the west rock wall, gathered near a strange blue glow coming from the water. It appears another phone has gone to Davie Jones’s locker.

We paddled a little more than a mile to the rapids that halt further progress upstream and paused for a time, allowing the moon to reach its full potential. Pictures were taken although they turned out badly. With the temperature dropping and the night lingering on, we felt no sense of urgency as we meandered back down stream wishing the river could carry us beyond the responsibilities of our daily lives. With a touch of sadness we reluctantly loaded our gear, shared a cup of hot coffee and went our separate ways.

Photo by David Fink

Bucket List Trip

Here is an exciting adventure we can paddle right our back yard. did you know that you can paddle the Minnesota River from Ortenville all the way to the Mississippi river in Minneapolis? According to the MN DNR website at http://dnr.state.mn.us/watertrails/minnesotariver/index.html The Minnesota River flows 318 miles from Big Stone Lake in Ortonville to its confluence with the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling in St. Paul. It is a gentle, placid river, with some portions designated as a Wild and Scenic River.

The valley through which the river flows was carved into the landscape by the glacial River Warren between 11,700 and 9,400 years ago. Paddlers will see a diversity of terrain, ranging from steep granite bluffs to marshy lowlands.

As far as a paddling adventure, it looks like it would take a week or more to paddle it all in one go. But it could be broken up easily into segments and completed in multiple trips. There is a fantastic site at http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/minnesota-river-virtual-tour-map that takes you on a virtual tour of the river and provides resources to planning out your trip or hooking up with a guide.

This trip is definitely going on my Bucket List!

New Year, New Resolve

As the sun sets on another beautiful evening on Lake Pelican, yet another blog post goes by the wayside.

Today's post is dedicated to Lake Pelican, located just south of Watertown South Dakota.
Lake Pelican Google Map

Lake Pelican was created when a huge ice cube broke away from the last glacier and was covered by sand and silt. The lake measures approximately five miles long, a mile wide and has a max depth of about 7 feet. Pelican is situated East Northeast and has good access points in many places. The best and easiest access sites are two State Parks on the south west end and the Skinny Krull access on the Northeast end and yet there are undeveloped access points at most section lines.

Due to the prevailing winds, water depth, and how the lake is orientated the waves seldom top 24 inches and is easy to paddle. I have seen beaver, pelicans, and various shore birds on my many trips along the lake.

January

Not a lot of paddling going on this month. The water is a bit hard to get through. just thought i would mention that the South Dakota Canoe and Kayak Assoc. annual meeting is Feb 1st at the outdoor campus in Sioux Falls. https://www.facebook.com/groups/15793060604/

Also I am hosting a "Build a Boat" class through Lake Area Technical Institute on March 11th, more news on that as it gets closer. http://www.lakeareatech.edu/cu/index.html

TTFN

Catching up

Took out the wood kayak last night (no leaks). What a beautiful night to work out some frustrations and sore muscles. Just a light north east breeze, just enough to keep the sweat down but not enough to keep the mosquitoes off. The tunes I downloaded from ocean lab really match the paddle rhythm and the water just cruses by. I only had time for a couple of miles but finished feeling refreshed and comfortably tired.

Spring Time

Yes I think it is finally here. The river is running and the ice is starting to disappear  Only 24 days until the South Dakota Kayak Challenge.
Not a lot of runoff from the Big Sioux Basin so if you want to run the river, it should be soon.

Paddle Pictures

Lake Pelican

The weather was too nice last evening and I had to put the kayak in for an hour's cruse. We wont get many more days like this before the water gets hard.

happy paddling!

Not where I should be

Its been really tough today to stay on task. I watched a mock documentary called "Troll Hunters" this weekend, it was a fun movie based in Norway. Which brings my wandering thoughts to what it would be like to paddle the fjords and waterways of that country. What would we see, smell, hear and feel. Would I like to try my hand at fishing? Or just soaking up the solitude of mirrored water reflecting mountains and sky. I should be working diligently towards my project goals, but the weatherman is promising snow for tonight. The first accumulation of the season, will it be a genital snow? Or will the northwest wind drive it into the shorelines and push the heavy waves up on the beach? If given the chance I would like to be out on the water while it snows. On a windless night, with gently falling snow, the air crisp yet fuzzy with big flakes that stick to your eyelashes yet melt softly when touched by something warm.

Night Paddle

Last night about 8pm, I put in on the west end of Lake Pelican after a couple of warm-up stretches. The lake was completely flat and not even the hint of a breeze as I pulled away from the shore, sighting on the north ramp about a mile away. As I worked through the initial soreness of my arms and shoulders, the kayak knifed through the surface waters, effortlessly sliding through with barely a paddle stroke needed to push. Daylight continued to fade so I hooked up my nav light and switched it on, its pale glow not interfering with the stillness of the evening. Dark purple chased the pastel blues across the lake as a half full moon lighted my passage. Making my turn and crossing to the south shore, dodging mats of weeds, hitting my groove and listening to my favorite paddle tunes playing softly on the mp3 player.

The crossing complete and now on the homeward leg of the night’s journey, full dark has descended. I take my bearing from a known yard light and carefully count the warm glow of light twinkling from the windows of the neighbor hood houses. I get too close to a small family of Canadian geese who protest the intrusion loudly taking off in search of a more secluded area. The silence of the lake enhances my sense of solitude, my world shrinking to nothing more than the rhythm of the paddle.

I beach my kayak at the takeout surprised that I am done so soon but with the great feeling of peace that only quiet reflection and meditation can provide. I make a few stretches to work the kinks out and try to focus on the moment to carry the feeling through the rest of the week.....

Another Paddle trip

September 22 we are joining some members of the SDCKA on a paddle trip from the park in Yankton SD to Myron grove. We will meet in Yankton at about 9am. The trip should take from 3-5 hours depending on how energetic we are feeling. If anyone is interested in joining us leave a comment and we can help figure out transportation and shuttles..

Paddle Trip

If anyone is interested in joining the planning of a paddle trip from Watertown SD to Brookings SD, please leave a comment. I can facilitate a meeting in Watertown.

Launch follow up

It floats!
Ok, so the pictures were taken on a couple of different days. The first attempt at launching was a little rough to deal with the 20mph winds and a new, narrow multi-chine boat.

The boat is 13.5' long, about 22" wide and weighs roughly 35 pounds. We still need to attach some D-rings for fitting and some rub rails to protect the duct tape. Otherwise you will see it at the SDKC!

Launching

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye!  

On the Good Day of St Patty, This 17^th Day of March, Noonish or so. On the shores of Lake Pelican, we will launch upon its maiden voyage the kayak of Mr. Brandon Foote. Made in its entirety of pieces of wood and duct tape, we are counting on a dry run to establish its seaworthiness.

The launch point is located on the north shore of said Lake Pelican roughly three miles south of highway 212 on 450^th avenue. You would be welcome to bring your own boat to offer encouragement on a beautiful day or rescue if things don’t go so well. The engagement shouldn’t take but an hour or so, if we haven’t sunk her by then the chances of her staying afloat be pretty good.

See you then!

Spring Fever

Ok, paddle fans, it looks like spring is getting closer every day. with the forecast in the 50's this weekend I am sorely tempted to launch the new kayak to see if the duct tape holds...

Lake Kampeska, looking at the rock pile.

The Fleet

only 81 days remaining until the SDKC and there is a good 4 inches of snow on the ground and the lakes are still frozen over. we have been working on a skin on frame kayak for B-man and its about finished. for the skin we decided to go nontraditional and use about 4 rolls of duct tape.
And of course my strip built Great Auk is patiently waiting in the rafters of the garage for me to polish it up with a couple of coats of varnish.

100 days

Only 100 days untill the South Dakota Kayak Challange.... ok fatboy, time to get in shape (round is not the shape i need)

pool sessions

here is a re-post of the SDKC

"East River South Dakota racers, if you need to do a bit of pool training, we've got sessions set at Sioux Falls YWCA on Feb. 12, Feb. 19 and March 4."

Weekend Report

Saturday I traveled down to the outdoor campus in Sioux Falls to attend the SD Canoe and Kayak Association annual meeting. The speakers included Steven Dahlmeier, President SDCKA, Greg Latza & Erin McManus with a trip report of the White River. We heard from Tony Keller speaking about his book,  Camping & Cooking with the Bare Essentials. After a short business meeting Team River Runner gave us the lowdown on how they are helping disabled vets through kayaking. Tim Cowman - Director, USD Missouri River Institute gave a great presentation on the Missouri River Flood of 2011: Causes, Impacts, and Post-Flood River Management. Finally Jarett Bies & Steven Dahlmeier gave us an update on the South Dakota Kayak Challenge.
there is more information on the speakers and links to their sites if you follow the link in the side bar to the SDCKA. Overall a good day and well worth the trip down there.

South Dakota C&K Association

the annual meeting for the SDC&KA is Saturday the 28th of January, noon to 4pm. more information can be found at http://sdcka.blogspot.com/