Peddle & Paddle South Dakota

OK SO I AM SLACK

2011-01-30T08:26:00.002-06:00

Well I just thought a note was called for to try and explain me neglect of this blog. After much thought I realized there is none. I could say I have just been busy or that I have been involved in some new adventure which all would be true, yet I could have found time if I had tried. I am going to be throwing alot of back articles and information on here all at once as I want this permenet record to be complete, so if you get tired fo the up dates feel free to just click DELETE.

October 16, 2010 Alone?

2010-10-18T15:55:00.002-05:00

Cool, quiet and with a hint of dust in the air I stepped out of the door and into a world that I had not visited in some time. The air was filled with a light haze that lay in layers across the horizon. Everything seemed completely foreign to me and I felt as though I was the lone survivor in a world that once was filled with life. The sun was just breaking over the tops of the trees that surrounded a lake to the east of me and at it was apparent that it was the beginning of another beautiful day. The winds were light and there was not a sound to be heard except for an occasional bird chirping here and there. The quite was somewhat surreal and seemed to surround me. As I ventured out and began looking for other signs of human life I could not help be think about how different this place had been the last time I was here. The hundreds of people that were here, the dozens of barking dogs and the sounds of kids playing had once filled this place with a kind of life to be envied. What had happened? Where had everyone gone? Was I alone in this world? Was I dreaming? The buildings were all there right where they had been, an empty swing moved ever so slightly on the playground where children once played and there were signs of the past presence of life everywhere. Rows of canoes someone once used to paddle the nearby waterways lay in long rows, empty dumpsters where people once disposed of their garbage lined the streets, a small pile of firewood someone had left behind reminded me of the late night fires that had burned here and an empty amphitheater all showed signs of a past presence of life. Now there was no one. Alone I walked along looking for any signs of life I could find, nothing. On I went in quest of another human being. As I walked I could not help but think back to a trip I had made to New York some time back and how different the two places were. In New York I was surrounded by tall skyscrapers, here only big old Oak trees. Cars were everywhere and the smell of the exhaust and the blare of honking horns were your constant companion, here nothing but quiet and crisp air. In New York I was shoulder to shoulder with people all in a hurry to get someplace, here I was only accompanied by my own shadow, two different worlds existing on a singular planet. The question still reminded though, was I all alone. Was I the sole survivor of some catastrophic event? Then out of now where a familiar smell filled my nose, bacon, fresh hot sizzling bacon. I was suddenly filled with a new hope. I followed the aroma of to the west and there just around a bend was a welcome sight. There was a family sitting down to breakfast, together enjoying each other and their breakfast. I was relieved to know I was not alone and that my original evaluation of my situation had been accurate. I was not the sole survivor of some catastrophic event. No it was just another day at a South Dakota State Park in the middle of October.

October 7, 2010 Change We Can Count On

2010-10-18T15:52:00.003-05:00

There are many things I like about fall including the beautiful fall colors, the cool temperatures, the lack of humidity and the knowledge that winter is on its way. Yes, I said and the knowledge that winter is on its way. Kind of twisted I know, but when you live here in the great north you know it, winter, is coming and we can’t get to the next big summer of activities until it is over. It is the start of fall and winter activities. It is the return of football and the end of camping, at least for most people. It is not however the end of outdoor activities. There is still a lot of good riding, paddling and one of the best activities in the fall is hiking. Walking along with the crunch of the brittle leaves under foot and taking in the increasingly different view of the world one has once the leaves are off the trees. Sometimes we see things we never knew existed, things once hidden by the dense foliage on the bushes and trees. It is like a new awakening, the dawn of a new cycle in Mother Nature’s wonderful bag of tricks. I know that many of us, me included, from time to time whine and complain about winter and lust for a place where it is 75 degrees year round. It is nice to dream about, but I am not sure that the reality would be as rewarding as we think. Having lived here all my life I am not convinced that I would not miss the annual changes in the seasons that announce the beginning of so many things in our lives. The coming of longer days the melting snow announces, the promise of new flowers the spring rain promises or the family picnics and outings the warmer temperatures motivate us to share. The blossoming of the trees foretelling of the sweet fruit we can look forward to in the fall, the smell of freshly turned dirt indicating the start of new life and the bountiful crops we all pray for. The shortening of the days letting us know that is time to head back to the gym and the first snow bringing us thoughts of Christmas. I am not sure how I would feel if the seasons did not change? I am not sure I would feel the same, appreciate the same things or look forward to things the same way. There is a very common saying you have probably heard. There is one thing you can count on and that it change. So what changes do you make when fall and winter arrive? Is it time to enjoy relaxing more and watching your favorite television shows? Is time to catch up on your scrap booking or organize your summer photos? Is it time to spend some time in your woodshop with some other hobby you have neglected all summer? What ever your plan is make sure to include some time for some outdoor fun. Some time getting a little exercise while enjoying the great outdoors. Maybe it’s just a walk around the block or maybe it’s flying down a hill on a set of downhill skis. What ever your choice you will be better for it. For me it is time to start planning my schedule for next summer. Time to dream.

October 3, 2010 It Will Be OK, I Promise!

2010-10-06T14:44:00.005-05:00

Well as much as it pains me I guess it is time to think about heading back to the gym and slowly getting myself back into my winter mode. This is a difficult time of year for me for a couple of reasons. The obvious one is I will have to give up kayaking and biking outside for the most part until spring. Second, although I hate the thought of winter I do like the change of seasons due to the fact it forces me to change what I do and it allows me to catch up on some things I tend to let go all summer. So let’s look at this change a bit more closely. Like anything else getting started with a new routine is more of a mental challenge often than a physical one. One must be ready and able to concede defeat to Mother Nature, to give up ones control and accept the reality of change. After feeling sorry for myself if I just take a moment to sit back and really think about it I realize just how good this annual change is for me. It helps me re-establish a bond with my couch and with my refrigerator while not having to worry about washing and lubing my bike or making sure I have enough water proof snacks for my kayak. Yes it is a time to just relax and veg out. Well that’s the way it used to be, before we realized how much more fun can be had even in the winter. One of the best parts of winter is heading back to the gym. Yes I know I have complained about having to be inside, but I did not tell you how much fun it is to see our instructors and fellow gym rats again. To find out what everyone has been doing all summer and to set goals for the winter. It’s nice to experience once again the energy in the spin room, the enthusiasm of the circuit training class and the support of everyone around you. The only down side to heading back to the gym is realizing that no matter how active you were all summer there is a whole set of new muscles you must not have been working very hard, oh the pain of it all. And when not in the gym there is ice skating, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing, or hiking. There are all kinds of winter things you can try. A good place to experience some of these is the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls. Give them a call or checkout their website to see what they have to offer. As for myself I think the one new thing I want to really explore this year is snowshoeing. There is something about this age old practice that intrigues me. What a way to experience the outdoors and see it from a whole new prospective. I keep imagining the Mickelson Trail by snowshoe. I guess my advice is this. If you have not ever tried enjoying the great outdoors in the winter give it a shot. Who knows you might just surprise yourself and like it.

September 25th, 2010 All for One, One for All

2010-10-06T14:43:00.005-05:00

Saturday we made our annual fall pilgrimage to Spirit Lake, Iowa to take part in the nineteenth annual Oktoberfest Ride around the lakes of Okoboji. Our thoughts as we drove over were entangled in a web of optimism and disappointment that the rain seemed to be following us all the way with not an apparent end in site. As Bruce drove I kept very close watch on the National Weather Service Radar on my phone and kept encouraging everyone with my analysis that predicted the rain to end before our ride began at 10AM. I must say I was not winning them over very easily as the outward signs all indicated no end to the rain in sight. Well for the sake of keeping this article short I will only say move over Jay Trobec. The rain ended at about 9:45AM and we headed out on what was to be a beautiful fall ride. One thing about rides like this one that I love is the diversity of people they attract. As I was standing there straddling my bike waiting for our police escort to start the ride I could not help but look around and smile at the individuals making up the riders. Next to me was an elderly lady dressed in her sweats and in front of me a young man, obviously very athletic in his spandex shorts and riding jersey. Across the way was a family of four, mom, dad and the two children maybe 10 and 12. There were couples on tandems, mountain bikes, hybrid and the sleekest of road bikes all poised to embark on the one thing they had in common, the love of riding. It is one of the things that makes this past time so wonderful, it can be enjoyed by people of all sizes, shapes, abilities and ages. It can be enjoyed on a $50.00 Huffy to a hi-tech bike costing thousands, it really does not matter. And the one thing that binds all riders together is the ride and the support they have with each other. Just get a flat tire and see how much help you are offered. Not a bike goes by without the rider asking, “Got everything you need?” “Need some help?” “Got a pump?” everyone willing to do their part to get you back on the road. How comforting to know you are in such capable hands if you need them. If only the whole world could learn from this. It is one of the great benefits of riding in these organized rides, meeting new people and making new friends, riding along enjoying the fall colors and the feel of fall in the air. Riding along and coming across a cluster of wild turkeys and a bit farther down the trail a couple of deer. Stopping to watch the deer as they stand ridged starring at you trying to decide if you are a threat or not, exchanging eye contact until they wonder away looking for another place to graze. It is nice to know I will have another small brief connection with nature and its amazing beauty to be stored in the back of my mind to be pulled out some long cold winter night when I begin to become impatient for spring and hitting the trails again. Yes the end for this year is in sight and our return to the gym is at hand. It is time for us to pack away our summer riding gear and exchange it for our thermals and stocking caps, finding some peace in the knowledge that it will soon be time to start planning our rides for next year. Hey, hold on a minute. Sorry I drifted off into my self pity there for a moment. We are not done. We have lots of rides left this year. We will have nice weather. We will be riding for another two months. We will have time for making more memories on the trail. There I feel better now.

August 20th, 2010 Up Hill and Then Some

2010-10-06T14:42:00.004-05:00

I remember watching the old westerns on television and seeing the train robbers riding along side a train looking for that perfect monument to jump on it and rob it. That’s how I felt as I rode along Old Hills City Road to Keystone our first stop on our way to Mt. Rushmore. The 1880 train with its black smoke billowing out of its smoke stack runs almost parallel to the road and crosses it about 13 times, so it was fun to race it to the next crossing sometimes winning, sometimes loosing. Although you never really lost because you got to enjoy all the people on the train waving and taking pictures as they went by. It was Sunday morning and the weather was beautiful as the four of us ventured out on this ride. Up one hill and down another we rode trying to make the best of the down hill momentum to get us up the next hill. Using ever gear we had to climb some of the more robust inclines. I soon realized what we call hills around Sioux Falls are really only bumps in the rode. Past glass blowing shops, antique stores and even an old mine we rode. No traffic to speak of so we were able to really enjoy the morning. We could hear the trains whistle as it approach each crossing and see the smoke from the engine raising above the trees even when the train itself was out of sight. As we crested a fairly big hill we caught or first glimpse of Keystone and knew we were about to have to make a big decision, continue to Mt. Rushmore or not? Well as we stopped and enjoy a break and some cold water we went back and forth, tossing around the options, all of us knowing we wanted to do it, but not sure we were up to the task of the three miles of 10% upgrade to get us there. In the end there was no real decision made we just found ourselves doing it. Now if you are familiar with this road you will understand or plight. We began the upward climb doing pretty well, but as we reached about the half way point we began to struggle. Between not having enough gearing and the altitude we were, well let’s just say not having much fun. We pushed as hard as we could until yes, I will be the first to admit it, we had to get off and walk for a while. So the last half of the ride was walk a bit, ride a bit, walk a bit, and ride a bit. We were very humbled by the mountain. The mountain had won this one. That said we did finally reach the main gate to Mt. Rushmore to find out that our efforts were not totally in vain, admission to the memorial if you’re on a bike is free. So we rode up to the entrance found the bike rack and headed in. Now the bike rack should tell you something. It had only places for six bikes, think it might be an indicator of how many people actually ride bike up to the memorial. We spent some time enjoying the grandeur of Mt. Rushmore and having some Almond Praline ice cream before heading back. The ride down the hill back to Keystone was not without its challenges. It would be a test of our breaks and our grips to keep ourselves under control as we descended. Riding our breaks we headed down. Letting up for only and instant and you were thrust into warp speed and back on the breaks. It only took a few minutes to make the trip down the same road that almost took its toll on the way up. At the bottom we stopped to collect our thoughts and noticed right away the break dust all over the front forks of our bikes. We had put them to good use. We headed back retracing our morning ride, up one hill and down another. The sun was much warmer and the ride seemed much longer than it had in the morning. Back in Hills City we headed for some food and water and found ourselves already looking back at our decision to ride to Mt. Rushmore. It was easy now that we had done it to sit back and enjoy our accomplishment. Something we will always remember, something we almost past up. It was another adventure, another great ride, a great day to be alive, and most of all, another great day with our friends.

August 28, 2010 Cool Deadwood Nights Here We Come

2010-10-06T14:41:00.004-05:00

The third day of riding in the Black Hills began early as we had planned to do two rides in one day. It was brisk and the sun was just beginning to warm the air when we reached Custer where we were leaving my truck for our son Chase to pick up and take to Deadwood for us. The plan was to ride from Custer to Hills City, shuttle to Rochford and then ride from Rochford to Deadwood in time for Cool Deadwood Nights. The first ride of the day is one I look forward to as it is one of the easiest. A short four mile climb takes you out of Custer and to the entrance of Crazy Horse Memorial. It is a spectacular ride with Crazy Horse in the background as you catch glimpses of it through the trees as it is slowly unveiled at the top of the hill. Then from the main gate of the memorial the fun begins, it’s all downhill the rest of the way into Hills City. It is one of those times you can sit back and enjoy the ride. Not long on exercise, but long on fun. It does not take very long at all and before we are back in Hills City and sitting down for breakfast before we began ride two. Nothing like some eggs, bacon, hash browns and pancakes to get the fuel take filled up and the energy levels back into riding levels. For leg two or our ride we had engaged the services of a shuttle service to haul us and our bikes to Rochford. Loaded in a cargo van we made our way through the trees on a ruff gravel road. It was not long before I noticed it was getting harder to breath and the road dust was sifting through the van. It was a miserable ride all in all. It was like being reborn when we stepped out of the van and back into the fresh mountain air. Back on the trail we went headed for Deadwood. The ride from Rochford to Deadwood is a pretty stead climb the first 12-13 miles and once at the crest the views are magnificent. This is a very pretty section of trail with dense trees and some rock cliffs. There are spots where you can see forever, passing creeks with people panning for gold, old mines on the side of hill and always looking for the animals that inhabit the area, hoping to see an Elk, some deer, maybe a mountain goat or two yet hoping not to see a Mountain Lion. We have seen one lion from our car that was good enough.

August 27 2010, 100 Years Of History, Mickelson Trail Part 2

2010-09-09T15:55:00.002-05:00

Can you imagine what stories could be told by a 100 year old saloon in the heart of the Black Hills? The people who have been through its doors, the events that have taken place and the deals and things that have been made around its tables. On the second day of our ride I had plenty of time to think about these things as Kay, Nancy, Bruce and I rode the 23 miles to one of our favorite destinations in the Hills, the Moonshine Gulch Saloon in Rochford. When we left Hills City the morning was very inviting, warm temps, no winds, blue skies and nothing but the trail and fresh air ahead. If you have ridden or walk even part of the Mickelson Trail I do not need to tell you how beautiful it is as you meander through the tale pines and the sheer rock cliffs. The trail was in good condition and fairly hard packed with only limited spots where you had to be careful of the loose gravel. Even then the trail sometimes takes its toll and sure enough today it decided to do just that. As I was cruising down a hill I heard that sound we riders all hate, the sound of air escaping from your tire at the speed of sound. Well it was only a short stop and the repairs were made. We were back on the trail. Soon we came around a bend that follows a small clear stream and there is was, the Moonshine Gulch Saloon. Like an oasis in the forest it welcomes you with the promise of good, food, good drink and world class hospitality. We were all looking forward to saying hi to Betsy, the proprietor of this fine establishment, but unfortunately she was off doing some errands. We did how ever get to enjoy our hamburgers, some of the best you will ever have, and relax in an atmosphere that one can not appreciate through my words. One must experience it to truly understand the appeal of a place that is 100 years old and may not have been cleaned in 50. Now I say that with the utmost of love as this atmosphere is one of the things that draw us back. There is something amazing about the simplicity of it all. And if the saloon is not enough then a stop at the Rochford Mall is probably in order. Sitting right across the street from the saloon this five or six hundred square foot store has a bit of everything, thus the mall in its name. From antiques to ice cream it is there, need an air pump they have one, need a can of beans or maybe some ice it is there. One stop shopping at its best. Well after enjoying our time in Rochford we began our trip back to Hills City. Remember how I said it was so nice when we left for Rochford that morning? Well things had changed a bit. It did not take much time into the ride back to figure that one out. The temperature on my bike computer read 110 degrees. Each peddle stroke took on all new meaning as we made more frequent stops along the way to wipe the sweat from our eyes and drink as much water as we could knowing what water we had needed to last until the next trailhead where we could refill. Now anyone that knows me knows I love to ride. I will ride in the winter snow, spring rains whatever, but on this particular day you could have just shot me, it would have been more human. I was as struggle all the way as I watched my heart rate climb on the hills in equal proportion to the heat. All I could hope for was to survive until we reached the crest of the hill and could coast back into Hills City. Well as you can guess, since I am writing this, I made it, forty six miles of Black Hills adventure. We had made it to our favorite hideaway in the Hills. What could be better? Well that first ice cold adult beverage came in a close second.

August 26th 2010 Edgemont Or Bust, Mickelson Trail Part 1

2010-09-09T15:53:00.006-05:00

One of the great assets of the State of South Dakota lies hidden in the Black Hills, one hundred and nine miles of trail made up of line stone, quartz and the red iron laden soil. A trail that takes it’s users through country steeped in history, a trail that takes you through country once the home of Crazy Horse, Wild Bill Hickok, Potato Creek Johnny and many more colorful individuals that helped settle the area. A trail that takes one through deep pine forests onto long open rides through prairie grass. On Thursday morning, August 25, we pulled into Custer, South Dakota, ready to begin our trek. The ride would take us, Kay, Nancy, Bruce and I south to Englewood. This 45 mile ride was one we had not done before and so we were anxious to see what it had to offer. The sun was warm on our faces, the gravel under our tires was grinding and you could feel nature’s energy all around you. It was a freedom and peacefulness hard to describe as you peddle along as chipmunks, squirrels and an occasional deer runs ahead or across the trail. To ride between the huge pines and shear rock walls that line the first part of this ride is an awesome experience. One thing you can be sure of is that you experience a huge variety of terrain on this leg of the trail. By the time we had covered the first 20 miles we knew we were in for a long hot second half to this trip. Through the heat you can count on one of the best things about riding the trail, the other people you meet along the way. The first people we encountered was a family from Wyoming. This family of four had stopped to enjoy one of the many wonderful trailheads along the way. To celebrate their ride they had found a unique way to celebrate their ride by attaching yellow rubber ducks to the top of their helmets. After exchanging taking pictures for each other we headed on our way. The heat was building and we were seeing the writing on the wall as they say. The last half of this ride was going to take all our energy and plenty of water. By now the sweat was starting to run in my eyes and they began to burn from the combination of sweat and sunscreen. All we could do was look ahead and hope to see Edgemont soon. Soon we were coming out of the high ground and onto the much flatter terrain of prairie grass and open skies. I must say this is the least rewarding section of the trail to ride although there is something to be said about cruising along in the middle of the prairie with clear blue skies surrounded by nothing but open space as far as you can see. Then there it was, Edgemont. We were almost there. Suddenly an all too familiar side effect of riding happened, Nancy had a flat tire. The heat was getting unbearable. The sweat was running and we were going through water quickly. Nothing stirred anywhere. No life to be seen, we were all alone. The good news is we were prepared. Bruce and Nancy told Kay and I to ride ahead and they would meet us in Edgemont. A new tube and soon Bruce and Nancy were back on the trail. As Kay and I rode by the bank on Main Street the sign said 101 degrees. AS we rode up to our pickup which or son had left there for us we dismounted our bikes and collapsed in the shade. Nancy and Bruce soon joined us and we headed for the local watering hole, the only thing open I think, and began to recover and plan our ride for the next day, Hills City to Rochford and back, but that’s for next week.

August 19, 2010 No Cafe?

2010-08-19T14:32:00.009-05:00

Last weekend our bike riding took us to the east of Sioux Falls. After setting up camp at the Big Sioux Recreation area, on Friday, Kay and I decided a short ride was in order. Well a short ride it was. We made it to the Dairy Queen in Brandon and that was it. A mini Blizzard and we headed back. How far you might ask for those Blizzards? A whole 5 miles made up the round trip. I don’t think I made any head way on my calories on that one. Bright and early on Saturday morning we got up walked the three dogs, yes we have three and that is another story of another time, and we headed east our destination Valley Springs. Now not having been to Valley Springs I was not sure what to expect, but as long as I could get a cup of coffee someplace I figured we would be fine. We soon discovered that there are no flat roads in that area. It was a constant up one hill down the next, up one hill down the next. Yuk! Oh I am sorry that is right, it is all about the exercise. When we rolled into Valley Springs we were saddened to find that there was no café for us to have a bite and mingle with the locals. We did however find a gas station and convenience store that had coffee. So we got our coffee and headed outside to sit and watch the cars go by. It was then that we notice a jewel hiding in this small town. There across the street was Aadland Pipe Organ Company where they make some of the finest pipe organs in North America. Wow who would have guessed? We had just found another example of the many wonderful things to be found in the small communities of this country. Well it was soon time to peddle on and so we headed south toward Larchwood. Again it was up one hill and down another until we reached our turn to head back east. Thirty miles later we were back on camp relaxing and planning our ride to Garretson the next morning. We were joined by Bruce and Nancy on this ride and it always nice to have friends along for moral support and rode side service; we will get to that in a minute. It was a beautiful morning as we headed north on Highway 11. The wind was light, but increasing as we made our way north. It was not long and we were at Devil’s Gulch and sight of Jesses James’s jump, a place of folklore and history. We spent a little time exploring and then it was off in search of a café. See a trend here. Was there one? Well if there was we failed to find it and again we settled for a cup of convenience store coffee and a couple cookies, I was so hoping for eggs and hash browns. It was only a few miles down the road and we were riding through Palisades State Park. This is a beautiful park and so we spent some time just enjoying the area. As we headed back the wind had increased to a level that made riding west a bit of a struggle, oh yeh the exercise thing. As we headed back to Brandon I really had only one thing on my mind and that was lunch. I was really starting to feel the toll the ride was taking on my fuel supply. We were getting closer and closer and soon we were within three or four miles from camp. Boom! An all too familiar and unwelcome sound had just pierced the otherwise quiet ride. Yes I had blown out a tire. Now we do carry extra tubes, air etc., but this was one of those times they would not help. The tire was shot. Well as I mentioned earlier that’s why it is nice to ride with friends. Bruce took off and rode to get the pickup and come back and get me. I had been saved from a long walk back to camp with my bike over my shoulder, thanks Bruce. Soon we were in camp enjoying lunch at long last. There is something special about eating after a long ride. From now on though I will do my homework, I will look for towns with a café before we decide on a ride. So if your enjoy riding get out and visit some of the small towns in South Dakota. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

August 2, 2010 Don't Be Foolish

2010-08-03T14:16:00.005-05:00

Those of you who may have read my previous articles know how much I love kayaking. This last week has been hard on me from the stand point of knowing that the river was prime for an experienced kayaker, I did say experienced. Yet even an experienced person knows when it is foolish to follow their desires. I have ignored my desires to hop in my kayak and head down the river for several reasons, but the biggest is just the fact that the city has asked people to stay off the river and the fact that right now we do not know what all may have contaminated the water. While biking the other night I came across two teen boys floating in the river on tubes. I was amazed, although I should not have been, to see them after all the warnings. Therefore I would like to spend a bit of time talking about why one should stay off the river at this point. If there is no other reason there is the fact that the water levels are very high and it is easy for an individual to get swept into a tree or some bushes and causing their boat to overturn. This can be very dangerous as it is easy to get hung up and drug underwater. The other and to me maybe even bigger reason right now is that we do not know what is in the water. Right now there is an excellent chance that the water may be contaminated with sewage, farm runoff, feedlot run off and other things due to large amount of rain we have received. These things together or even singly in large enough qualities and human exposure can cause some real problems. Although there are many potential symptoms a person may show after exposure to contaminated water, gastrointestinal illness is the most common, and was found to be significantly associated with water fecal contamination. Viral Gastroenteritis is the most common illness associated with swimming in polluted water although the symptoms are usually minor, they may present in a variety of forms that can include one or more of the following: chills, nausea, diarrhea, stomachache, headache or fever. Other minor illnesses can result from swimming in polluted water including diseases affecting the eye, ear, skin, and upper respiratory infections. In highly polluted water swimmers may be exposed to more serious diseases like Amoebic dysentery, Cholera, Guardia, Hepatitis, Intestinal parasites, Norwalk Virus, Shigellosis, and Viral Respiratory Infections. Small children, infants, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems are most likely to develop illnesses or infection after swimming in polluted water. The bottom line, stay out of and off the river until they have determined it to ok. Why risk getting sick or possibly even dying. Let’s all pray for a bit less rain so things can get back to normal.

July 18, 2010 Freind or Foe?

2010-07-20T14:08:00.015-05:00

Mother Nature is responsible for so many wonderful things in our lives. She gives us warm summer days with bright blue skies, clear mountain steams bubbling through the trees, majestic mountains, oceans full of wonderful creatures and much, much more. Yet she can be vicious and destructive showing little regard for anything or anyone when she sees fit. This last Saturday night we experienced the angrier side of her while camping at Oakwood State Park. After a hot and very humid day it was not a surprise that the weather service was predicting some possible storms, that’s just something we become rather accustom to. Yet sometimes we become too complacent and do not take Mother Nature seriously enough and she has to remind us of what she is capable of. At 7PM on Saturday night she did just that. I have never seen such a huge wall cloud as it rolled in from the southwest. It was like a tsunami wave about to smash us. As it move closer people began to scramble to secure what they could. They tried to make sure everything was safe. As they worked the staff of the park came through giving everyone instructions and options. Letting them know the shower and bath house was the recommended storm shelter. As for myself I am one of those, stupid me, that prefers to go down with the ship.
When Kay and I should have been at the shelter we were in our camper and this time we were lucky. When the wind and rain subsided enough for us to get to the pickup we began to drive through the park. Just four campers down from us a camper had rolled on it side. Inside a mother and four children, all ok. Just down the road a popup camper was folded in pieces. And then we entered the older part of the park. What was once a beautiful, shaded park area was now more like a war zone. To even get into the park a few feet we had to drive around a huge pine tree that had been uprooted and was lying across the main entrance. We soon figured out that we were going nowhere and so we retraced our steps out of the park and found a place to park so we could walk in and get an up close look at the destruction. There was a car smashed under the weight of a fallen oak, there was a Tahoe with its back window broken out, there were tents in bushes and trees and there were broken tree limbs everywhere. It was a miracle no one had gotten hurt. The power of the storm was unmistakable and there was no doubt as to what Mother Nature is capable of. Yet the people once again showed their resilience and spirit as they began to pick up the pieces. I did not hear one person who was angry, out of control or vowing never to camp again, instead they were rejoicing in the fact that everyone was alright and that they only had material things to fix or replace. Many began to pick up the park making piles of tree branches and sticks doing their part to clean up. I could only think about how much clean up there was to be done. I did not know how they would accomplish it, yet the staff of the park felt confident that they could have things pretty much back to normal by Wednesday with the help of members from three other state parks. The optimistic nature of the human spirit was in control. Although Mother Nature had gotten or attention and gained or respect one more time, she did not break us or would she deter us from doing what we enjoy most, exploring our own backyard.

July 5th, 2010 The Birds Of Oakwood's Bird Island

2010-07-20T14:07:00.007-05:00

For the last several years Kay and I have made an annual pilgrimage to check on the nesting birds on the lakes of Oakwood State Park. For those of you who are not familiar with Oakwood State Park it is situated about four miles north and twelve miles west of Brookings. There are actually several lakes that make up the waters of Oakwood State Park and the one we will be referring to is the east lake. There are few people on this lake; as a matter of fact I have never encountered anyone while paddling on this body of water. We always put in on the north end and begin our paddle by heading south and on this morning the water was calm and fairly green with algae stirred up from the heavy winds of the last couple of days.. There is a point just a half mile or so out that once you round it and head west you can see the first of the two islands that the birds of the area use to nest and raise their young. As you get closer and closer you can hear the birds and begin to take in the magnitude of the islands bird population. Hundreds of adult birds and their offspring cover what seems to be every tree branch on the island. Herons and Egrets stand guard over their young still confined to the nest. Each time I visit the island I slowly work my way as close to the shore as I can to get as close a look as possible without getting under any of the overhanging branches, as that is asking to be covered with bird droppings. Now this is not for those with a sensitive stomach as the ammonia smell from the birds waste is extremely strong. My wife waits for me about 100 yards from the island that is as close as she cares to get. Yet to me getting to see the birds up close is worth it. It is amazing to see the young still covered with down stretch their necks skyward in hopes of getting something to eat. To see the beautiful adult birds as they fly on and off the island is something to behold. As I said earlier there are two of these islands on the lake, the second being about a mile straight east of the first. The second island is a bit bigger and has much higher cliffs surrounding it. This island seemed to be a bit less populated than the first and seemed to have more green vegetation. Between these two islands there were hundreds of new young birds ready to enter the ecosystem. These islands are major links in the survival of these birds. Without the protection from most predators the mortality rate would be much higher. The adult birds are beautiful and so majestic as they sit in the trees protecting their young. These kinds of wonderful areas exist all around us, they are just not always in plain sight. Nature and wildlife are everywhere. A bit of planning and getting of the beaten path sometimes pays big dividends so don’t be afraid to go the opposite direction of the crowds sometimes. You never know what wonders are hiding out there.

June 27th, 2010 Iowa Here We Come

2010-07-20T14:06:00.016-05:00

It was 6:15AM when we hit the road last Saturday and headed east. Yes east. I know go west young man, go west. Well in the first place I am not young and secondly we were headed to Okoboji so east it was. It was time for the annual University Of Okoboji Campus Ride. This ride is by far one of my favorite rides. The rides are well organized, the bike trails in the area are awesome and well, it’s a good excuse to get out of town. As is tradition we stopped in Rock Valley, Iowa for breakfast. It was 8:30AM when we arrived at the park in Milford, Iowa. It was buzzing with people. People of all ages and with all kinds of bikes were preparing to ride. There were road bikes, mountain bikes, recumbent, tandems and even one bike built to three. Every one was ready waiting impatiently, and then at 9AM the ride was officially underway. Four hundred and fifty plus riders heading off to ride either25, 50 or 100 miles around the beautiful lakes of Okoboji. One of the things that make this ride so enjoyable is the diversity of landscape you get to travel. The ride includes winding streets along the beautiful beach front homes and their beautiful landscapes. It includes miles of bike trails around the lakes with deer and wild turkeys and miles of out in the open highway riding. It includes hills and valleys, shady rides through trees and flat out miles of sun. The ride was fun and better than I thought it might be since the wind was blowing fairly strong and the heat index was 103 degrees. It was not bad as long as one rode and used the air movement to help cool, but once you stopped for any reason the heat set in. Drinking lots of water was critical and I always ad a few electrolyte tables to mine. The rest areas that had been set up along the way were like mini oasis complete with a free banana or a cookie, maybe a Power Aid or just a cold drink of water. A small rest and then it’s on your way once again. It is always amazing to me to witness the fortitude of the people riding. To see individuals push themselves beyond their limits in many cases and to see the power of the human spirit as it takes over so that a rider might find the strength to finish, to see the support of one rider for another. After about three hours of peddling we finally could see the light at the end of the tunnel as they say. We were headed back into Milford and to the city park where burgers and cold beverages were waiting. It was only a few more miles and we would have another great ride in our memories, another victory over the terrain and the elements. A quick shower was then called for before enjoying a relaxing evening in the lakes area. With that said I would highly recommend anyone who is into biking and is looking for a great place to ride, take a look at the Okoboji Lakes area. The trails and the area have a lot to offer. I must take a moment to acknowledge the people of Little Rock, Iowa and to express my sadness for the destruction they experienced from the tornados that passed through that same weekend. On the way home from our ride we witnessed total farms that had been leveled and while we were out playing these families and their neighbors were cleaning up, hundreds of people pitching in to help one another. To me it was another reminded of how fragile our lives are and how quickly things can change. I wish them all the best in their rebuilding efforts and count my blessings everyday.

June 21, 2010 Food Is At The Heart Of Camping

2010-07-20T14:06:00.015-05:00

When many of us think of camping we think of enjoying the great outdoors. Getting away from it all, enjoying our family and friends and communing with Mother Nature.
Fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, playing bean bags or many other activities come to mind. Yet one thing that is part of making camping the experience it is, is cooking.
Everything from grilling to smoking, using a Dutch oven or using Pie Irons, roasting hot dogs on a stick to maybe the most infamous of all cooking marshmallows over an open fire. All of these are a part of making the camping experience what it is, making camping unique. Some of these methods of cooking are pretty common and need no explanation, yet others might be rather foreign to some. It is these methods that for me offer the most fun and exciting way to cook while camping. Dutch oven cooking is my favorite. It is simple, doesn’t require a lot of preparation and the clean up is a breeze. Oh and the food is awesome. Dutch oven cooking goes back in history along ways. The name by some accounts comes form the Dutch traders who introduced and sold them to the early colonists. It was a staple piece of equipment on the early wagon trails as the made their way west. So what is a Dutch oven? They are heavy cast iron pots with lids that one heats with coals or embers from a fire. Being cast iron they heat fast and hold heat for a long time. So what can you cook in a Dutch oven? Well everything from stew, to pot roast, chicken, pork chops, cookies, brownies, apple crisp etc. Anything you can cook in an oven you can cook in a Dutch oven. Just set your oven on a few hot charcoal briquettes, place what you’re cooking inside, place the lid on top and add 8-10 hot charcoal briquettes to the top. Sit back and relax and enjoy the wonderful aromas that fill the air as it cooks. Best of all when you’re done just scrap, rinse out with water and your done. A well seasoned Dutch oven never requires soap, just wash with water, let it dry and whip it down with vegetable oil to keep it from rusting. And if that’s not enough I just last weekend cooked Coca Cola Pork Chops, potatoes and brownies all with one set of coals, pretty efficient. My favorite meal to cook in a Dutch oven has to be breakfast. I like to start by frying some bacon chucks, adding a bag of hash browns, some onion and at the very end a dozen eggs. MMMM nothing better than Dutch oven egg bake. Just the aroma will have your mouth watering. So next time you go camping think about trying something new and hey if you don’t camp, well I have used my Dutch oven on the patio too. There a many books available at local retailers if you want to learn more or of course there is the internet. And keep you eyes open if you are a camper for the Dutch oven cooking demonstrations at a State Park near you. Only warming. It’s addictive.

June 2010 Mini Adventures Abound

2010-07-20T14:05:00.007-05:00

It was late afternoon on a cool summer day when five paddlers slid their boats into the water. Light breezes made their way through the trees and bushes, just enough to keep the mosquitoes at bay. The river was swollen due to heavy rains and the current was swift. Swift enough to make them have second thoughts about whether or not they should take on the trip down stream. The river had escaped its banks and had flooded many areas along its path. The shore line was gone, hidden from view. Carefully they guided their boats around fallen trees and worked to plan ahead, to out think the currents ahead of them. One by one they followed each other downstream, quietly slipping through the water no one aware they were there. The sounds of the rushing water, a bird chirping now and then and the sounds of their paddles slicing through the water were the only things that broke the otherwise peaceful silence. Paddling along they encountered squirrels, turtles, deer and various waterfowl. The deer standing motionless along the bank as if she stood still enough we would not see her. The large snapping turtle sunning itself on a log slipped into the water as we got closer. A squirrel played in the trees high above and still most of the trip lacked of any sight of human intervention. Farther downstream there were finally signs of human presence along the way. Deep in the trees they came across and old abandoned airplane. Torn and rusted it looked like it had been there for along time. Had it crashed there years ago? What was its history? A bit farther down stream the paddlers caught small glimpses of several Indian tepees hidden back in the trees. Was it an old abandoned village? Who lived there? Anyone? There were signs of human presence here and there, but no humans. The five paddlers floated on not working hard at paddling as the current was doing most of the work. Keeping their boats on course was another story. The river curved in all directions. Over small rapids they navigated their way along. By now the sun was getting low and it was blinding as it reflected off the water and into their eyes. At times it was like paddling blind, hoping for the best. They knew they were getting closer to their destination, a small sandy area hidden in the trees along the bank and they started to make plans for their exit. The last thing they needed was for the current to take them past their exit point. One at a time they maneuvered their boats onto the small landing until all five were on shore. Their journey over and all were safe and sound. Had they made the right decision to make the trip in the first place? This time yes, everything was fine. Sound like something out of an adventure novel, well a pour one maybe? No it was just Kay and I and three friends paddling on the Big Sioux one night after work. We put in at 57 Street across from Bracco and ended our cruise at 14th and Cliff. Yes we did see all of the things above, check it out for yourself sometime. It was just another mini adventure in our own back yard.

June 19, 2010 Beresford Rib Fest

2010-07-20T14:04:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday Kay, Nancy, Bruce and I headed to Beresford, SD for one of the many organized rides we participate in each year namely the Wheels‘n Squeals. Some rides are just for fun and others are fundraisers for various organizations. The proceeds from this event all went to the Shanna Rae Memorial Scholarship Fund. I always enjoy a ride a bit more when I know it is for a good cause, it just makes every peddle stroke just that more rewarding. As with most rides we started the morning off with a good breakfast. In my case that means eggs, hash browns, meat and pancakes, protein and carbohydrates to wake up the muscles and see them through the ride. Timing is important to me and I like to eat an hour before the ride begins so that I have time to take advantage of the foods full benefits.
The ride began at 8AM and the sixty or so riders, young and old, took off in a pack. The weather was perfect for riding, cool, a bit over cast and light winds. Side by side, row after row, each with a different goal and or reason for being there the riders took off and headed out of town, a rainbow of color streaming down the street. Some had chosen the 5 mile ride, others the 18 mile and we of course had signed up for the 45. Some the pack began to spread out and soon everyone had their own space and could peddle at their own speed. Some deciding on a nice relaxed pace, some rode a bit faster and yet others chose to ride aggressively. I am one that likes to start strong. I like to get out of the pack right away where I can ride at my own pace. I guess you would say that we fall into that more aggressive group most of the time averaging between 15 and 20 miles and hour. The course wound us through parts of Union, Clay and Lincoln counties. Up hills and down. It is so much fun riding along taking in the sights, watching for wildlife and hoping that everyone along the way has their dogs under control. Nine miles into the ride the wonderful volunteers had set up the first pit stop complete with water, Power Aid and snacks. Some people stopped and others just waved as they went by. I for one think its rude not to stop and have a few snacks, after all we would not want to hurt anyone’s feelings. LOL The ride took us in a nice big square so we got to enjoy the light winds in all their varieties, cross winds, head winds and of course our favorite, tail winds.
About three hours later as the sky was starting to clear we rolled back into Beresford another ride behind us, satisfied with our journey and ready to head downtown to check out the rest of Beresford’s celebration. Thanks to everyone who made this ride one to remember.
If you have never tried one of the many organized bike ride you might want to consider it. They are fun, you get to meet new people, ride in new areas, get some significant exercise and hey in most case you even get a t-shirt. If you are interested in finding these rides check with the local bike stores or check out my blog, peddlepaddlesd.com, as I try to list some of the main ones there.

Opps!!!

2010-07-20T14:01:00.003-05:00

This is just a note to apologize for falling so far behind on updating this blog. I am not sure why I am apologizing when the only reason I am behind is because I have been enjoying what I like to do...peddle and paddle. Following this entry I will attempt to bring you up to speed.

June 5th, 2010 Annual Canoe & Kayak Fair

2010-06-06T08:44:00.013-05:00

This year the South Dakota Canoe & Kayak Association held their annual fair at a new location, Family Park in Sioux Falls. Having never been there I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was and how much it had to offer. The site of an old quarry it has been stocked with trout and many renovations have been done and continue to be worked on. The annual fair is our way of trying to expose more people to the joys of paddling a canoe and/or kayaking. A way for people who are curious to find out what it is all about and to get some hands on experience. A way for us to teach the basic and to instruct them in the safe way to paddle.

Although it was a rather cloudy and at times rainy day, there was a great turn out. I did not count the boats, but there were probably two to three dozen available for people to enjoy. Small ones, big ones, long ones, short ones there was something for everyone. A great time was had by all and it was fun to see the smiles on all the faces of those trying it for the first time. Thumbs up South Dakota Canoe & Kayak Association.

May 30th, 2010 Baltic or Bust!!!!

2010-05-31T16:06:00.010-05:00

The sun was just starting its journey across the sky for the day when we unloaded our bikes and made ready to ride. Kay, Nancy, Bruce and I had decided to do something a bit different today and ride from Sioux Falls to Baltic. It was a perfect morning for riding. There was no wind, the air was fresh and the air was bit crisp.

We headed north enjoying the rolling hills. Using the down hillsides to generate some momentum to carry us up and over the next hill. There was not much traffic and the dogs along the way were all on restraints so they could not chase us. We made good time to the Baltic corner where we decided to ride east into Baltic and stop for something sweet and to use the restrooms. It was a short, but sweet time to stretch the legs. Sometimes stopping can be almost worse than riding on, but in others its a welcome respite.

Heading east once again we rode to the highway out of Dell Rapids, Cliff Ave, where we turned and headed south back towards Sioux Falls, but not without a stop at the Northern Links Golf Course to say hi to some friends. It was a busy place and we soon realized we need to forge south.

Once back on the road we crossed Interstate 90 and began to zig zag our way south west looking for an easy way to get back on the bike trail. Soon we were on very familiar turf and only a short distance from where we started. Now usually there are not to many people on the far north end of the trail, but today was different. We passed more riders than I think I have passed in all our rides this year. Soon we were on the last leg. I arrived back at the truck followed by Nancy. Soon I could see Bruce coming, but no Kay. Well a long story short she had a flat tire about a half mile back. So not feeling like fixing it on the trail Bruce took the front tire of Nancy's bike and took it and put it on Kay's bike so she could finish the ride.

So another 37 miles under the belt. Another chance to enjoy a wonderful summer day in South Dakota. What else could I ask for.

June 3, 2010 The South Dakota Kayak Challenge

2010-05-31T16:04:00.005-05:00

This should have been post a week ago, I apologize.
Yesterday, May 29, 2010, was a historic day in the history of canoeing and kayaking in South Dakota. It was also a mile stone in the history of the Missouri River and all the river traffic it has seen since before and after the days of Lewis & Clark. Yesterday was the first South Dakota Kayak Challenge, a race from Yankton to Sioux City on the Missouri River.
Eighty boats from all over the country began their journey with the sound of a gunshot at 7AM, seventy two miles of river, heat, and wind ahead of them. Full of excitement and energy they paddle out of sight one by one headed south east to the first of four check points. Each boat had a person or people in the case of tandem boats with many different reasons for being there. For some it was the race, to be victorious, to be first across the finish line. For some it was to challenge themselves and their physical and mental endurance and for others it was just what seemed to be a great way to spend a day or two on the river. They had maximum of 36 hours to complete the trip.
By the time the adventurers began to reach the first check point, 17 miles downstream, they were already feeling the effects of the high winds they were paddling into and the summer heat which was building rapidly. They had already had to navigate sand bars, whirlpools and heavy currents. They had already done more than most. As they shouted out their registration numbers to the officials so they could be clocked in, most paddled right by. A few however stopped and got some fresh water before moving on, their spirits still high.
Check point two was another 11 miles and by the time some of the paddlers reached this point they were beginning to show some ware. The river, the wind and the sun were taking their toll. It became a bit harder to decide to go on, yet most got fresh water, reapplied the sun screen and away they went to check point three which was a bit over the half way point. Their arms feeling like rubber bands and their legs numb from sitting in the small boats called the paddlers to work just that much harder. Back and forth across the river trying to find that perfect spot where current and wind were in harmony.
By check point three the race had lost several racers, the river getting the best of them. The rest of the paddlers arrived sporadically and for most they were looking for some time out of the boat and to think about going on. They were hot, red, a bit dirty and tired. Some had blisters on their hands and some cramps in their legs. Yet they all had stories. They had stories of the river, tales of seeing Bald Eagles and tales of supporting each other along the way. Once again the question was to go on or call it quits. It was amazing to watch as most of them dug down, regrouped their thoughts and decided to take the rest of the trip head on.
Check point four meant that the paddlers only had sixteen miles to go, easy for me to say. By now we had lost eight paddlers to the brutal elements of the trip. Eight people who although they did not finish had done something few others have ever done. They had had the opportunity to test their limits to push themselves to limits they had never dreamt possible. As for the rest most headed on, but a few decide to camp on the shoreline and finish in the morning.
By noon on Sunday most had arrived at the finish only a couple was a short ways out. Those that had made it were filled with pride and excitement which briefly hid the fatigue. They were winners, all of them. They had beaten the river, the wind and the heat. They had overcome the sore muscles that seemed like they would quite working at any moment. They had done something no one else had ever done nor will ever do again. They had completed the first ever South Dakota Kayak Challenge. College students, fathers and sons, professional business people, mothers and housewives all had dug deep into their soles to complete the 72 miles. They had all learned a little bit more about themselves. They had learned a lot more about the power of the human spirit.

May 31, 2010 SO MUCH TO DO!

2010-05-28T12:46:00.008-05:00

It finally arrived, our first camping weekend of the year. After what has seemed like an eternity we got the camper back on the road last weekend. To make it even more exciting we headed to our favorite place to camp, Chief White Crane, which is part of the state park chain at Yankton and sits just below the dam on Lake Yankton.
The weather when we arrived was awesome. It was warm, light breezes and sunny, all the right ingredients to welcome us. Upon our arrival I must say it took a bit moretime to set up camp than normal as it seems I had gotten a bit rusty over the winter. It was not long though and things fell into place and we were ready to begin to enjoy all of the many attributes of the Lewis & Clark area. Now, what to do first? There were so many choices, biking, kayaking, geocaching, hiking, fishing where to begin.
With our decision made and a quick change into our bike gear away we went, our mission being to ride to the far west end or Lewis & Clark and back. We were welcomed by a new addition to the area, a bike path from the camp ground to the dam. It was great. Smooth and fast. We were still a bit ahead of many of the camper’s arrival so the traffic on the paths was light. I knew were not alone though when I could smell grilling burgers or other camping delicacies being prepared. The ride through Lewis & Clark was beautiful as we rolled past the marina, through the trees and along the river. With slight hills and valleys it is an easy ride.
Back at camp it was time for one of my favorite part of camping, cooking dinner in our Dutch oven. If you have never tried a Dutch Oven you should. It is easy, the food is great and there is no real cleanup, but more about that in another article. Friday night’s dinner was Coca Cola Pork Chops. Heat up the Dutch oven; throw in some pork chops, a can of Coke, some BBQ sauce and a bit of brown sugar. Toss in a few potatoes, cover, sit back and in 30 minutes we had a great dinner.
When we got up Saturday it was a whole different story. We had entered a wind tunnel of major magnitude and it seemed as if our day was going to be ruined. Our kayaking on the Missouri with some friends, cancelled. Riding bike, well only if you were going north. But that is the beauty of a place like Chief White Crane, there is always something to do.
Our choice was to do some geocaching. If you have never heard of it or done it you should check it out. It is fun and can be some great exercise too. People all over the world have hidden small treasures and have logged there location online using GPS coordinates, The challenge is to use your GPS to find them. Seems easy? Well some are and some are not. Again I will go into the sport of geocaching in more detail in another article. By the way there are quite a few hidden right in Tea.
Then it was of to a Pie Iron cooking demo, something new to learn, another way to cook when camping. Seems there is a lot of eating going on when camping. We made pizza and apple pies and they were good, easy too.
Sunday we awoke to a much nicer day. We could not wait to get on the bikes and head out on our favorite ride in that area. We headed out with calm winds, blue skies and rapidly warming temps. We headed west and over the dam and into Nebraska, At the top of the dam the view is awesome. If you look west you can see the sail boats on Lewis & Clark. Look to the north and you are over looking Chief White Crane. A gander to the east and you see the river winding alone into Yankton. East we road until we hit Highway 81 then it was north over the bridge and into Yankton. Once we hit Highway 52 we headed west and this part of the ride it sweet with an almost mile long down hill. Then past the fish hatchery and back to the park. Now this is a 20 mile plus ride, but one that almost anyone could do.
So see, I have already over stretched my boundaries of length with this article and I have barely touched on all the things to do and see at Chief White Crane. Whether it is a daytrip or an over night trip you will not be let down, South Dakota State parks deliver. To find out more goggle South Dakota State Parks, geocaching, Dutch ovens, Pie Pans or Yankton, then plan a trip and see for your self. Get out and explore, see all the wonderful things life has to offer.

Desert Diving May 17th, 2010

2010-05-17T15:17:00.007-05:00

The flat, white terrain of the salt flats just west of Salt Lake City, Utah is probably not the first place anyone would think of going to scuba dive, yet hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean there are a series of geothermal springs of salt water. Bonneville Seabase lies just of Interstate 80 and is almost unnoticeable from the road. If not for the big signs at the entrance one would surely drive right by.
Last Thursday we, Kay and I, arrived at Seabase at about 10:30AM and after chatting with the manager and watching a brief video on the layout of the facilities we got geared up and developed a plan of attack. We decided to dive in the deepest spring first. At 80 feet deep we were excited to get going. Once in the warm 85 degree water we each took a moment to check our equipment and weighting one more time. Then it was time to secure or masks and take our first peak under the water. We were both surprised to find that the visibility was only about two feet. Now this was kind of scary as we had never dove in this low of visibility. After reassuring each other and committing to forge ahead we began our decent. It was the most eerie thing I have ever experienced. Drifting down a line that was anchored to the bottom we went, with the only reassurance that we were together being the air bubbles from each others regulators. Down we went until we hit the first platform at 25 feet. There was a light there which gave off an ominous glow. Down we continued using the rope as our only guide. At 45 feet we encountered another light and platform and at 60 feet we decided we had gone far enough. It was like being in a water filled container with the lid closed. Knowing that there was sea life all around you, but not being able to see it. The only connection with the real world being each other.
Slowly we began our ascent, trying to stay as close as we could. Making sure we were still together. As we got closer to the surface we could begin to see the glow of daylight above us and were reassured that we were ok and that we were almost done. Breaking the surface we both felt feelings of relief and of accomplishment. We had made it.
We then headed over to the other two springs to find the same kind of conditions. We did however spend some time on the bottom feeding the fish and searching for the Nurse Sharks. We never did find the Nurse Sharks, but we knew they were there. They could see us I am sure. We spent some time in the first spring and them we swan through a tunnel connecting it to another. The only way through the tunnel was by feeling the sides of the walls, otherwise there was no way to tell where you were. On the other side of the tunnel we explored some more until we had finally had our fill. Back through the tunnel and out of the water we went.
Now I would not suggest this was a great diving experience, yet it was very worthwhile.
Now we know that we can dive in these conditions and that we can depend on each other in any situation. We grew as divers and strengthened our bond as dive buddies. It was not the Caribbean, yet it was still a great experience. Another memory for sure.

April 20th 2010 Ten Dives In Cozumel

2010-04-20T16:27:00.008-05:00

We just got back last night from our first dive trip to Cozumel, Mexico and I am ready to answer the question I posed last week. Would diving be as exciting as we anticipated? The answer is a big “Yes” and then some. There is no way to fully express the experience of our journey into the new underwater dimension.
Once we arrived at Scuba Club Cozumel, got some organizational things out of the way, the morning of our first real boat dive was upon Kay and I. We both were full of excitement and apprehension. Our nervousness was hiding just behind our smiles of joy. We were there ready to take the big step off the boat and into a world of the unknown.
After an hour boat ride we got geared up, had a short briefing from our dive master and we were ready to take that big stride in the water and away we went. As we began our decent to the bottom it was amazing how quickly all of the anxiety melted away and was replaced with an awesome feeling of calm and serenity. Looking around yourself in the turquoise water you were comforted to see your fellow divers drifting slowly to the bottom along side. Seeing the surface disappear and the bottom drawing closer. Soon we were all on the bottom and everyone was signaling to our dive master with big ok signs letting him know we were ready to explore.
With around 150 foot visibility we one by one headed off drifting in the strong current that runs south to north, floating weightless over the tops of the reef and down the sides enjoying all the spectacular sea life and looking for some of the more exotic creatures. There were hundreds of multicolored almost fluorescent schools of yellow and blue Grunts, there were huge Groupers, jumbo craps and lobster hiding under the reef ledges and in the crevices that abound. Deeper we went until we hit 65 feet where our dive master lead us into a series of caves and tunnels in the coral. It was here we saw our first of many Nurse Sharks and the evil looking Moray Eels. There were thousands of small creatures hiding in every corner. Little Drummer Fish, delicate and fragile looking, small sea worms, urchins and many unidentifiable fish were everywhere. It was like being on another planet, like having left the earth to explore a new frontier. It was easy to get lost in the moment, but reality always brought you back to make sure to monitor you air supply and other vitals.
As I got more comfortable with every minute that passed there was always something that got the adrenaline flowing again, like reaching the edge of a huge deep wall. There we were gliding along the edge looking down into a big black hole, a hole with no bottom or end in sight. A hole that made you wonder what marvelous creatures lived below and yet knowing you had no real desire to find out, maybe someday.
As with all dives the time finally comes when your dive computer lets you know you have only enough air to begin your ascent, do your safety stop and return to the surface. As I broke through to the surface, inflated my BC and settled back to wait for the boat to pick us up I could only begin to think of the next dive coming up. Kay and I did ten dives while we were there, each one different, each one offering us the opportunity to discover another wonder of the sea. We even did a night dive, but that’s a story for another day. So now we are back and it is time to get the camper ready for a bit more local exploration.

April 16th 2010 Under The Surface

2010-04-20T16:04:00.006-05:00

There is something very unnatural about being completely submerged in water and having to put all your faith in your knowledge and skill to be able to do what we do the rest of the time without thinking, breathing. To acclimate yourself to a world that is totally foreign to what comes naturally to all human beings, to enter a new dimension.
For twenty or more years it has been my wife’s desire to enter this world and to experience the world of scuba diving. Although not apposed I just was never really very motivated to give it a shot until just recently. So what changed? Not sure. I guess knowing it was out there to be explored and that it fit into our active way of life just made it a natural.
So where to start? What to do? Well these questions were answered by doing a bit of research online and by discussing our options with some friends who already know the ropes. Classes, pool dives and then four open water dives were the keys to becoming certified open water divers. A weekend of condensed classroom and pool training were soon on our schedule.
Now after having experienced this training I found myself asking if this class was meant to scare us to death. We spent hours talking about all the things that can go wrong. Wow, it really is serious business. What happens if you run out of air? What happens if your mask fills with water? What happens if you get lost underwater? What happens if your dive buddy panics? All of these things and more were thrown at us and all for good reason. We needed to know what could happen and that we would be able to handle it if it did. That we had the skills to survive.
So how much fun could diving really be? Well once armed with some knowledge and practice we discovered what the fuss is all about. We discovered the serenity of being underwater. The only sounds are that of your breathing and the air bubbles from your regulator fighting to get to the surface as you exhale. One really becomes in tune with their breathing in a way I do not believe can happen in any other way. Once under the water and having obtained neutral buoyancy we experienced the feeling of be weightless. The only movement is a slight rising of your body in the water when you inhale and a slight settling when you exhale, suspended there relaxed and ready to explore. We discovered all the small cracks and crevices in the bottom of the pool. We got a close up look at the things people had left behind like earrings, money and more. Now there was only one thing to do. Plan a trip to put our lessons to use and to see what it is like to swim with the creatures of the ocean. To put to use what we had learned and to see if it would be as exciting as we dreamed it would be.

March 23, 2010 Let's Talk Courtesy

2010-03-18T15:23:00.006-05:00

Everyone needs to get up on their “soap box” once in a while and this is one of those times so bare with me. I get very passionate about certain things and bike trail etiquette is one of them. We are privileged to live in an area with such a great resource for bikers, joggers, roller bladders, walkers and others. With a trail right in our own backyard that offers 20 miles of trails and soon to connect Sioux Falls with Brandon, Harrisburg and Tea if all goes well. So what are our responsibilities when using this precious resource?
I guess many people would look at this subject from different viewpoints depending on how they use the trail, but one thing is certain. If everyone does not know and respect the rules it can not only limit everyone’s fun, but it can be a recipe for disaster. It can be dangerous.
So let’s look at the basics, the rules that should be obvious, but are not believe me.

1) Always ride, walk, run, roller blade or what ever you are doing on the right side of the trail.

2) Always proceed single file. Never do any activity two or three abreast.

3) Never wear headphones so that you can not the hear people coming up behind you. There is nothing worse than yelling out a warming and the other person can not hear you.

4) As you approach another person from behind make sure to warn them of your approach. The standard warning being to yell out “On You Left” or some people have a bell they can ring.

5) If you are walking your dog keep them on a leash, it is the law. Make sure the dog is under control not running all over on a long rope allowing them to dart out in front of someone passing by.

6) If you want to stop and chat with some friends step off the trail so as not to block others passage.

7) If your have children learning to ride on the trail make sure they learn the rules right away and for the real young ones make sure you are close enough to control them and prevent them from turning into someone’s path.

8) Always be aware of your surroundings.

Now most of these might seem very obvious or simple, but believe me they are not. Every time I use the trails I encounter someone breaking at least on of these rules, every time. So remember these next time you are out. Do your part to make sure no one gets hurt. Do your part to make sure everyone can have a good time and do it safely. It’s as simple as respect and common sense. Courtesy

March 19, 2010 Round & Round We Go

2010-03-18T15:17:00.007-05:00

The sweat is running down my back and into my eyes. My heart is pounding as it tries to keep up with my body’s demands. My breathing becomes shallower and shallower. My legs are burning as they work to keep moving the peddles. Pushing and pulling trying to make perfect circles. I feel my energy being drained from my body as I struggle to ride up an imaginary hill and then sprint down the other side. My calves are starting to cramp, but I know the cramps will go away if I just keep peddling. I feel like I am getting nowhere. When will it end? I need a drink. Then I hear, “Good job, way to go.” and class is over.
Spinning in the gym is the closest I can get to the feeling of riding my bike outside and so it is what my wife and I do all winter to make sure we are ready for the return of summer and being able to ride outside. Although it is not anywhere near as much fun as riding outside where one can enjoy blue skies, light breezes and all the wonders of nature it does have some saving graces. There is something about the camaraderie that is developed between the instructors and ones fellow spinners. The support and the encouragement that one can derive from the rest of the class are awesome. Knowing that everyone is there for the same reasons is consoling. Knowing that everyone is nonjudgmental and striving to make them selves better offers a comfortable and rewarding atmosphere in which to have some fun and better your self all at the same time. Every class is a bit different and each instructor has their own trademarks. One will like us to use a lot of resistance, one likes a lot of speed drills, one likes to ride standing more than sitting, but the one thing they all have in common is pushing everyone to work as hard as possible. I don’t know about you, but I need to be pushed sometimes. I need someone to help me achieve another level of performance. I would like to think I am self motivated, but I know that sometimes I can be kind of slack. Yes I can get lazy if I allow myself, but I can count on my friends to keep me honest when needed. Hey, the only one I am cheating when I get lazy is my self. I am the one that has just wasted my time. I am the only one who knows if I gave it my all or not. I do know that I feel 100% better when I have given all I have. I have not sold my self short.

March 18, 2010 Boy Have I Been Lazy

2010-03-18T15:11:00.007-05:00

I must say I have not done a very good job of keeping up here the last few weeks so the next few entries will catch everyone up on whats been happening.
Sometimes there is a whole different world right under our noses and we don’t even know it. We get so comfortable with our everyday routines that we never get to see our surroundings as they really are, raw and simple as Mother Nature intended. I am sure that none of you went through this winter without hearing your fellow employees, friends or family complain about how long this winter was, but how many do you know that actually took time to see the wonders it had to offer. Now before I sound like I have lost my mind, let me tell you that I don’t really enjoy long cold winters anymore than the other guy, but I have found that there is a silver lining to everything as they say.
Those of you who know my wife and I know that we love to test our limits and enjoy life’s adventures. We choose to enjoy our world no matter how hard it tries to make us crumble and admit defeat. With this in mind we set out when we can to tame the elements and enjoy one of our favorite past times, riding our bikes.
In this case it was a cold winter day in February when we loaded up our bikes and headed to the bike trail. As we prepared for our ride we knew there would be places along the way covered in ice and maybe even buried under snow. Caution that was the plan for the day. After double checking our gear, extra tire tubes, a pump etc. we headed to the north on the bike trail. One of the things you will learn when riding in the winter is that the first few miles are the worst. The exposed skin on your face feels like it is being stuck with a million little pins. Your muscles feel somewhat sluggish at best. Your bike even feels stiff. Then before you know it you are riding along enjoying the quiet, surreal environment around you. Your body is producing enough heat to keep you warm and you are drawn into the quiet beauty that surrounds you. It is like you are all alone, there is no one around. Not another human being in sight. The only sound is that of your own breathing and the sound of your bike tires on the trail. It is like being on a different planet. Just when we were feeling like the last living creatures on earth we would come across a flock of Canadian Geese. It seemed to me that they even looked like they were patiently waiting for spring. Everything around us was white and as we traversed occasional snow drifts and ice we could feel our bikes shift underneath and we could hear the crackle of the ice and snow as it gave way beneath us. Mile after mile we enjoyed the peace and quiet the bike trail rarely offers in the summer when it is crowded with bikers, people rollerblading, joggers or people out for a walk. We owned it for just one day.
Well before we knew it we had finished our 15 mile journey and were back at the Jeep and ready to put another ride in the books. It had been a great ride. It offered a unique perspective of the trail and offered us the chance to test the limits of a pastime we love. That said, I am glad that spring is in the air. I guess in many ways riding in the winter and the summer are similar. They both offer challenges, a different perspective on the world around us and a great way to explore what’s right in our own backyard.

February 20, 2010 It's Still Winter

2010-02-24T10:41:00.006-06:00

Sometimes there is a whole different world right under our noses and we don’t even know it. We get so comfortable with our everyday routines that we never get to see our surroundings as they really are, raw and simple as Mother Nature intended. I am sure that none of you went through this winter without hearing your fellow employees, friends or family complain about how long this winter was, but how many do you know that actually took time to see the wonders it had to offer. Now before I sound like I have lost my mind, let me tell you that I don’t really enjoy long cold winters anymore than the other guy, but I have found that there is a silver lining to everything as they say.
Those of you who know my wife and I know that we love to test our limits and enjoy life’s adventures. We choose to enjoy our world no matter how hard it tries to make us crumble and admit defeat. With this in mind we set out when we can to tame the elements and enjoy one of our favorite past times, riding our bikes.
In this case it was a cold winter day in February when we loaded up our bikes and headed to the bike trail. As we prepared for our ride we knew there would be places along the way covered in ice and maybe even buried under snow. Caution that was the plan for the day. After double checking our gear, extra tire tubes, a pump etc. we headed to the north on the bike trail. One of the things you will learn when riding in the winter is that the first few miles are the worst. The exposed skin on your face feels like it is being stuck with a million little pins. Your muscles feel somewhat sluggish at best. Your bike even feels stiff. Then before you know it you are riding along enjoying the quiet, surreal environment around you. Your body is producing enough heat to keep you warm and you are drawn into the quiet beauty that surrounds you. It is like you are all alone, there is no one around. Not another human being in sight. The only sound is that of your own breathing and the sound of your bike tires on the trail. It is like being on a different planet. Just when we were feeling like the last living creatures on earth we would come across a flock of Canadian Geese. It seemed to me that they even looked like they were patiently waiting for spring. Everything around us was white and as we traversed occasional snow drifts and ice we could feel our bikes shift underneath and we could hear the crackle of the ice and snow as it gave way beneath us. Mile after mile we enjoyed the peace and quiet the bike trail rarely offers in the summer when it is crowded with bikers, people rollerblading, joggers or people out for a walk. We owned it for just one day.
Well before we knew it we had finished our 15 mile journey and were back at the Jeep and ready to put another ride in the books. It had been a great ride. It offered a unique perspective of the trail and offered us the chance to test the limits of a pastime we love. That said, I am glad that spring is in the air. I guess in many ways riding in the winter and the summer are similar. They both offer challenges, a different perspective on the world around us and a great way to explore what’s right in our own backyard.

December 31, 2009 Happy New Year

2009-12-31T10:53:00.003-06:00

Just a quick note to say Happy New Year and to wish you all the best in 2010, yes another decade is coming to an end. I don't know of any kayaking events this New Year's Day, but if your into peddling there is a bike ride starting at 1pm tomorrow. The ride will leave from Spoke N Sport on south Minnesota in Sioux Falls. The length of the ride will depend on the weather, but probably between 8 and 15 miles. There will be chili and hot chocolate after the ride. So dress warm and see you there. Have a great New Years Eve.

December 23, 2009 Season's Greetings

2009-12-23T08:45:00.005-06:00

Well I can only assume that there will be no bike riding or kayaking this weekend as we are preparing for a 40 year winter storm. Those of use that have lived in this neck of the woods all our lives can recall several of these massive winter storms and even a couple on Christmas like this one. I remember having to walk miles across fields drifted over with snow just to get home for Christmas. I hope that everyone is able to get where they are planning on going before it gets to bad. Kay and I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you all again next year on a bike trial, the road, a river or a lake. Just remember that March 21 is the first day of spring. Only 88 days to go.

December 18th, 2009 A Rare Winter Ride

2009-12-18T15:31:00.003-06:00

Well I just could not take it anymore. I needed to get out on the road and feel my bike underneath me. I know crazy idea or at least that's what everyone was telling me. I knew that there would not be many opportunities that were better than today so I made my plan. I would ride at noon. Well I did not make noon, but I was able to jump on the bike trail at 12:30PM. I left from the Elmen Trail Head on 12Th Street and headed north. The sun was shinning and it was 27 degrees. There was abit of a breeze that was biting at my cheeks, but I soon forgot all about it. The trail was void of all other human life and it seemed as if I was the only person left on earth. The only other life I say were the thousand plus Canadian Geese on the fair grounds and a duck or two in the river. My goal was to ride to the pump house and back due to time, but once I got there I knew I had to go to at least the top of the Pen hill, so I did. Soon I was on my way back and it was a much nicer ride with the breeze at my back. All to soon I was back at my car and loading up to head back to work. I had made my December ride and now knew more than ever that I could hardly wait till spring. Maybe I will get lucky and find a few more days to ride this winter.

October 28th, 2009 Relaxing In Spearfish Canyon

2009-10-28T15:58:00.019-05:00

Well it was back the Black Hills again this weekend, but this time for some good old fashion relaxation, no bikes, no kayaks, nothing. Our destination was the wonder full Spearfish Canyon Lodge in the northern hills. Our goal, to do some hiking and just hanging out. Nothing really scheduled other than getting to see our grandson (Landen) and daughter in-law (Margo) while out there. So early Friday morning the four of us, Kay and I and our friends Bruce and Nancy, who you should know by now if you have followed this blog at all, headed west. We left at 7AM and were to meet Margo and Landen at noon. It was a nice trip out. We saw a Bald Eagle and a few dozen antelope along the way and the sun even shined most of the trip. We met Margo and Landen, had our lunch and headed up to Dinosaur Park at Landen's request. After a short visit there we headed to Mt. Rushmore where Landen found plenty of snow to throw at grandpa. We even had a nice close up look at some Mountain Goats. I never realized they were as odd looking as they are. With Mt. Rushmore behind us it was time so say goodbye to Landen and Margo and head north towards Spearfish. It did not take us long once on the road to all agree to make a stop by our favorite place, Rochford and the Moonshine Gulch Saloon. When we got there we decided to sit in a booth and while Nancy was in the lady's room Betsy's dog decided to snuggle up with Bruce. Needless to say Nancy ended up pulling up a chair since her space was gone. After a short visit we head on and before long we were checking into the Spearfish Canyon Lodge. It was raining by now and we decided to head into Spearfish for some dinner and then come back and enjoy the hot tub. On our way to Spearfish we had an interesting experience. Out of the corner of my eye I say some movement and thought it was a deer about to cross the road. No, it was no deer. It was a Mountain Lion, a very big Mountain Lion. As we slowed we watched as it slowly walked across the road showing no evidence of really being worried out our presence. As he went into the ditch we pulled the car over so the headlights we shinning in the ditch so we could watch it. The critter just walked down the ditch, turned and looked at us and walked off into the trees. It was an awesome sight. After dinner we headed back to the Lodge and outside to the hot tub. The rain was switching from snow to rain and back again. It was nice out there though with the nice hot water. We got our fill of the hot tub and headed into watch some TV and call it a night. After a good nights sleep we woke to find it still raining so our plans of doing some hiking went right out the door. Instead we headed back to Spearfish for some breakfast and some shopping. We hit the stores on main street and of course had to stop and see what was new at the Two Wheeler Dealer bike shop. Once back at the Lodge it was an afternoon of watching collage football and watching the snow re-develop. We did take a break and walk across the road to the Latchstring Inn for dinner. Then back to the Lodge and into the hot tubs again. This time it was really snowing. There was a good inch or better on the deck and the hot tub cover. Once in though it was beautiful. Nice and warm and snowing all around us. When we had had our fill of the hot tub we decided to head tot he room to watch some TV, but it was not working. I called the front desk and they did not seem to know why or what to do next about it, probably because it was 11:00PM. After I had some time to think about it I got to thinking it was probably a build up of snow in the satellite dishes causing the problems and I n=knew I had seem the dishes earlier. I looked out our window and sure enough the dishes were just behind the lodge on a couple of poles I was pretty sure I could reach. So on with my coat and pair of gloves on I headed out to see what I could do. Lucky for me there was an electrical junction box below the dishes so I could climb up and reach them. Once I cleaned out the snow and returned to the room I was rewarded with the television working. Thank goodness for my work and knowing what to do. Well soon we were were waking up to four or five inches of snow. It was beautiful. Everything was covered with nice clean white snow. Breakfast was to had at Cheyenne Crossing before we headed back to Sioux Falls. By the time we reached Deadwood the snow had stopped and by the time we got to Rapid there was now sign of snow. From that point on you know the story, just a long road home.

October 20, 2009 What's That Yellow Thing In The Sky

2009-10-20T15:06:00.008-05:00

Well finally. A day that just beckons us to get the bikes out and ride. Kay and I met Nancy at 5:15PM yesterday for what we thought might not happen again until spring, a quick 20 around the bike path. The weather was almost perfect with temps at 52 and moderate winds. We departed from behind the zoo and headed north riding into the wind first so we could enjoy most of the ride back. There was not much for traffic so it was nice relaxing ride. We did not push it to hard, but instead just enjoyed the fall scenery. It seems kind of sad with no one around, the trees bare and the sky blanketed in clouds. Just think though, it is only five months till spring. I am already starting to plan next summers activities. In the mean time Kay and I will just try and remain active by hitting the gym three or four times a week. We have already gotten back into spin classes and plan on doing some circuit training too. Who knows maybe we will even do some running this year. This weekend we are headed to the Black Hills and we are not taking the bikes. Instead we will probably do some hiking and enjoy the fall enviorment of the hills. Good news is it is suppose to stay dry out there. Cross your fingers.

October 7, 2009 36 Degress What's This All About

2009-10-07T15:06:00.008-05:00

Now I like to think of myself as being pretty optimistic, but this last round of weather that is continuing on without and end in sight is killing me. Now I am not an Einstein, but I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this whole Global Warming thing. It is way to early for this. I even had to resort to going back to the gym last night, yuk. No offense to all our friends at the gym. It is my hope that this is not the end of the good weather just a detour. If indeed it is the end though I guess it is time to start planning my winter activities. So here we go. I would love to know what you all do to stay in shape over the long winter months. If you are willing to share your routine with us I will be happy to post your ideas and thoughts here for others to enjoy. Kay and I for one spend alot of time in Spin classes. Now this year we are planning to spend alot more time working the weights and doing circuit training. Of course we will continue to ride all winter long if we get some moderate temps, 25 or above and the trail stay clear. What about you? An secrets to staying in shape and ready for the next summer of fun? Hope to hear from you.

September 26th, 2009 Can We Bottle It?

2009-09-28T11:56:00.012-05:00

Saturday was the kind of day you want to bottle and be able to pour out when ever you want. Perfect temps, blue skies and no wind were the order of the day. Where we off to this weekend? The annual Oktoberfest Ride sponsored by the University of Okoboji. This is one of our favorite rides. The route is fun, the weather has been good, cross your figures for next year, and it is just a fun place to hang out when your done. We left Tea at about 7AM with our first goal being breakfast in Rock Rapids, Iowa at the Sportsman Bar and Grill. Now this place can highly recommended so our expectations were high. We felt we had made a pretty good decision as we drove down the small town street judging just from the number of cars in front of the place. Inside it was your average small town restaurant and bar and was occupied by the local farmers plotting out their day. We were greeted by our waiter, a nice young man, high school age I would guess. He took our orders and soon we were eating a class A breakfast. MMM it really did hit the spot. We did not spend allot of time relaxing after we got done eating as we need to be ready to ride by 9:45 or so. We arrived at the Arrowwood Resort in plenty of time to unload, change or clothes and be ready to ride when the started the ride. The ride is awesome taking you around the lake and through the residential areas before heading you out into the country. Soon we were on the final 2 miles of the 30 mile ride and it seemed like we were just getting started. It was just one of those days. Once back at the hotel we enjoy some German food and got checked in. Then it was back on the bikes for a tour around Arnold's Park and the rest of the area. We eventually had our fill and returned to the hotel, enjoyed the hot tub, showered and head out to find our well earned dinner. Dinner was awesome. If your in the area Tweeters is an excellent place to eat. Well that pretty much brings us to the end of a perfect day. It was soon of to bed and the trip back home in the morning. One thing is for sure we will return for this one over and over again.

September 19, 2009 What It's All About

2009-09-19T11:41:00.013-05:00

Today is what it is all about, peddling and paddling. The day started out with the sun shinning and a brisk chill in the air. We arrived at Sanford Hospital for the 3rd Annual Breast Cancer Ride at about 7:15AM and unloaded. The 50 milers were ready to go and left promptly at 7:30AM. We originally were going to do the 50, but since we discovered there was to be a kayaking cruise the same day we decided it was to close in time. Therefore we rode the 22 mile route. Kay, Nancy and I left a few minutes before 8AM the official starting time so we could avoid the crowd and made dash at the beginning. The ride went well and we really enjoyed the warm sun. We made good time and soon we were back at the starting point. A cookie and a bottle of water were a nice refresher. So another ride was in the books. As always I like to say thanks to the sponsors, Sanford Hospital, Two Wheeler Dealer and FAB. Nice job everyone. Then it was off to home to switch the bikes out for our kayaks. We arrived at the put in near Lake Alvin at about 12:45PM and prepared for our cruise. The rest of the paddlers arrived over the next 45 minutes and we soon had all the vehicles shuttled down to the take out at Klondike and were on our way. The river was very low and from the beginning I was wondering just how low it would get. The river was very narrow in places do to the low water levels and it made navigating the river interesting. Trying to read the water levels by watching the surface flow was found not to be 100% accurate, There were several spots in the first five miles where we were riding on the bottom and one spot where I found it just easier to get out of the boat and drag it about 50 feet. The good news was that the weathers was awesome. A bit more southern wind that we needed, but nothing to serious. The last 3 miles was great. The waster depths increased and we could actually get a full paddle stroke. Before we knew it we were approaching the take out at Klondike and we were welcomed with signs warning boats not to approach the low head dam area due to some work they were doing on it. We really had no recourse but to paddle the same course as we always use sliding around the east side of the island and right up onto the shore by the dam. It took a bit for us to get everyone out of the water, but when we did we all agreed it was a nice paddle overall. We also discussed a paddle on the James River also for one of the first Sundays in October. If you have any impute on this idea please let us know. So that was that. A full day of peddling and paddling. I am sure I will sleep well.

September 18th, 2009 Peddle Paddle Notes

2009-09-18T17:49:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is the annual Breast Cancer Ride and it is not to late to jump in and ride for this great cause. There is a 20 and 50 mile rides. Here is a link for more information.
https://www.sanfordhealth.org/CentersofExcellence/Cancer/LivingWell/BikingForBreastCancer/

There is also paddle sponsored by the South Dakota Canoe Association starting at 1:30PM. Again here is a link for more information. This is a great run.

http://sdcka.blogspot.com/

Come out and peddle and paddle with us. Look forward to meeting everyone. It is suppose to be a beautiful day and heavens only knows how many more we might have.

September 14th, 2009 Homeward Bound

2009-09-18T17:42:00.003-05:00

Wouldn't you know it. The day we need to head back home it is sunny, warm and the breezes are light. Oh well as they say you cannot control Mother Nature. Packing and cleaning up the cabin got our day off to a start and it finally came time to take one last picture and head down the road. But before we said our final goodbyes to the Hills we had a couple loose ends to deal with. We needed to head back up to Deadwood for some last minute shopping and then to Louie's for some lunch. We really hated not to get in some riding before we left, but we knew that if we got started we would not get home until midnight and decided a good nights sleep was needed before going back to work. Back on to I90 we went and it wasn't long before we were back on the east side of the state unpacking and the trip was now resigned to our memories and the knowledge that we would soon be returning to the Black Hills to ride some more. Stay tuned for a complete slide show of our trip.

Spetember 13, 2009 Crazey Horse Downhill

2009-09-18T08:26:00.006-05:00

Well the day started out wet and cloudy again and we had just consoled ourselves to the fact that we had to deal with it. So we got up, had a small bite to eat, packed up and headed out. Today's destination was Custer, SD for a little shopping and the hope of a ride later in the day from Custer to Hills City. When we arrived at Custer our realization that the tourist season was over was reinforced. The town was like a ghost town and since it was Sunday most of the businesses were closed. But never fear the girls did find someplace open to shop. The shopping made us hungry and so we decided to have a bit of lunch and wait to see if the either would cooperate and let us ride. Well, it did. As we sat there eating the sun slipped out from behind the clouds and we had a glimmer of hope. By the time we finished eating it looked like a go and so we headed to the Custer Trail head. Interestingly as we drove through Custer the number of deer in peoples lawns was amazing. They obviously have figured out it is safe in town. We suited up, unpacked the bikes and were soon on our way. The first five miles of the ride from Custer to Crazy Horse was uphill, something we were getting used to. There were plenty more deer along the path and we soon discovered we were over dressed once again. After a brief stop to take off a few layers we were back on the road. The five miles went quickly and soon we could see the Crazy Horse Monument and arrived at the main entrance to the site. After a few pictures back to peddling we went. As we road through the tunnel under the entrance to Crazy Horse we soon realized we were in for a pleasant surprise, 10.5 miles of all down hill. This 10.5 miles you can coast and at times coast at 24 miles and hour. Wow, let it rip. It was so much fun to just fly down the hill. As we approached the bottom we encountered a few people one of them being very interesting. I came upon an older gentleman who was turning his pickup around on the trail so I stopped and urged him to finish. He finished his turn, stopped his truck, got out and headed my way. As he approached he said hi and that he just wanted to say thanks to me for being so courteous. Wow what a pleasant surprise. We began chatting and soon Kay, Nancy and Bruce arrived. I came to find out he was a retired South Dakota Supreme Court Judge and that he knew Kay's cousin Steve Zinter, now a Supreme Court Judge. How small a world once again. After chatting with him about his family, the empty bear cage that sat on his land from an old zoo and many other things we decided we needed to get going. We were only a couple of miles outside Hill City, but daylight was burning. The ride ended shortly there after and it was time to pack up, head back tot he cabin, grill some pork lion and get ready to head back home.

September 12th, 2009 Hills City to Rochford

2009-09-15T21:13:00.012-05:00

We woke up to rain and the discouraging feeling that we might not be able to continue our riding. It was only about 41 degrees when we got up and the wind was blowing fairly strongly. So not knowing what the day would bring we loaded up all our gear and headed out for the day with the the hope that the weather would break and offer us the opportunity to ride. We headed to Hills City for some shopping and lunch at the Prairie Berry Winery. I had been told by Betsy, owner of the Moonshine Gulch Saloon, that John Crane, a world famous artist who's gallery is in Hills City, loved to kayak so when, we walked into his gallery and hews there I had to introduce myself and inquire about his interest. We had a brief chat and I was soon purchasing a print of his rendition of the Moonshine Gulch Saloon in Rochford. A suiting remembrance of our trip. Lunch was great and the weather had broken. The sun was shining off and 0n as the clouds rolled though. It seemed like we had a window of opportunity and decided to head out for Rochford. Once on the trail we encountered the same thing we had the day before. One minute we had on to many clothes and we had top stop and shed some. The next thing we knew we were in the shadows of the forest and putting layers back on. It was amazing how much the temperature changed. It was a good ride with not a lot incline and the scenery was once again a spectacle to behold. It was starting to get dark as we rode into Rochford and by the time we got back to the cabin it was dark. We all quickly showered and got ready to head up to Deadwood for dinner.

September 11th, 2009 Opps and What Hill?

2009-09-15T15:04:00.022-05:00

Finally it was time to ride. We found the head end in Deadwood and started to unpack out gear and our bikes. I worked at unpacking the back of the truck while Bruce began to unload the bikes which were still securely bound to each other from the long trip across the state. Since I had forgotten to pack the wire cutters Bruce was busy cutting all the wire ties we had used to secure the bikes. Everyone was busy , then a load whoosh filled our ears. We all new that sound and we new it meant no good. The knife that Bruce was using to cut the ties had slipped and slashed the front tire on Bruce's bike. Great way to start the day. Well there was no fixing it so Bruce helped the rest of use get organized and ready to go. The new plan was for us to start up the big climb out of Deadwood and for Bruce to meet us at the Englewood Trailhead. Well after having ridden the first part of the ride, including the huge climb out of Deadwood I believe he may have slashed the tire on purpose, just to get out of climbing the big hill. I guess we will never know for sure. It really was not that bad if you exclude the steep grade and the construction including a foot of new gravel on the steepest part of the climb. The scenery was beautiful and the sun when it was able to penetrate the trees felt warm and inviting. We did not encounter very many other riders so it was even more peaceful, Once at the top you new you had accomplished something. There was an awesome view from the peak and it was a great place to enjoy a power bar and some water. After enjoying the view we headed on to hook up with Bruce. When we arrived at the Englewood Trailhead Bruce and Jan were both there waiting . We stopped to drink some water and at that point Daryl opted to drive with Jan down to Rochfurd which was our final stop of day one, so the four of us remaining headed south on the limestone path. The rest of the ride was great with allot of down hill to flat riding. It was funny, Bruce was so full of energy. Oh yeh he didn't climb the hill..hummm? Once it Rochfurd we headed into the heart of town, not a long ride as the town is only about three blocks long. We saw Daryl and Jan's truck at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon so we leaned our bikes up in the alley and went inside to join them. Walking through the door was like a step back in time. A small rustic cafe, general store, auto parts store and bar greeted us along with the friendly smiles of the staff and there two dogs. Betsy the owner of this fine establishment greeted us with a smile and some curiosity about who we were, where we were from, what we all did for a living and what brought us to the hills. After catching up a bit with Daryl and Jan we enjoyed a small lunch, burgers etc., oh yeh Kay had a corn dog, she never eats a corn dog, and just enjoyed the whole experience. The dogs were friendly and loved all the attention they could get. From begging for tummy rubs to jumping up to sit beside a customer in their booth they were quite the pair. Our visit to the Moonshine Gulch Saloon would not have been complete without meeting Bob. Now Bob was an interesting individual. Dressed in black leather, chains securing his wallet, a ten inch knife on his right hip and sporting a five inch tusk in one ear made him quite an addition. Now we are not sure but Bob seemed to be the bus boy as when needed he would leave his perch at the bar and clean up tables. It is awesome how much there is to see and experience in this world. These small adventures it what memories are made of. Then it was back to the cabin, some dinner and a bit of relaxation. What a day. It doesn't get much better.
(Link to Big & Rich video the show at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon) http://music.aol.com/video/big-time/big-and-rich/1336303

September 10, 2009 Black Hills or Bust!

2009-09-15T14:39:00.015-05:00

Today we embarked on a short trip we had been talking about for many months, a trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota for three days of riding on the Mickelson Trail. 109 miles of the most scenic cycling in the world. A ride filled with beautiful scenery, a menagerie of wild life and filled with history. Kay, Bruce, Nancy and I left Sioux Falls about 10:30AM ahead of the third couple involved in this expedition, Daryl and Jan. We had decided to take the slow and longer trip out and meet up with Daryl and Jan later on somewhere out west. I was bound and determined to stop at Al's Oasis in Chamberlain, SD for some home made pie and that we did. We actually had a bit of lunch too. After a bit of snooping around we were soon back on the road, Interstate 90 and headed for our next destination, the Badlands. I had not driven though the Badlands for many years and we thought it would be fun to bring ourselves up to date. Well, there really was not anything to update, it was just as I had remembered it. We spent about an hour hiking around a bit and just driving slowly through natures creation. It was really hot and we were not quite use to the 90 degree temps. Everything seemed to have been frozen in time and everything was just as I remembered it. Maybe our next stop, Wall Drug would be different. As we drove into Wall leaving the Badlands behind us I noticed right away that the town of Wall had changed dramatically. There were many new businesses and although main street looked familiar it to seemed a bit different than I remembered. The one thing that had not changed was the novel attractions and souvenirs that were available for our pleasure and purchase. After we had our fill of Wall Drug we decided to check in with Daryl and Jan and see where they were and believe it or not they were at the gas station in Wall filling up, so we headed their way and hooked up to finish the rest of the trip together.It was a short drive to Rapid City, SD and we were soon on our way into the Black Hills National Forest and our home for the next few days, just outside of Deadwood. We had not been in the Hills long before we spotted our first wild life, a big Bull Elk, of in the trees to our left. Don't see them very often so it was pretty exciting. Soon we were at the cabin, a home might be better term, that we had rented. It was awesome. A beautiful home in the middle of no where. Talk about peaceful...wow. We were unpacked and exploring our new digs in no time. A nice meal and some freindly conversation rounded out the night and we headed of to bed ready to tackle our first ride in the morning.

September 5, 2009 Vulga or Bust

2009-09-08T14:55:00.006-05:00

Well the final big weekend of the year. Labor Day, has come and gone. It is hard to believe that another summer is rapidly coming to a close and that soon we we will be forced back inside. Until that happens though it is full speed ahead. Kay and I headed up to Oakwood State Park to link up with her two brothers and their families. With three of our favorite camp sites all lined up and with the weather almost perfect it was a great weekend. Most of the weekend it seemed was spent either eating or thinking about what we were going to eat next. Kay and I both felt overwhelmed by all the wonder full food. And since there was all this food there had to be allot of physical activity to counteract the calories. On Saturday morning Kay and I decided to ride to Vulga and back. Not an overly long ride, like 25 miles round trip, but a fun ride with gentle hills and low traffic. I must say the ride back was far superior to the ride there. Riding to Vulga we were head straight into a pretty brisk breeze, maybe 15-20 MPH and that go the old muscles warmed up. On the other hand though the ride back was allot of fun. We averaged about 25 miles an hour or a bit more thanks the the same wind at our backs. It is amazing how much difference a bit of wind can make. The rest of the weekend was spent hiking and riding bike around the park. On Sunday though I brought up the idea of doing some geocaching. No one was familiar with what I was suggesting, but with some explanation and a trip online to get some clues we were on our way to finding hidden treasures. No for those of you that are not familiar with geocaching please let me explain. People all over the world have hidden small treasures in well over 800,000 places and logged the information on geocache.com. Now these are not great and valuable treasures but just small mementos and sometimes just a place to log your visit. The fun is in the search. With only longitude and latitude coordinates for the hidden locations one must use a GPS to find their way and then that only gets you in the right place to begin looking. The treasure might be in a hollow log, stuck in the "y" of a tree branch, under a pile of dead tree limbs or maybe just out there in plain sight. At any rate it is a fun way to spend some time. We only found four of the five treasures that were to offer us clues to the sixth, but we were still able to piece together enough info to find the main treasure. The main treasure was a 50MM ammo box filled with small trinkets people had left behind. So if you ever get a chance give geocaching a try. As one might expect much of the other time was spent just enjoying each others company. So was this the end of our summer activities. No way. We are headed to the Black Hills day after tomorrow to ride the Michelson Trail and do some mountain biking, hiking and who knows what else. Then it is back home to ride the Breast Cancer Ride on 9/19 and the Oktoberfest Ride in Okoboji on 9/26. The I think it is back to the Black Hills for another weekend of riding. So unless the weather stops us we will keep on finding things to do. Things to keep us from giving in and moving indoors. Yuk!

August 30, 2009 Tour de Corn 2009

2009-08-30T16:44:00.005-05:00

Well the first thing I need to do is apologize for not updating this so so long. It is not that we have not been bust riding and paddling it more like we have been to busy and quite frankly we have been just doing some pretty routine stuff. Yesterday however we, Kay, Nancy, Bruce and myself got up and drove over to Mitchell, SD for one of our favorite rides the 15th Annual Tour de Corn. This is one of the great rides. It is well planned, the support along the route is fabulous, the company is great, here's to Dennis form Omaha, and as always the lunch was fabulous. It is seldom we get those perfect days for riding here in South Dakota, but yesterday was very close. Cool temps, almost no wind and sunny sky's made it the dream day. The ride started at 9:30AM in front of the worlds only Corn Palace. We were ready and ready at the front of the line. We had had a great breakfast before leaving Sioux Falls and our energy reserves were full. We did not have to wait long for police escort to arrive and we were on our way. We also had the privilege of having a friend, and previous fellow employee, Kim, from Huron join us for the big event.

We got off to a great start. The ride was going well. We were making good time and everyone was enjoying chatting as we went. Then the first of several typical biking events happened. Kim got a flat tire. I stayed and helped her fix it while the rest rode on. It was only a matter of five maybe ten minutes before were back on the road.We didn't get everyone back together until we reached the finally rest stop. There we found Kay and Dennis enjoying a banana and some Vitamin Water. Oh yeh we had joined back up with Bruce and Nancy a bit before this, which brings us to biking event number two. When we caught up to Bruce and Nancy Bruce had broken a spoke and his wheel was out of round. For the rest of the ride from behind he looked pretty wobbly. The rest of the ride was great. Once we turned back south heading into Mitchell we had what little wind there was at our backs. It was not long and we had all arrived at the finish and lunch in the park. We all got our food and as we sat there enjoying it biking event number three transpired. We heard a load, whoosh, as Kay's front bike tire blew. It was really odd as it had been sitting by the tree for sometime. Oh well. After we ate Bruce and I decided to ride back tot he truck and come back for the girls and Kay's bike. I just didn't feel like fixing it at the time. Well as Bruce and I closed in on my truck , like a block away biking event number four ended our day with a huge bang. Yes your right I had blown my rear tire, not just the tube the whole tire had a whole in it about an inch long. Oh well that's the way it goes and nothing could dampen my spirits as the day had been way to much fun. So I would just like to thank all the sponsors and the committee for another great event and encourage everyone to join use for Tour de Corn 2010. We will be there God willing and the creek doesn't rise.

THANKS TO THE SPONORS;
Sun Gold Trophies, Puetz Corperation, Coca Cola, Scott Supply, Pioneer, Crop Tech, SD Corn Growers, MJ Aviation, Blarney's Sports Bar, Avera Queen of Peace, Becky Moore State Farm, Bittner Funeral Chapel, Central Electirc, Cortrust Bank, County Fair, Daily Republic, The Depot, Dice Financial, Family Eyecare, First Class Welness and Dance, Fulton State Bank, Kelly Inn, Krall Optometric, McLeods Prining and Office, Medicine Shoppe, Muth Electric, Shorty's Locker, Steamway, Thiesse Chiropractic, TK Electric, TMA, Wells Fargo Bank, Wild Wayne and Suzie Q, Innovative Systems and Roth Farms for making our day.

July 28, 2009 KISS?

2009-08-03T15:07:00.012-05:00

Well, I could not decide whether to post this story or not since it has absolutely nothing to do with peddling or paddling, but it is just to good not to be told. Sometimes we just need to indulge ourselves. Last week I was to attend a meetings in Las Vegas on Wednesday and Thursday at the Bellagio. As usual Kay was going along to make sure the swimming pools were all inspected and that the loungers by them were up to standards. The plan was for Kay and I to drive to Omaha after work on Monday and fly out to Vegas early Tuesday morning. OK no problem. On the way to Omaha I decided to call a friend and business associate who lives in Las Vegas and remind him I was coming and that we needed to have lunch or dinner. During our conversation he inquired as to whether or not Kay was with me? I replied yes and he replied " Darn". I did not understand his attitude in regards to Kay's coming along so I had to ask why it mattered? He spent the next couple minutes explaining to me that he was taking his private jet out to Van Eyes, California the next day, picking up "KISS" and flying them to Paso Robles for their concert. The bad news was he only had one seat left on his plane. Although bummed I just let him know how cool it would have been, but that Kay and I would catch up to him when he got back. So we agreed that would work and we said or goodbyes. I spent the next hour feeling sorry for myself and knowing I was missing a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was at the point I was really beginning to pout when my phone rang and it was my friend with some good news. He had rerouted everything and had decided that to make it work. He would fly us to Paso Robles, drop us off and then fly to Van Eyes and pick up the band. Once they were back we would hook back up and head to the concert. Sounded like a plan. So Kay and I left Omaha at 6AM and arrived in Las Vegas at about 10:15AM. The limo driver who was sent to get us was waiting and we were soon off to meet up with the the plane and it was off to Paso Robles. After a short flight, about an hour, we arrived, jumped off the plane and watched it head off to pick up "KISS". In the mean time we rented a car and headed out to the concert site, the Middle State Fair, and enjoyed the pig races and sheep judging while awaiting the return of the plane. Once we had everyone back we were given our "All Access" passes and we headed backstage to enjoy the pre-concert festivities. It was fun watching the back stage workings and finally the appearance of the fully dress and made up members of KISS. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer were all ready for their fans and another huge concert. After "Meet & Greets" and lots of pictures it was time, time for them to take the stage and for us to go out front to our seats. The concert was awesome. Excited fans, great music and a show including lots of pyro (fireworks) made the next two hours fly by and soon after a six song encore it was over. It was time to begin our journey back to Las Vegas. But wait not so fast. First we needed to get the band off and hang out until the plane could return for us. Well return it did and soon Kay and I were standing in the lobby of the Bellagio checking in. By the way it was now 4AM and I had a meeting which started at 8AM. Not bad except we had been up for 27 hours at that point. Oh well the price you pay to live in the fast lane. The meetings were ruff to sit through, but they were exciting enough to keep me awake, at least most of the time. So like I said this has nothing to do with Kay and I's passion for cycling and kayaking, but......

July 25, 2009 Garretson City Park

2009-07-26T17:45:00.009-05:00

Although Kay and I were camping at Lake Vermillion we decided to head over to Garretson, SD, to attend a small gathering of fellow paddlers. We arrived a bit early, the event was scheduled for 2PM, so we took the time to look around and see what the park had to offer. Soon people began to arrive. It was fun as there were several new people who had seem the posting on the blogs and decided to join us. It was a great day with mild temps and some steady breezes. There was actually a bit of wind, but it had no affect on paddling. We head up the river right at 2PM and made the short trip up to where you can go no farther right below the high cliffs and the homes on the north end of the gulch. It is a nice paddle as it is scenic and peaceful. Today's paddle was special in that it was Sadie's first trip with me. Sadie is our English Cocker and I was not sure how it was going to work out due to her size and how she would handle the whole thing. Well I am glad to say it went very well. I now have two dogs who I can share paddling with. Next it will be Willies turn. I wonder if we can go three for three. Well we soon had paddled back to out starting point and Kay and I had to hit the road. We had company coming to our camp site dinner and we had some things to get ready. It was a great day. Great people, great weather and great paddling.

July 22, 2009 Big Sioux Clean Up

2009-07-26T17:22:00.006-05:00

Tonight after work 10 of use got together to see if we could clean up a small portion of the river on the south edge of Sioux Falls. Our hope was to clean up as much litter and garbage as we could in couple of hours. We started at Yankton Trails at Minnesota Ave and our plan was to head east and get out at 14th Street. A nice paddle for a good cause. Well it did not take long to figure out just what we had bit off. The river was abounding with trash and the task was not made any easier the fact that the current was pretty good and the trash was all interlaced with the fallen trees and dead trees that had floated together to form strainers to collect the garbage. What a dirty job. Muddy, buggy, fighting tree limbs and work in the current made it challenging at times. As luck would have it the very first bag of garbage I pulled of the bank was full of ants. Now that made the next fifteen minutes fun as they were crawling all over me.YUK. We found chairs, tarps, many pop and water bottles. We found tennis balls, license plates and a huge assortment paper and plastic bags. Well did not get nearly as much ground covered as I would have thought we would before it was time to paddle for the take out before dark. The rest of the paddle was enjoyable. We say a few deer and the water was still flowing well enough for us to ride the small rapids by Paisley Park. By the time we got to our truck I was covered in mud and who knows what else. I have to cover myself in plastic s before I could even get into the truck. We got home about nine and it took us a good hour to hose down the boats and everything else. It was good to know we had done good, but disappointing to know how much more trash there is out there. All I can say is we all need to be strong advocates of not littering and encourage people when we can to leave the areas they are in cleaner than when they got there. It is said to see how much people just leave behind. It is so easy to just dispose of our trash the right way.

July 19th 2009 Oakwood State Park 31st Annual Poker Run

2009-07-19T20:51:00.008-05:00

It was a beautiful day when we awoke. The sun was shining, the sky was bright blue and the breezes were very light. Kay and I were pretty lazy all morning as we did not need to be down to the beach for the start of the Kayak and Canoe Poker Run. I took all three dogs for a long walk and came back to the camper for some coffee and a left over brownie. I know not very nutritious, but it just seemed like the thing to do. Kay and I relaxed for a bit then began packing up as we knew we would not get done with the days event until about 4PM and we wanted to be able to hook up and head south as soon as we could after the run. At 12:30PM we headed to the beach and unloaded our boats. I had decided to take Sam, our sort haired Dachshund, with me in the boat and he was a hit with the other boaters while we were waiting to start. At 1:30PM all 21 boats headed of to the south and the first of five boxes filled with playing cards, the Poker Run was on. Now this is not a race, but I just seem to have this hard time paddling slowly. We were really making good time. I checked our progress on my GPS at the third box and we were averaging 5.8 mile per hour. The lake has many very shallow points and this year the water seemed to be just a bit higher than last. It was not long and we had all five cards and were headed back. Sam, the dog, was still riding high on the front of my boat. He had decided to take a swim three different time not realizing that with his small, short legs he is not much of swimmer. He spent a fair amount of time sleeping on the front of my boat, what a life. Once back to the beach we loaded up our boats while waiting for the rest to return, again trying to save some time when it came time to leave. Everyone was soon back and the prizes had been given out. Although Kay and I did not win anything we had the privilege of paddling with a great bunch of people. We will be back next year. Well another weekend was over and time to think about going back to work. Think there is a way to get paid to camp, bike and paddle. If you know of one please let me know. Next weekend it is Lake Vermilion.

RACE GPS DATA
TOTAL MILES: 3.79

AVERAGE SPEED 3.3 MPH
TOTAL TIME : 1 HOUR, 9 MINUATES
MAXIMUM SPEED: 5.8 MPH

July 18th, 2009 Diamond Lake Water Testing

2009-07-19T20:29:00.015-05:00

Today started out as an unusual July day for South Dakota. The over night lows were in the low to mid forties which is unheard of. The expected hi is only 72 which again is almost 15-20 degrees below the norm for this time of year. Kay and I stayed over night in Oakwood State Park and so we had to rise a bit earlier than we might have so we could have breakfast before taking the kayaks and heading back south to Diamond Lake to help with some water sampling. As you might remember we helped with Grass Lake's testing last year. If you have not read about our exciting day testing at Grass Lake just look back in my postings, it's worth reading. This year there were ten boats that showed to help. With that many boats it made the work load pretty light. Kay and I took the two test spots on the farthest points on the lake. Not a big deal as the total length of the lake is probably 1 mile. The paddling was easy and we soon were in position to do our first test at point AA. As it was last year it is kind of hard to measure the dept. To measure it we were using our disks and they tend to plan underwater rather than settling straight to the bottom. Last year the water was shallow enough I could use my paddle. I would push it down until it touched the bottom, marker the paddle and then brought it up and measured it. We could not do that this year it was to deep. The two spots we tested were right at 12-13 feet deep. So we measured the depth, tested the water viscosity and took actual water sample. Then it was on to our second site, AAA. We repeated the process and then it was back to the other end of the lake to turn in our data and samples. I must say that the water seemed pretty clean and the was not much algae growth for this time of year. One back Kay and I loaded up and headed back north to our campsite and dinner with Kay's parents and her brother and his wife. It was time to get out the Dutch Oven and make some Upside Down Pizza.YUM. (double click on any picture for larger view)

July 11th, 2009 3rd Annual Fab Ride and Dine

2009-07-12T10:12:00.004-05:00

Today was the third annual Ride and Dine ride put on by the Falls Area Bike Association in Sioux Falls. It was a beautiful morning with light breezes, moderate temps and party cloudy skies. Kay, Bruce, Nancy and I arrived at Marlin's at about 6:15AM for breakfast. Al thought the ride did not start until 8AM we don't like to eat right before riding, just doesn't work. With our bellies full we headed to Cherry Rock Park to sigh in and wait for the ride to begin. I think the ride started pretty much on time, but honestly I did not look. I was ready to put on some miles and didn't care what time it was. Off we went headed off to the south west and our first rest stop at Lake Alvin. The ride started of course with us headed straight into the little bit of breeze there was. Between the breeze and the hills it was going to be a good work out. We arrived at the stop by Lake Alvin and I was surprised to see I had averaged 17.8 mile an hour. I guess I thought with the hills and things it would have been less. The gang regrouped, had a candy bar and off we went headed east this time, straight for Harrisburg. From Harrisburg we kept going west , turned north on Minnesota Ave and rode until we got to our turn back east to Cliff. We were almost done with the official ride, but we were to early for lunch and still had some energy so we detoured the official route and headed to Caladis for some coffee.(Caladies is at 26th and Minnesota. After some coffee, sharing a carmel roll we headed for the bike path and to the north to Falls Park. We stopped to check out the million dollar shelter, hummm doesn't seem like it should have cost that much, before heading through downtown and back to Chery Rock Park for lunch. All in all we did about 35 miles and we could have kept going, but Bob's Cafes famous chicken was calling our name. We had a nice lunch, chatted with some old friends and made plans for the rest of the day. Decision? A couple errands, a nap and meeting at 5PM back downtown for the Hot Harley Nights motorcycle parade. That should cap of another full day.

June 27th 2009 U of Okaboji Campus Ride

2009-07-10T12:43:00.005-05:00

The 25th Campus Ride was today and over 1200 riders showed up to help celebrate the big event. The ride started at 9AM from the park in Milford, Iowa and Kay, Nancy, Bruce and I drove over that morning and were ready to go right on time. The ride headed north up around West Okoboji and then back south around Arnold's Park. The ride is an assortment of bike trails, city streets and county highways and makes for an interesting ride. The homes around the lake are a highlight and fun to see. Wow, some people just make to much money. LOL. The ride was only 25 miles so non of use work all that hard, although thanks to an idiot on two wheels Kay ended up with ten points for her crash. It was a great day for a ride. Cloudy, but no rain and cool. It was abit windy, but nothing to extreme. After the ride I was changing my clothes when I realized I had lost my wallet. Well with out going into the whole long story I got it back and in the process met one of the founders, Donny, of the ride. In chatting I told him about a project back in Sioux Falls to buy bikes for kids who could not afford one and what did he do but write me a check for a new bike to donate to the cause. What a great guy. Donny, thanks. So all was well, the ride was great and we had to head back to Sioux Falls as we all had other commitments that day. It would have been nice to stay and enjoy the Okoboji area, but...well you know things happen. The next sopt was Bikapaloosa in Sioux Falls. There are alwasy so many things going on. Oh well thats ok, they are all fun and a great way to spend our time.

June 30th - July 5th, 2009 Annual Oakwood Campout

2009-07-07T14:31:00.014-05:00

Well another year had gone by and it was time for the annual family camp out at Oakwood State Park. This year would be special with family from all over coming to help celebrate Kay's mom , Doris's, 80th birthday. First things first. The trip up was not to bad although the wind slowed us down a bit. I was drove the pickup and camper and Kay followed with the Jeep and kayak trailer. I must say she got the worst end of the deal as we had to take about three miles of gravel and the wind was blowing the dust right into her face. We got to Oakwood about 3PM and just ahead of Chase, Margo and Landen. It took a bit longer to set up camp as we had to set up our tent of the kids. Once camp was set we relaxed a bit before making some dinner, building a fire and heading off to bed. The next morning we woke up to a beautiful day. I got up and went right to work setting up to try out my new Dutch Oven for the first time. I must admit I was abit apprehensive about the whole process having only seen it done once and reading about it on the Internet. My first attempt would be brownies. Ahhh they turned out great. Then I got ready to make egg bake for everyone. Again they were great, the pan was scrapped clean. Wow two for two. After breakfast we took a short bike ride and then decided to take the kids to the beach along with the kayaks. We let the kids play for awhile and then Chase and I took the kayaks and paddles out to the sand bar and back. It was very quiet. We had the lake all to ourselves. The rest of the day was filled with a short trip over to the Anderson farm. Before long another day was gone. Kay and I wanted to get a good night sleep as we had planned our annual bike ride to Kay's folks for breakfast, 40 miles road trip. I was a beautiful day for a bike ride. The skies were blue, there was no wind and the temps were mild. The ride over was great even with all the hills. Breakfast was awesome and the ride back was even better. We actually averaged 2 miles and hour faster speeds on the way back, must have been the food. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and bit of kayaking. Kay and I made our annual paddle to what I have named "bird island" on East Oakwood Lake. This is a paddle I look forward to because I am always in awe of the number of birds nesting on this small island. The numbers of White Heron and other egrets is in the hundreds. There are nests of young everywhere. It is a spectacle with only one draw back, the smell. The ammonia smell is overwhelming. This year it was cooler so it was not quite as bad and I was able to get right up on the shore. What fun. Later that day we had the fun of having a cookout with some of the family from Minneapolis. It was so fun to see them. The next day was Friday and a very special day. It was the day everyone was to arrive for Doris's big surprise birthday party. First thought we had to go pick strawberries near Brookings. Kay, Margo, Chase, Landen, David, Christian and Doris all participated in the picking. It did not take long to pick all we needed. Hows the saying go? Many hands make light work? Soon we were done cleaning them and headed back to camp. The party was scheduled to begin at 3PM so I had asked Doris to come over and do some Dutch Oven cooking with me. When she arrived it was raining a bit so I suggested we go down to the shelter where Landen was fishing. Not! The shelter was where everyone was staged to surprise Doris and that they did. Everyone had a great time. The kids played with bubbles for hours and the rest of us caught up on everything in each others lives. Thanks to everyone who helped prepare the food. It was awesome and there was plenty of it. The rain may have been falling, but spirits were soaring. The rest of the weekend was pretty reminiscent of the first part. Some biking, some paddling and alot of relaxing. Chase ,Margo and Landen headed back early so they could get some things done before heading back to Utah. Kay and I stayed one more night, until Sunday, but were packed up and on the road by 10:30AM. Another great adventure was complete and the memories were stored for future enjoyment.

June 29th , 2009 Opps

2009-06-29T09:55:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the delay on these entries. I have been having some issues with the site. Hopefully I have them fixed. I will try to get the rest of the updates done and post a few more pictures. We were in Okaboji this weekend for the 25th Anniversary of the Campus Ride and we are leaving tomorrow for a week at the lake, so stay tuned.

June 25th 2009 Sorry

2009-06-26T10:57:00.002-05:00

Just a note to let you knwo I have had some issues with this site. I hope to get them fixed and get everybody up to date soon.

June 13th, 2009 Meet The Griswolds

2009-06-15T16:04:00.016-05:00

Well if any of you have seen any of Chevy Chase's movie about the Griswold family you will have some idea what our weekend was like. It was one crazy mishap after another. You know, one of those weekends when you should have stayed home. Well, that's one way to look at it, but I prefer to consider it making memories. Just think if everything goes smoothly you might remember that one particular weekend in ten years, but if you have a Griswold weekend you will remember it for a life time. Pretty philosophical huh. So where did all the fun take place? Lake Thompson in South Dakota just west of the town of Lake Preston. We started our weekend packing int he pouring rain on Friday. There is nothing fun about packing in the rain. We finally got on the road about 1PM and the first stop was to drop of Sadie at the doggie hotel. That done I decided I needed a bite to eat on the road so I pulled into a gas station and while doing so hit the side of the RV on a post. Two hot dogs in hand we got back on the road and arrived at the park around 4PM. The weather had improved and it was actually quite nice. Rod and Bonnie, Kay's brother and wife, showed up and we fired up the grill and had some awesome ribeyes, potatoes and onions and salad. The rest of the night we sat around and chatted before calling it a night around 10PM. Kay and I picked up and headed to bed. Well as usual I was ready for bed before Kay and as I laid there watching TV I could hear some strange noises coming from the water pump. I could imagine it breaking down as that was the way the day was going. I really didn't feel like dealing with it so I asked Kay to turn it off and decided to deal with it in the morning. Finally it was off to sleep, but not for long. I was enjoying a nice solid sleep when I was disturbed by the sound of my wife up and stirring around. A slight breeze had come up and the awning outside was gently rippling making a sound that was keeping Kay awake. well having been around the block a couple of times I knew that if I did not get up and roll up the awning I was not going to get any sleep, so I did just that. Yes the weekend was off to an interesting start. Morning came sooner than I would have liked and after breakfast I decided to tackle the water pump problem. Being the logical thinker I am I decided to start by making sure we had water in the tank, although I was sure we should since we had just filled it. Wrong. When I checked the water tank it was empty. How could that be? Well simply Kay just didn't fill it. While filling it it back washed on her so she thought it was full when in reality it only had a few gallons in it. So I put the jacks up and hooked the RV back up so I could drive to the fill station and fill the tank. So I filled it and returned and set up camp all over again. So could this be it, the last of the stupid things that could happen? Not hardly, remember this was a Griswold weekend. After a safe and event free bike ride we decided we really needed to drive to town for a few things. As we readied to go Kay suggested we lock up our bikes and even though I thought it to be unnecessary I went and go the bike lock. As I began to lock the bikes to the picnic table I realized I had the one lock we have that needs a key and is not a combination and I did not have the key. Wanting to set Kay's mind at ease I said I would just make it look like they were locked and when I pushed the two ends together I heard a very unwanted click, I had inadvertently lock both bike to the picnic table bench. All I could do is laugh. Well the solution could wait until we got back from town. I must say the young lady at the check out in Lake Preston must have wondered about my sanity as while I was standing there I began to laugh to myself about the bikes. She probably thought I was nuts. Once back at the camp i decided to examine the situation and soon came up with a plan. The first thing I needed to do was take the picnic table apart, no problem. I soon had the bench seat off and the two bikes still connected free of the table. I then went down to the beach got a big rock to use as a sort of anvil. With my hammer in hand and an old pair of wire cutters I began to hack away at the cable of the lock. It was not long before the bikes were free to once again roll down the road independently. so was this the end of the Griswoldisms? I believe it was. Everything went well after that. I must say I was a bit apprehensive about going out in my kayak after everything that had happened. Kay and I did take of and paddled around and into the eats bay. The water there was only about a foot and a half deep, but there were a fair number of pelicans and turtles to make things a bit more interesting. The strangest thing though was the number of carp in the bay. There were so many you could feel them bouncing of the bottom of the boat and once actually startled me when it tried to jump in the boat. Kay was laughing at that one. Lucky I did not flip over I might have drawn, oh that's right it was only a foot and a half deep. It was a nice paddle and the warm sum was very welcome. The rest of the weekend we just hung out, ate and enjoyed a visit from Bud and Doris. The trip home was uneventfully and safe. This was one camping trip we will not soon forget and it was the b of the many trips we would take camping in our RV which has now bares the name "The Griswold One". ( More pictures of this weekend coming soon ).

May 31, 2009 Our First Summer Adventure

2009-06-01T14:37:00.013-05:00

Well it seemed like it might never get here, but we finally hooked up the camper, loaded the bikes and the kayaks and headed out for the weekend. Friday afternoon when we left about noon it was awesome. Blue skies, warm temps and what, no wind? I don't think I remember the last day with no wind. It was a great afternoon to drive north. Our destination was only a short drive away, Walkers Point, at Lake Madison. We arrived set up the camper and wasted no time in getting the kayaks out on the lake. The water was actually much warmer than I expected and it was fairly calm making for a nice paddle. We headed east, south east along the shore admiring the homes with Hillcrest Resort as our destination. It was only a short distance by car, but by kayak it was a pretty good cruise. We did not see much wildlife, only a woodchuck and a few ducks. The break we took at Hillcrest was rather short and we headed back this time heading out into the lake farther. All in all we were out about two hours and we both knew it was summer once again.The rest of the night we just relaxed, watched some TV and turned in kind of early. we wanted to be up at the crack of dawn to head to Brookings to do some bike riding. We arrived at Brookings with abit of a chill in the air still. The winds was blowing pretty well AGAIN, but the sky was blue and nothing was stopping us. We unloaded the bikes and took off on the bike path headed south. The path was great. It was pretty smooth and it winded through the trees, up small hills and down. We followed it along the interstate and then around the golf course before heading east. We were both commenting on how nice it was. What a great bike trail and then suddenly it ended. No more trail now what? Oh well we decided to just make the best of it and head down the streets of Brookings with a new gaol in mind, the world famous Nick's Hamburger Shop. As we walked into Nick's we both noticed right away that they had done some remodeling and added a whole eight new stools bringing the new total to like 15 or so. We were soon enjoying some of Nick's great burgers and some great conversation with Nick. After more that 80 years in business it seems there is no end to Nick's burgers. Now full we headed back to the truck, loaded up and began our return trip to Madison. Back at camp we fired up the grill and enjoyed some potatoes and green peppers and rib eye steak. What a great way to reward yourself at the end of a day. Then it was some Dominoes, Phase Ten and off to bed. Sunday morning began with sky, nice temps and yes wind once again. A nice breakfast of waffles and bacon got us ready to head out onto the lake in our kayaks to fight the waves. It was windy. This time we headed west into the area called "The Harbor", a very nice area with some beautiful homes. The carp were thick and the water swirled along the shoreline where they were thrashing about. It was hard paddling and at times it was like two strokes forward and drift three backwards. Just kidding, but it was work. By the time we got back we knew we had done some work. It is fun riding the big waves though. We started to kind of clean up once we got back and getting ready for Bud and Doris, Kay's parents, for you outsiders to come for lunch. The arrived, we had a nice lunch and chatted until we had to get ready to head for home. We were suppose to have a bike ride at 4PM, but it got cancelled do to impending weather. The drive home was fun, NOT! Pulling the trailer in the 35 -40 mile an hour winds was interesting to say the least. We made it though, safe and sound. The first weekend had come to an end. So whats next? Next Saturday we are headed to Vermilion, SD to join a group for a Missouri River cruise. If interested in joining us there is a link with the details: www.mnrrwatertrail.org/ The Sunday it is the Canoe and Kayak Fair at Lake Alvin starting at 11:30AM. So if you have ever wanted to try paddling come on out. Here is a link for that event: http://sdcka.blogspot.com/ Well till next week enjoy.

May 9, 2009 Peddle & Paddle

2009-05-11T18:22:00.004-05:00

It was only 36 degrees when Kay and I got on our bikes at Sertoma Park and head off to the south. The sky was bright blue, there was not any wind and I believed for a little bit that the cool morning had kept most others home. It was a great morning for riding and things were going well. We we clipping right along around the south end of the bike trail. We were riding along at about 18 miles and hour just enjoying the morning. Until that is we reached the Cherry Rock Paisley Park area. As we came around the corner we were met by hundreds of runners. What was going on? Who were these people who had invaded the bike trail? Well they were all runners participating in either the 5k or 10k Breast Cancer Run for The Cure. Well this added a very interesting twist to the ride. It was slow and hard going trying to make my way through the crowd of runners going both directions on the bike path. I was not sure it was ever going to end, but it did, just south of the the train bridge by Fawic Park. Once I passed the runners and rode another short distance I realized Kay was not behind me, so I turned around and head back to see where she might be. I waited and waited by the turn around point for the runners and she never came. Then my phone rang. It was Kay she was already at Falls Park, she had jumped off the trail and took side streets instead of fighting the runners. So I headed back south to meet up with her. By the time we joined up at the park we had lost alot of time and decided to head straight back to the car. So we headed down Phillips south until we reached sixth street where we turned west. As we approached Minnesota Ave. I realized the sixth street hill was straight ahead of u. Now this hill is a true test for most riders. I am not sure of the grade, but it is like 45 degrees up a street that is all cobblestones at the top. Well we did it although I will say I think I almost lost one lung on the way. The rest of the ride was not bad. We jumped back on the bile trail at 12th Street and before we knew it we were back at the car. The problem now was that we had lost lots of time and we were to meet up with some members of the South Dakota Canoe Association at Lake Marindal at noon.

Kay I had never been to this lake before and were looking forward to our first time out with our kayaks this year. After having to rush to put the racks on the pickup we loaded the boats and headed south. We were only a half hour late leaving, but I figured I could make up some of the time if you know what I mean. Now like I said we had never been to this lake before, but I thought I knew right where it was. Wrong! There were no signs anywhere and it is one of those lakes that you can not see from the road. We could have driven around for days, but we got lucky and saw one of fellow cruisers headed down a road so we followed him. Soon we were there. It was a nice day although it could have been a bit warmer. We got the boats unloaded and Kay and I headed out on the lake. We paddled north passing several fishing boats and a couple other paddlers. The water was a pretty nice with only a few small waves. It was a beautiful cruise and I really enjoyed the scenery. The only wild like I saw were a few Mallards, a couple Teal and one Grey Crane. We finally reached the far north end of the lake where I had hoped to fine an inlet we could paddle up, but I did not. I later discovered that if we had worked our way across the sand bar we could have paddled up the inlet for some distance. Once back at the dock area we watched a few brave, or maybe stupid kids swim int he 45 degree water. Ah to be young and impulsive again. By this time the wind was starting to come up and random clouds were drifting by blocking the sun from time to time. After loading up we headed home. It had been a full day. Nothing better that both peddling and paddling in one day. It was a good start to the summer.

May 2, 2009 It's About Time

2009-05-04T14:37:00.006-05:00

Finally some nice weather. Kay and I have been waiting for this all winter. We had a great day. We started with a nice 25 mile ride in the morning. We rode part of the bike trail and then headed off through the city. We rode though downtown and headed west on 10Th street. The traffic was pretty heavy. When we got to Grange we headed south and road over to Sanford Hospital. We actually rode on the west side of the new childrens hospital and I am still amazed at the building. What a wonderful concept. It might just make going to the hospital a little less scary for the kids. Our next stop was at the new Augustana College stadium they are building. Wow it is something. It is huge and the design is breathtaking. Way to go Augie. We then headed south on Lake and as we rode by one of the homes I grew up in I notice that an old neighbor, John Miller, was sitting outside enjoying the son with his little dog in his lap. I had to stop and say hi. John lives alone and is 80, but looks like he is doing pretty well. Then it was off south until we arrived at our car which was parked at Yankton Trails. It was a great morning for a ride. Cool, not much wind and the traffic on the trail at least was light, but as is the case with most good things we had to stop and head for home. There was a lawn calling my name. Later in the day I decided I had not had enough so I called our friends Bruce and Nancy to see if they were up for a ride. I figured another 20 would be good. So we met about 5:30PM and headed down the bike trail with Falls Park and the Cinco de Mayo celebration as our destination. We arrived at the park and I must say I really was expecting more people. There was a band, like 16 musicians, some food and beverage vendors and that was about it. So we hung around for a bit just to see what was happening and watch the people. It is always fun to be a people watcher. We decided it was time to head back so we hit the trail and headed south. We made a couple more stops along the way, but before long we were back at Sertoma Park where we had started out from. What was next? Pizza....well deserved pizza. What a great way to start the summer.

April 29, 2009 YUK!!!

2009-04-29T11:08:00.003-05:00

Well the start of the summer season is not much better than it was one year ago. It is still cool and wet with plenty of wind to go around. We have managed to get out once or twice a week to battle the wind and get some miles in. The way we look at it is that if week wait for a day with out wind we will never ride again, at least in South Dakota.

I am rather sad we had to miss the very first big paddle of the year last weekend. It sounds like there was a good turn out and lots of fun had by all. My nephew Greg got married and so we were kept busy will all the events of the day. It was great.

Kay and I have been working on our calender for the summer and there are not many weekends we are not involved in a ride or paddle. There will be no shortage of things to do. Many weekends we have both a ride and a paddle planned, those are the best. They compliment each other so well. So anyway I just thought I should update this with something until we really get going for the summer. I am sorry I have nothing very exciting to report, bu that will change I am sure. Cross your fingers and say a prayer that this weather finally straightens out.

March 29, 2009 Splish Splash

2009-03-29T19:41:00.003-05:00

Well the weather is still just not quite where I would like it to be before I adventure out onto the rivers and lakes around here, so we decided to do the next best thing and take part in another and I assume last pool paddle at the YWCA. We arrived at 10AM and unloaded one of out boats. Once everyone was inside we went about paddling, rolling our boats over and practicing self rescues and more. The water was wonderful. There were a few new people again and they seemed to enjoy their first opportunity to experience a kayak. For two hours we just enjoyed being able to dream about the warm days on the water ahead.

March 20th , 2009 First Day Of Spring

2009-03-20T14:18:00.007-05:00

Well it is officially here, the first day of spring. I know we have all been waiting for this day and the summer to come. It has been really nice to be able to get out three times already this week and put on some miles. It will not be long before every weekend will be filled with peddling and paddling. I have started to build a list of many of the organized rides and cruises on this blog so if I have missed anything you would like me to add please let me know. I have also added the weather forecast since it is something we all take special notice of. Kay and I have lots of plans for this summer and we are looking forward to putting our boats in the water yet this month. The river is pretty well open and calling our names. I want to take a moment to thank Dana and the guys at Two Wheeler Dealer for hosting the trainer sessions this winter. I can really feel the benefits when I am out riding . It is always more fun to train as a group. If you need anything from a new bike to apparel, tires, service make sure you make Two Wheeler Dealer your destination. You will be please you did. So for now we will ride as much as we can until the first organized ride and we will paddle when we can in anticipation of the Earth Day cruise on April 25th. We hope to see many of you along the way.

March 9th 2009 Red Rock Canyon

2009-03-09T16:42:00.007-05:00

I just got off a plane to a weather forecast of a possible blizzard, freezing rain, snow and rain. Now I know that is the norm for South Dakota, but after spending a few days in Phoenix, 80 degrees, and a few days in Las Vegas, 65-70 degrees, it is a bit hard to take. Kay and I just returned from visiting her parents in Phoenix and meeting up with our kids in Las Vegas. I will not go into all the details of the trip, but I would like to fill you in on our time spend mountain biking in Red Rock Canyon right out side Las Vegas. The day was perfect, about 68 degrees, no wind and bright blue skies. Our guide for the day, John, picked us up at the New York New York Hotel loaded with all the equipment we needed. Cannaondale Rushes, gloves, helmets and water. It was about a fifteen to twenty minute drive to the trail head where we unloaded, got the bikes fitted and were given some basic instructions on how to survive the trip. He told us about the terrain we would encounter as well as the dangers associated with the cactus which grow adjacent to the trails. He assured us he carried pliers to pull out and needles we might come in contact with. So of we went. It took some time to get the feel of the bike underneath. The feel of the sand, the rocks and the washed out cracks and groves in the trail. We didn't go far though before we came to our first real test, a ten to fifteen foot drop into a dry creek bed and back up the other side. The trail was ruff and covered with loose rocks some the size of my fist. The path twisted and turn very rapidly and we learned a valuable lesson right away. Don't fight the bike let is go, let it handle the rocks and the bump. Once up the other side we were all pretty proud of ourselves. We were up for anything. On we went zig zagging across the dessert. Down cliffs and up rocks slopes. Dodging cactus and huge boulders in the middle of the trail. We stopped fairly often to enjoy the views and to chat about the next section and what to expect. It was a perfect day for riding. After two and a half hours of pitting ourselves against mother natures creation we made or last pit stop. John gave us two option for the last leg of the ride. One that was almost all up hill and one that was up hill. Well being the wimps we were we chose the almost up hill path. It was the toughest part of the ride. One because we were getting tired and on because much of the trial was up hill on very loose rock. Your back tires was spinning on the rocks, but to stop peddling was not an option. There was no way you would get started again. The last leg was tuff and when we saw the van waiting for us it was encouraging. We had made it and no fatalities. Oh we had a few cuts, scrapes and such, but nothing that required and real first aid, something the guide said we could be proud of. All in all it was a great experience. I must say there were couple of times I saw my life flash before my eyes as I transcended some of the more torturous stretches of dessert. Would I do it again...in a minute. We all had a great time and had experienced something new. A new adventure.

February 24, 2009 Tattoos

2009-02-24T16:24:00.002-06:00

Tattoos have become an ever more popular way of expressing ones interests. Having encountered many friends and casual acquaintances with tattoos expressing the love of riding or paddling I thought it might be fun to ask people to send pictures of their tattoos for all of us to enjoy. So if you have a bike or paddling related tattoo please email it to me and I will post them all on my blog for people to see. If you want to remain anonymous just let me know. If not we will let people know who's tats are who's. Lets see who has what...it will be fun. Oh by the way if you think this is just a crazy idea please feel to let me that too.

Email to : KHoff14092@aol.com

February 1, 2009 YWCA Pool Training

2009-02-02T09:29:00.002-06:00

Well if you didn't have spring fever before yesterday and you attended the pool training session at the YWCA in Sioux Falls you do now. It was son nice to get back in my boat again and enjoy the feel of the paddle in the water. It was nice to see alot of new faces and hopefully we will see them more often this summer on the rivers and lakes. Thanks to Jarett Bies for setting things up. I look forward to the next one. And remember open water is just around the corner. Yahoo!

January 28, 2009 Training Session

2009-01-28T11:28:00.001-06:00

There will be a training session at Two Wheeler Dealer tonight at 7PM. Bring your bike and your trainer and ride with us. We will be doing a one hour session with a training video. Join the fun.

January 22, 2009 Spring Training Begins

2009-01-22T10:07:00.004-06:00

Last night we joined with a group of 13 other individuals to do some indoor training at our favorite bike shop, Two Wheeler Dealer. Everyone began arriving and setting the bike and trainers up as early as 6:30PM as we were hoping to begin the session at 7PM. Everyone lined up their bikes in front of the television which would be our training guide for the night. The training DVD we were riding with took us through one hour of interval training. From spinning to hills we used all our gears to maintain and keep pace with the video. It was a great time as everyone was enjoying the ride and each others company. The nice thing about these sessions is that you can go at your own pace in what ever gears you like, I call it customizing the session, The bottom line is you only get out of it what you put into it. Everyone has different goals. The hour went by quickly. At the end of the hour all that was left was an empty water bottle and a towel soak in sweat, gross huh. So if your feeling like this might be just for you, join the guys at Two Wheeler Dealer for their next training session. They have sessions on Sundays at 4PM and Wednesday nights at 7PM. Try it, you might just find it addicting.

January 21, 2009 Winter Thaw

2009-01-22T09:05:00.005-06:00

I had to take advantage of the winter thaw today to get in some road time. I hit the trail at about 3:30PM with a temperature of 38 degrees and light winds out of the west, a perfect winter day. I opted to start from the zoo and head north around the bike trail assuming that the northern part of the trail out around the airport would be clear of snow and ice. For the most part it was. There were a couple places like under the bridge at Minnesota Ave where the snow was drifted in about 6-8 inches deep. In these areas it was time to walk and carry the bike, kind of like riding Cyclocross. The good news is the were not long stretches at least on the north end of the trail. There were quite a few guys riding the river on their quads taking advantage of the nice day. I was making pretty good time all things considered. This was the first time I had ridden on one of my bikes since Thanksgiving. It was kind of fun to see the number of water fowl in certain areas. There were thousands of geese on the fair grounds property and where ever there was open water along the river their were huge numbers of duck, particularly Mallards. So as I said everything was going along pretty well until I hit downtown and the section of the bike trail that is more protected by trees. The farther south I went the more snow packed the trail became. No let me say that snow pack, hard snow pack doesn't bother me, but the farther I went the deep the snow got in places. By the time I hit Minnesota Ave and I-229 it was becoming real work to maneuver the trail. There were parts between Minnesota and Western where they had cut through the three foot drifts, but the snow had blown back in and made it very difficult and at times impossible to ride. I will say this. It was a great work out and great for improving your bike handling and balance. I was so glad to get past the old steal bridge by western and back up on the dike on the west side. The path was clear and smooth, a nice change. When I got back to the Jeep I realized just how much of a workout it had been and how much of a sweat I had worked up. Once I started standing around I began to get colder. So in the Jeep, heater on full of I went to pick up Kay. Oh yeah she had to work so she missed all the fun. I am thinking she is OK with that though. Spring is not that far away anymore.

December 19, 2008 Yes We Still Exist

2008-12-19T09:18:00.002-06:00

I just felt the urge to let everyone know that Kay and I are still in the neighborhood. It seems that when I do my regular check of blogs it is as if everyone is gone, that they have faded away. Now I understand that for those of us into outdoor activities this is the worst time of year. We are all sitting back and dreaming of the warm sun on our backs and the sound of our paddles knifing through the water. The sounds of our tires on the pavement and the click of the gears as we shift our way up the next hill. Well that will come soon enough, but I always wonder what everyone does in the winter to try and stay in shape for the summer. For some the answer may be just to rest and let the body kind of rejuvenate. For Kay and I it is just making some changes to our habits. Moving our activities inside out of the snow and cold. For us it is all about going to spin classes, doing some weight work and even spending some time in the pool so we can at least be close to water. We also ride at home as we have our road bike on trainers so we can ride when ever we feel the urge. The older I get the more I seem to find the need to be active year round as if I don't it is much harder to get back into it in the spring. The other part of getting through the summer is planning out activities for the summer. Looking for event schedules and picking those we want to participate in. It is a time for setting goals. Remember goals are just that don't be afraid to set them high. If you don't accomplish all of them that's OK, at least you had some. So anyway we would love to know how your winter days are going and what your doing to pass them by. Also if any of you have run across anything that is already scheduled for next summer that involves peddling or paddling please let us know. Keep the faith this snow and cold can not last for ever, we are in the middle of "Global Warming" after all. Also Kay and I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

November 28th, 2008 Perfect Day

2008-12-01T08:35:00.002-06:00

It was a perfect day for a ride. The temp was in the high forties and the winds were light and for the end of November that's not all bad. The best part of winter riding is that you pretty much have the trail to yourself. There were a couple other people out, but nothing like in the heart of the summer. It was interesting riding the southern portion of the trial as I have never really ridden on ice and snow pack before. I must say it was not really a big deal. All in all the bike held the road quite well. I must admit it was hard not to think of riding in the summer again as I peddled along. There is just something about the sun on your back. By the way just a note. I was told of an incident on the Michelson Trail where a man had a crash with his bike. Unfortunately he was not wearing a helmet, probably not cool, and now has some permanent brain damage. Please remember to wear your helmet and encourage others to do the same. It is a simple thing that can protect not only your brain from permanent damage, but save your life. OK enough preaching. Just let me say that if you get a chance to get out on one of our nicer winter days, go for it. You really do see things differently this time of year.

November 9, 2008 Brisk Ride

2008-11-11T08:05:00.003-06:00

It was all of 23 degrees when Kay and I headed out for our ride today. The good news was there was not any wind, except for that produced by riding 20 miles and hour. We left from the new Elmen Trail Head on 12th street and opted to head north up past the airport thinking we would have more sunshine than if we went south through the trees. At first it was abit hard to adjust to. I was really pretty ward except for the wind on my face. The bike was stiff and you could feel it in the pedals and the shifting. Each mile we went got a bit better. The burning on my face stopped, not sure why, and the bike responded better with each stroke. By the time we hit the north end of the bike trail Kay's fingers were getting cold so we stopped so she could warm them up. The one advantage to riding on a day like this is that you have no competition for the road, none. We continued on around the airport and when we got to the Penitentiary we decided to get of the trail and ride through the city streets to get back. By now we were feeling pretty good. We had developed enough body heat that our Under Armour and fleece riding jackets were working very well, again the only problem being our fingers. We do need to research some better gloves. We road out past the arena and down Kiwanis where we picked up the bike trail again at Madison Avenue. From here it was a short ride back to the Jeep. It was getting dark by this time and it was nice to back in the Jeep and one the way home. Oh we did have to stop and get a Cappachino on the way home. All in all it was not bad for our first cold weather ride. I am sure we will do many more. Oh and just a note the picture is not of anyone we know, I just liked it.

November 5, 2008 Winter Blues

2008-11-05T15:49:00.003-06:00

Well daylight savings time has put an end to after work rides, the weather is looking ominous and well the winter blues are setting in. We have returned to the gym and spinning as we look for a couple new trainers to use with our bikes at home in hopes of keeping in shape for next summer. I must say to the dismay of some that nothing we can do can replace riding outside and believe me we will be doing everything we can to ride as much as possible outside all winter long. Yesterday I started building our ride and paddle calender for next summer based on the events we know of right now. It seems to give me a bit of a spiritual lift to do so. If anyone has a particular ride they enjoy every year, charity or fun, please let us know. We are always looking for something new. I have added a survey to see how some of you spend your winters and I am anxious to see what everyone is doing to keep in shape. Well things could be worse, we could be farther west where it sound like they are going to get a real winter blizzard..yuk.

October 28, 2008 Our Last Ride

2008-10-30T07:21:00.005-05:00

Well the title is a bit deceiving. Tonight was not our last ride, just our last ride this year after work. With the change of time this Sunday we will no longer be able to ride outside after work and we will have to resort back the gym. But don't think for a minute that on any nice winter weekend day you will not still see us out on the on for ride. I just realized that about three blogs back I promised to post some pictures of our new bike and never did. Well here they are, sorry for the delay. By the way if your new to our blog just anote to let you knowif you click on any picture you will get a bigger view.

October 25,2008 Fall Riding

2008-10-27T15:51:00.004-05:00

Fall is a great time to ride. I know I have not really update this for some time, but that doesn't mean we have not been riding, we have. Today we got up bright and early and hit the road. It was sunny and crisp, 37 degrees. Kay and I had our warm winter bike clothes on so it was actually very nice riding. One of the good things about this time of year is that there isn't much competition for the road, there aren't to many other riders out early in the morning. The real message to this addition though is that although riding is one of the greater pleasures it is not without its negative moments. While riding today I got a flat tire, a not so unusual thing. Under normal circumstances it would have only delay our ride for about fifteen minute while I replaced the tube in the tire. No so on this day. After removing the tire, getting out my new tube, removing the tire from the rim, replacing the tube and putting the tire back on the rim I realized we had forgotten our air pump. Well needless to say we were dead in our tracks. So for the next 30 minutes I sat on the curb in the nice fall sunshine and waited for Kay ride back to the Jeep and come to my rescue. Five minutes later we were on or way. Well I just wanted you to know that not every ride goes as expected, yet its all part of the memories. These are rides we remember most. By the way we now have two air pumps so hopefully we will not forget them both.

October 4, 2008 Early Morning Ride

2008-10-06T14:46:00.002-05:00

This morning was a first for Kay and I in a couple of ways. The first was the first time we have ridden in the dark. Leaving at around 6:30AM it was still dark and rather cool. The temp was probably about 45 or so. The wind was blowing out of the south at a fair clip also making it a bit cooler and a bit harder to ride at times. It was also the first time we had ridden up in this part of South Dakota. We left Kay's parents home which is north of Lake Preston and headed east to the Badger Road and then north to Badger. The road was rolling hills. but nothing too strenuous. Once we headed north we got a bit of a break and the wind at our backs. A couple of miles north there were three deer crossed the road ahead of us and into the bean field they ran. Always fun to see mother nature at her best. From Badger we headed back west. This section had a few more substantial hills, but still nothing to serious. The early chill we had felt had pretty well disappeared as we built up some body temperature from riding. It was now daylight and there was more traffic. well traffic is a bit of an over statement. I am not sure what the county road number is where we turned and headed back south, but it was very hilly and we had the wind in our faces. We were really getting a work out now. It was a bit slower going. Just before we reached the North Preston Church corner we passed by a young man out for an early morning hunt.Not sure what he was hunting but... Once we headed back east we were on the down hill side of things. It was only a short distance back to Kay's parent's home and a well deserved breakfast. A great way to start a day.

September 27, 2008 Okoboji Octoberfest Ride

2008-09-28T18:58:00.007-05:00

Our time outside on a bike is becoming more limited each day. The days are becoming shorter limiting the amount of time for riding after work and the snow will soon be here. For now though we are content enjoying the beautiful fall days and spending as much time outside as we can. This weekend we had the opportunity to join with about 250 fellow cyclists of all ages for The University of Okoboji Oktoberfest Ride in Okoboji, Iowa. On Friday after work Kay,myself and our friends Nancy and Bruce drove over to Okoboji. We arrive there about 7:30, checked in and sat down for a relaxing dinner at Minerva's. I personally decided on pasta not only for the carbs I knew I would need in the morning, but because I just have a hard time passing up Cajun Chicken Linguine. Bruce followed suit and the ladies had flat bread something. It was wonderful. Knowing we had to be up and about early we headed to bed at a decent hour. In the morning we got up started getting ready only to discover Kay had forgotten her socks, not a good thing when you are planning to ride 30 miles. So while everyone finished up getting ready I jumped in the Jeep and ran to Walmart for socks. We had a good breakfast and decided to see if we could not get a bit of a head start on the ride. I like to leave about 30 minutes early when I can so we don't have to deal with the crowd that leaves at the official start of these rides. It was a beautiful morning for a ride. the air was crisp, the trail was great and their company was the best. The trail meandered through homes along the lake shore as we headed south and then quickly north. The trail was winding and rolling hills with an occasional hill that offered us a bit more challenge. The wind was fairly brisk out of the north so the ride was a good workout. We continued north at about 15 miles an hour completely circling West Okoboji Lake and started around Spirt Lake. When we hit the north end of the trail we head east and then finally we got to head back to the south with wind to our backs. And so we were almost finished. When we finally returned to our starting pint eh Arrowwood resort we loaded up the bikes and head inside for a German Buffet of Bratwurst, German Potatoes and coleslaw. We were ready by now to replenish some calories. Unfortunately we could not hang around long as we had the get headed back so Kay could play for a wedding. It would have been a great day to just hang out at the lake. It was a great ride though and I am sure we will go back next year.

Looks like something that will be an annual event for us.

September 13, 2008 Biking For Breast Cancer

2008-09-14T14:06:00.006-05:00

The day started early with Kay and I needing to be at the Frying Pan by 6:30am for breakfast with Daryl and Nancy before we joined the group for the Ride For Breast Cancer. The ride to town was highlighted by light rain, not a good thing when your driving a Jeep with the top off. It wasn't bad though. When we got to the restaurant we just put the cover on. It was still raining when we arrived at Sanford Hospitals Cancer Center where the charity ride was to begin. Everyone was looking pretty droopy by the time we finally headed out on the 22 mile ride. Kay, Daryl, Nancy and I headed out a few minutes before the official start so as to avoid the congestion and having to navigate 300 other people. It was raining harder all the time. We headed west down 18t.h toward the zoo where we could jump on the bike trail and head north. Nancy decided shortly into the ride it wasn't for her. I always say when it stops being fun it's not worth doing. Kay, Daryl and I continued on. It was not really to bad. It was warm enough that we were not cold. By the time we hit the first support station at the Orion parking lot we were soaked to the bone. I think we each weighed 10 pounds more than when we started. We were really making pretty good time. It went to from steady rain to pouring rain. I was really fun though. Once we were soaked there were no good reasons not to ride through every puddle and through every stream of water running off the bridges. We were just like little kids. We got back to Sanford Cancer Center without a hitch, although I almost ram over a young lady who crashed right ahead of me when her front wheel slipped off the path. Thank God I was able to swerve around her. She was fine although I would guess she probably has a few bruises. The volunteers where waiting for us with towels, coffee and food when we got back which was very welcomed. We socialized for a bit and loaded up for home. Soaked, muddy and full of more good memories we were ready for the rest of the day.

September 12, 2008 New Bikes

2008-09-14T13:54:00.003-05:00

Well the first thing I need to do is apologize for not having pictures on our new wheels. I will add them very soon. Tonight was the first night we got to try out our new rode bikes. After riding all summer on our hybrids we came to the conclusion we needed something a bit more suitable for long rode rides. So we did our homework and ended up with new bikes from our friends at Two Wheeler Dealer. Kay got a Specialized Ruby Comp, with pink trim. I got a Specialized Roubiax Elite Comp. After a couple hours of getting fit to the bikes by pros at Two Wheeler Dealer we were ready to go. Well we headed to the bike trail and spent a few minutes getting used to the difference in the ride from our hybrid bikes. Didn't take but a few minutes to get off and rolling a full pace. It was a nice night for a ride. Now wind, cool temps and low traffic. Well it did not take long to realize the big differences in the bikes. The new road bikes were much faster and took less effort to ride. I really liked the comfort and the options of positions the bike offers for riding. We soon had completed the loop around the city and were back on the south end. When we hit Minnesota Ave. I told Kay I was going to break off and ride to Two Wheeler Dealer to ask them a couple questions about the new bike. Kay continued on the trail, loaded up her bike and came to get me. We both agreed we were going to have many happy miles on the new wheels.

September 3, 2008 FAB Ride

2008-09-04T10:04:00.003-05:00

Last night was a first for us, but not the last ride, with FAB. For those of you who are unfamiliar with FAB it stands for the Falls Area Bicyclists. A very active group with many opportunities to ride no matter what your skill level. It was nice to put some face to some of the names I am used to seeing on their web sight, http://www.clubfab.org/index.php. There were eight of us including the ride leader Greg Anderson. It was a great night with cool temps, not much wind and a route with lots of rolling hills. We all meet at Annie's in Rowena and headed out. The ride took us south and back east till we headed back north just outside Larchwood. We rode north and then turned back west into Valley Springs and then back south to Rowena. It was a smooth ride. Even the three dogs we encountered were not problem. By the time we got back to Rowena, 25 miles later, it was getting dark. The days are really getting shorter fast. It will not be long before we are forced back into the gym for the winter. Although we plan to ride as many Saturdays as we can during the winter. After work is out, it will be dark, but hopefully we will get some temperate Saturday or Sundays when we can still beat the pavement. Again thanks to everyone last night for making us feel welcomed. We look forward to many more miles with you.

August 24, 2008 James River Run

2008-08-26T12:32:00.018-05:00

Life does not get better than a day spent on the river under blue skies and sunshine. Sixteen of us took advantage of the great weather to experience the James River, many of us for the first time. After meeting at the access point just east of Mitchell and delivering some shuttle vehicles to the take out point we got under way. I was surprised and happy that their seemed to be more depth to the river than I thought there would be and was hoping it would hold out, which it did. The river was pretty slow and the wind was out of the south, south east. The water was cleaner than I had thought it might be and it was great paddling. The event was planned to take us 12 miles down stream to the take out and was predicted to take us four hours, which we hit pretty close. The banks along the way were fairly low and covered with vegetation. There were not as many trees or high banks as got to enjoy on the Big Sioux a couple of weeks ago. The only creatures I observed were a couple frogs, one turtle, a loon and a few head of cattle. I am sure that at the right time of day though, early morning or towards dusk that might just change. We paddled pretty steadily and some of us took a moment to take a break answer natures call and have a bite to eat. There were several interesting areas along the way where old bridges once stood and even one unidentified structure along the bank. I have a picture of that structure include here so if anyone knows what it is please let me know. The river was wider than I thought it would be most of the way and there was hit and miss fallen trees to circumvent. As usual the company was great and it afforded some great time to socialize and get to know some of the other people better. But as usual the fun has to come to an end sometime. We arrived at the take out a little over four hours after we departed and once everyone was out of the water we began the shuttle to get everyone back up their cars. Once loaded up Kay and I headed south to Highway 42 and then straight into Sioux Falls. It was a another great day on the water. Kay and I want to extend our thanks to everyone and a special thanks to Jarett Bies and the South Dakota Canoe Association for planning these events. Another wonderful day in South Dakota. Fresh air, exercise and wonderful company. Need I say more? Remeber if you click on pictures you can see full sized views.

August 23, 2008 Tour De Corn

2008-08-26T10:23:00.005-05:00

The setting was8:30 AM, Mitchell, South Dakota on a beautiful morning. The temperature was about 50, clear skies and there was plenty of sunshine. People were busy gearing up for the 14th Annual Tour De Corn. Checking air pressure, fixing flats, adjusting helmets and just double checking they had enough water. It was a fun and welcoming atmosphere. at 9:30AM we all lined up and got underway. We head north following the police escort that was leading us out of town. The pack began to spread out almost immediately and by the time we made the first turn west there was a pretty open field ahead. The route Kay and I chose was the 35 mile one that took us 6 miles west , 5 north, 2 east, 5 south, 2 east and then the 15 mile loop around Lake Mitchell. It was a good day for riding , a light breeze out of the north west made for some good exercise when were headed north. On the other hand it made for some smooth riding headed south. The route was well marked and there were several comfort stations along the way with water, Gatorade and some small snacks. Kay and I did not stop at the first two, but did stop for a cookie at the last one. After 2 hours and 12 minutes and averaging 16.5 miles an hour we arrived at the finish and to a well deserved break. We picked up our Tour De Corn shirts, water bottles and headed for the lunch line. Pork sandwiches, corn on the cob, potato salad and ice tea really hit the spots. All in all it was a great morning. We met and had the opportunity to chat with some very nice people as we road and the hospitality was great. Our hats off to the Tour De Corn Committee, we will be back next year.

August 17th, 2008 Lake Alvin

2008-08-18T20:28:00.005-05:00

Today was one of those special days when you get to introduce someone new to kayaking. A beautiful day with bright sunshine, clear skies, warm temp and just enough breeze to keep the bugs away. We, Kay, myself and Nancy one half of our best friends head for Lake Alvin about 2PM. This was Nancy's first chance to try her hand at paddling. When we got there we were greeted by a family with two little boys who were fishing of the dock on the west end of the lake. Maybe I should rephrase that, they were suppose to be fishing, but they were much more interested in everything else going on. We unloaded and decided Nancy and I would take of first. Oh I forgot to mention this was Sam's first time kayaking too. Sam is on of our Mini Dachshunds and I finally decided it was time to see how he wold like being out on the water. So anyway I help Nancy in her boat and away we went. We headed south west toward where Nine Mile Creek enters the lake. We paddled all the way to the rocks just beyond the bridge before we turned around. Nancy did great. By the time we turned around and got back to the lake she was moving along very nicely. When we got back Sam and I gave up our boat and Kay and Nancy head east. It was a great day to just sit on the dock and soak up life. Well they soon returned and Kay and I took one more paddle before we loaded up the boats and called it an afternoon. It was great to see Nancy do so well and not get a single point. (Inside joke). So until next weekend we packed away our paddles. By the way for those of you that may not know there is a nice paddle being held next Sunday near Mitchell. It is scheduled to be like 12 to 15 miles. If you interested just click on the link to your left for the South Dakota Canoe Association.. We will be there so if you can make it be sure to say hi. By the , remember that if you click on any picture you can enjoy a bigger version.

August 16th, 2008 Palisades State Park

2008-08-17T19:42:00.013-05:00

Well before I get into our time spent at Palisade's State Park I must note that we got up and rode early this morning, We chose a fairly moderate pace since we were working on 110 miles plus for the week. Now I know for some of you that's a good days ride, but for us old folks it a good week. The high lite of the week was Thursday night when we rode to Worthing, over to Lennox, up to Tea and then home. By the way next Saturday is the Tour De Corn in Mitchell, be there be square.
We decided to head up the Palisades today with the kayaks. Kay's brother, David, and his family were camping up there. It was a great day. Mild temps, very light breezes and plenty of sunshine. When we got there we had a chat with the park ranger and he gave us a couple of suggestions for paddling. We decided to head down to the lower parking area, across the old bridge and see if we couldn't head south. We the water level was a bit low and we found we could not navigate the rapids so we ended up carrying the boats around them. Once around them it opened up very nicely just about the same area as the King and Queen rock formations. Kay and headed south chatting with a couple of canoes full of people. We unfortunately had to assure them that they had just about hit the end of the trail going north. The water was nice and calm between the high cliffs and we could paddle and watch mountain climbers scale the walls of granite. So we paddled as far south as we could and then headed back up stream. Once there I let Kay's brother and his young son take my boat for their first kayaking experience. While I waited for them to return I watched some more mountain climbers and just enjoyed being outside on such a beautiful day. We finished up our limited paddling and headed back up to the camp site for some burgers before we headed home. A nice day. Paddling could have been a bit longer, but hey.

August 11, 2008 Where We Have Been?

2008-08-11T18:26:00.004-05:00

It has been some time since my last update. Kay and I have been on the road for the last ten days. We spent the weekend of August 2 and 3rd at Pelican Lake just south of Watertown. What a nice place to camp. Very quiet with great facilities. We didn't get allot of riding done, but we did get some nice paddling. It is a nice lake being about 3.5-4 miles long. Not highly developed it offers some nice relaxing paddling. On Monday the 4th we headed for a week in Florida where I had some meetings. I was hoping to do some kayaking , but my meetings took up just to much time. Well I hope things will be getting back to normal now. There is a limited amount of nice weather left, we need to make the most of it.

Big Soux July 26, 2008

2008-07-26T17:17:00.010-05:00

Today was what I would call a perfect day. We were up and out of the house by 6:30AM and on the bikes by 7:05AM. It was a beautiful morning for a ride. No wind, great temps and very few people on the trail. It must have been the time of day because there was more wild life than usual including a Green Heron and a mink. What a way to start the day, a twenty mile ride. Our next adventure was meeting up with a group of our fellow paddling friends and heading down the Big Sioux River. We put in just north of Lake Alvin right of Highway 135. I believe by my count there were 23 boats that hit the water at 1:10PM and headed south. Our destination was just above the low head dam at the Klondike, eight miles down stream. It was a great day to be on the water. Nice soft current, plenty of sunshine, beautiful surroundings and great company. The river was pretty shallow, but very navigable. The group of us set a nice leisurely pace. One that allowed for some conversation, picture taking and just plain having fun. We took the next two hours and forty minutes to enjoy the time. Floating past cliffs and corn fields the group made its way. One of the highlights of the trip was getting to see a pair of Golden Eagles. The male flew of right away his bright white head and tail shining in the sun. The female sat high above us in a tree for some time before spreading her huge wings and flying down stream ahead of us and off into the distance. Once we cam to the Klondike Bridge we all hugged the eastern shore line alone the Iowa side of the river so as not to end up going over the low head dam. That would be a bummer. Once everyone was out of the river and the boats were all hauled up the hill it was time to head for home. All I can say is I wish I could spend everyday like this.

July 20, 2008 30th Annual Poker Run

2008-07-20T20:09:00.019-05:00

Oakwood Lake State Park was the sight of today's 30th annual kayak and canoe poker run and blind canoe races. What a great day to be on the water. Nice temps, low humidity, no wind and a great group of people to paddle with. Registration was from 12:30PM until 1:30PM and shortly after that we set out to collect out poker cards. There were six boxes placed alone the lake from the swimming beach to the far side of Round Lake. The course was a zig zag pattern going from one side other. Some paddled pretty aggressively while others took the time to relax and enjoy the day. Kay, Ryan and I collected our cards and were back at the starting point in exactly one hour. Yes we were the aggressive paddlers. Upon our return we turned in our cards and were offered sodas and watermelon. Once all the boats were back the blind canoe races were held. This meant that two person teams had to complete a course and the one with the best time won. The trick was the one paddling had to be blindfolded while the other offers support in the form of barking out instructions. Needless to say it was fun to watch. Boats going every which way, some staying on course a bit better than others. Then it was time for the awarding of prizes. Everything from a 2009 State Park, t-shirts, burgers from Nick's in Brookings and other items donated by local sponsors were given away. A great way to end a great day. By this time it was close to 4:30PM so Kay and I packed up and headed to Brooking to meet her parents, Bud and Doris Anderson, of Lake Preston for dinner. And did I ever need some food. I was starving.
Well Kay and I pulled in our driveway around 7PM cleaned up some things and called it a day. Now this is was the way to spend a summer day. Doesn't get much better.

July 17, 2008 Rivers Win

2008-07-17T08:27:00.002-05:00

Well my latest poll is over and by a narrow margin people seem to enjoy paddling rivers more than lakes. Thanks for voting, it is always fun to know what others are doing.

July 13, 2008 Return To Grass lake

2008-07-13T15:52:00.002-05:00

Well if you read the previous entry you know that Kay and I volunteered to meet Jeanne Fromm from Dakota Water Watch back at Grass Lake at 9AM to finish collecting date and water samples that were lost the day before. I was a much nicer day and the paddling was great. Jeanne had three locations she wanted us to get for her, two in the middle of the lake and one along the north shoreline. Again as we did the day before Kay and I worked as a team. She did recording and I did testing and collection. It was a much more pleasant experience. After 45 minute on the water we had the three done and were back on land. I am anxious to see what the samples tell us. Kay and i loaded up and headed home. It was time to get some work done around the house. I do think we might try to put about twenty on the bikes yet today. I'll let you know how that goes.

July 12, 2008 Grass Lake / Dakota Water Watch

2008-07-13T14:54:00.014-05:00

Today was an interesting and eventful day. It was a beautiful morning with clear skies, light breezes and low humidity. What a wonderful day to paddle a kayak. And to make even more special the SDCA had offer the assistance of a group of us to collect water samples and data so they could begin to build a history on the water quality of Grass Lake, which is located just south of Humbolt, South Dakota. Once everyone had arrived at the lake, Jeanne Fromm of Dakota Water Watch gave us some background on their efforts and instructions on how to collect the data and water samples they wanted from twenty preselected locations on the lake. The mission was to test air and water temperatures, water clarity, water depth, and the collection of two samples of water from all locations. One sample for testing for bacteria and one for testing for nitrates. By the time the instruction was over and we were all assigned our two spots to collect data the weather had changed dramatically. The wind had picked up there were whitecaps forming on the lake. Well ,Kay and I were given four locations on the eastern end of that lake. This was soon to considered a good thing as the winds continued to build. Kay and I decided to work as a team and go to all four of our points together. This seemed to make the most sense since that way she could do all the recording of the data while I did the actual testing and water sample collection. It was difficult to do. We were continually paddling back to our original location after each test because of the speed of our drift. We were trying to make sure the data was as accurate as possible. I soon found it was impossible to measure the water depth with the tools they had given to us because of the conditions so I devised my own method. I used my paddle, sticking it straight down until it hit bottom, marked it and the measure the paddle itself to obtain the depth, worked great. Kay and soon had our data and samples collected and headed back to shore. As we were heading back Jeanne and the others on shore were yelling out to us. With the wind it was hard to hear them, but finally I heard her say as she pointed out into the middle of the lake that a canoe had tipped over. My wife continued into shore with the data while I headed out to see if I could be of assistance., As I paddled out to them I was lucky enough to see one of their paddles floating along and was able to grab it. Once I got to them it was obvious they were not going anywhere the way they were. Well ,here is where my thanks to the SDCA and their training day at the YMCA comes in. Having done several assisted rescues in the pool I decided it would probably work with a canoe as well as a kayak. So the first thing I did was instructing them to swim under the canoe and push it up and over. After a couple tries they were successful. I then used my pump to pump the excess water out of the boat. By this time the lady in the boat was making her way to shore, floating with the current. The next part I was not sure about. How it would work with a canoe, but I pulled up beside it, laid myself across it to stabilize it and the gentleman was able to crawl in. It worked just like it should. It was actually easier with the canoe than it had been with the kayaks in the pool. Again thanks to SDCA for the training day. When they have their next one and if you did not make the first one try to make it. I am not sure what we would have done otherwise. Something I am sure, but just what I do not know.. So once we were all back on shore Kay and I decided to call it a day, but not before offering to meet Jeanne back at the lake the next day to collect the samples that had been lost when the canoe tipped. I could not help, but wonder how everyone else was doing back on the lake on my drive home.

July 6th 2008, Family Ride

2008-07-13T14:42:00.005-05:00

Tonight was a special night of riding on the Sioux Falls Bike Trail because we were joined by our son Chase, home on leave from the Air Force, his wife Margo and our two year old grandson Landen. I was a wonderful summer night. Moderate temps, light breeze and not to much traffic. We parked at Falls Park and headed by south and road to Paisley Park before turning around and heading back. Chase had Landen in his bike cart and he had no trouble sleeping his way through most of the trip. When we got back to the falls we took in the summer Laser and light shoe before heading home. What a nice way to spend a summer night.

Fourth Of July Week, 2008

2008-07-07T18:51:00.013-05:00

Well after some time away from the computer I have finally found time to update everyone as to what we have been up to. It has been a fun 10 days. Some good, some bad. It all started out rather badly when we headed up to Big Stone Lake on Friday, June 25th for a weekend of peddling and paddling. We drove most of the way up in light rain, but by the time we got there it had stopped. We set up camp and did manage top have enough time for a quick outing in the kayaks. The rest of the weekend was a disaster. Wind and rain were the order of the day. We spend most of the weekend watching movies. Oh well we do live in South Dakota. Then it was back to work for two days before we headed up to Oakwood State Park on Tuesday night . This was a much better trip. We got camp all set up Tuesday night and we were ready to head out early Wednesday morning for a ride to Kay's parents for breakfast. A nice 40 mile ride, unless 20 of it is against the wind. Oh well no pain not gain. When we got back we headed out so we could put on a few more miles to make it an even 50 for the morning. The rest of the day we hung out and visited. On Thursday, July 5th , Kay and I loaded up the kayaks and drove up to the north end of Oakwood Lake where we put the boats in. We headed South /Southwest looking for a channel that would takes us into the small lakes around the rode. Although we never found that entrance we did discover a wonderful island. The island was a breeding ground for Herons and other birds that call the lakes and marshes their home. It was amazing. Birds and nests full of baby birds everywhere. It was something to behold. It was a alive with the sounds of birds chattering and their wings flapping. The babies were all reaching the necks high hoping for some food. It was something I will remember fora long time. It was a nice day to paddle. Light breezes, warm sun and no one else in sight. How much more peaceful can it get. The afternoon was filled with hanging with our kids and grandson. Saturday morning Kay and I decided to head up towards Lake Poinsett. We did not realize how windy it was until we got out of the protection of the park, The winds were probably 25-35 gusting to 40. The ride north was not bad, we were cruising at about 26-27 wind at our backs. When we made the turn however to head back to our camp things changed dramatically. I don't believe I have ever ridden into a wind that at least twice threatened to bring me to a complete stop. I knew we were in trouble when the hawk flying right beside me was not going anywhere either. But with a bit if perseverance we made it. Longest 30 miles I have ever ridden. You know what they say. It's all about the exercise. Well we got plenty on this given morning. When we got back we ate abit and rested before taking the kayaks and heading for water. We wanted to give the lake a shot even in the huge waves and the wind to battle. We went back up to the north end of the lake and put in. Over the course of the stay Rory, Chase, Brett and even Landen tried their hands at paddling. everyone did a great job. Chase and I paddled the north shore just west of the swimming area, Rory and I went to bird island and Brett went out with Kay for his first try. Landen well he pretty much was happy just sitting in the boat. Here are some pics of them on their first trys at paddling. They did a great job.

Chase Landen Rory

All in all it was a great week. We had the boys home, Margo and Landen were here and we most of Kay's family home too. And of course what would the Forth of July be without some fireworks. I ried my ahnd a taking some pics of fireworks and the results were not what I expected, but the did turn out kind of funky. Not sure why or how, but this is asample of what I got. Si I hope you all had a great Forth Of July also. It is one of the best holidays of the year. And this year it was even better. It was not 100 degress with 90% humidity. It was a great time to peddle and paddle around part of South Dakota. I am sure we will do alot more kayaking at Oakwood and the surrounding lakes. There is alot more to explore. I think I could spend a week there just exploring every little outlet, cove and marsh. I would recommend it to anyone.

June 26,2008 Update.

2008-06-26T10:28:00.006-05:00

I have heard from a couple of you out there that we have not added any updates for a while. Well it is not because we have not been out there peddling and paddling, but rather nothing out of the ordinary. This weekend we will heading out to some heavy riding and kayaking so hopefully on Monday we will have something to share.This weekend we will be heading up north to the Big Stone area where I have not been since I went to Camp Teppetonka at around age 10. So until Monday have a great weekend. By the way picture is not me. Do you recognize this Specialized bike fan?

Let me know. Just click on comment below.

June 17, 2008 Relaxing Ride

2008-06-17T21:30:00.004-05:00

It is not often that we take what I call a relaxing ride. One where we are not pushing ourselves to achieve new goals, fast speeds, better speed averages etc. Tonight we decided to take a nice comfortable pace and enjoy the great night. Nancy joined us at Sertoma Park and we road to the north doing a clockwise ride of the bike trail. Smooth, relaxing and a wonderful way to end the day. I was happy to see that the city has begun filling cracks in the trail with tar. They have done from the bridge at the north end of Elmwood Golf Course to the water control station alone Highway 38. When we got to Falls Park we got off the bike trail and rode up through the park so we could get out on Main and head for Brick House BBQ. We made a pit stop there and then head out. We arrived back at Sertoma Park without incident. We were however met by a group of Knights with swords, axes and full armor. No we had not peddle our way back in time. We had run across a group who obviously enjoy the medieval time period. To each their own. Never know what you might encounter on a nice relaxing ride.

June 16, 2008 Beaver Lake, SD

2008-06-16T21:01:00.003-05:00

well another Monday of work behind us Kay and I decided to try out Beaver Lake. Beaver Lake for those of you who are not familiar with it is just south of Humbolt,SD. Its a fairly good sized lake and there was just enough breeze to bring a few waves lapping over our bows as we took off from the dock and headed east. It was quiet and we were the only ones on the lake or anywhere to be seen for that matter. The water was really murky and there was a fair amount of algae. We paddle east for a fair distance before turning north across the lake. There was not sign of any wildlife to speak of. A couple ducks and one lone pelican was about it. It was a nice relaxing paddle. The warm sun was great. Once on the north side we followed the shoreline to the west . It was interesting how the smallest of land mass in the right place would turn the lake into a very smooth and tranquil place. Small oasis of calm. I wanted to head over and explore the island, but we decided to save that for another time. As we approached the dock I could see we were no longer the only ones enjoying the evening. Two young men were fishing of the dock. As I slide my boat up to the dock one nice young man asked if he could be of any assistance. I assured him I was fine, but thanked him for asking. Hard to find strangers that willing to help anymore. Well we loaded up the boats and head home. It is so nice to have time to relax and there is no better way than paddling through the water. Oh by the way didn't post Saturday , but we did get our normal 20 miles in on our bikes. Thanks to Daryl for joining us.

June 11, 2008 Congratulations Bruce!

2008-06-11T14:25:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Bruce Anderson, Kay's brother, for completing 73 miles in the Virginia Tou de Cure on Sunday June 8th in 100 degree weather. This biking event through the northern Virgina countryside was held to test it's riders and to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. Every dollar earned goes to help improve the lives of those who suffer from diabetes. Bruce is a member of team "Iron Riders" Congratulations!

June9, 2008 Anyone interested?

2008-06-09T16:16:00.003-05:00

Just wondering if anyone would be interested in starting a group to get together once a week for a group bike ride. I am thinking we could ride the bike trail or just pick out a destination to head to. I think it would be fun. Also if your interested when would be a good time for you? On a weeknight after work, on Saturday morning or some other time? Let me know if your interested and what your thinking. This would be for a fun ride, not a race.

June 8, 2008 Lake Pahoga

2008-06-08T17:31:00.004-05:00

I did not take the time yesturday to make an entry so let new breifly recap that first. Kay and I left at 8:am for our standard early morning ride on the bike path. It was a beautiful morning. Light breezes, cool temps and very little traffic on the path. It was very uneventful although I would be remise if I did not state for those keeping track that Kay now has five points. So all in all it was a nice uneventful ride. I did end up racing with a young lady starting at about the Penitentiary hill. It was Innocent enough. She would pass me, I would pass her. Nothing was said, we did not even acknowledge what was going on although we both new. By the time we got to Tuthill Park I had a nice little lead and decided to pull over and wait for Kay. After I did and while I was standing there the young lady came riding by. As she did she said "Thanks that was fun." The first acknowledgement that e had indeed been toying with each other.

Today we decide to take the boats over to Lake Pahoja. It is 19 miles east of us and it is a really nice lake with a very well kept park area and beach. We paddled around the lake 1.5 times and I never did fine an inlet or outlet for that matter. I love to follow the narrow creeks that flow in and out of most of the lakes around here. It was really nice. There were a few other boats on the lake, but mainly fisherman on the shorelines. We paddled for about and hour and a half and decided to head for home. It is a nice lake, Water was very clean, the park is well kept and the access area is great. If it has any draw backs it would have to be that it is not very big. Just right though for a Sunday afternoon paddle.

100 Miles/ Lake Alvin Gathering June 1, 2008

2008-06-01T19:47:00.000-05:00

Today was almost to much for us two old people. We arrived at Lake Alvin at 12:30PM for an afternoon of paddling and letting others who wanted to try kayaking or paddling a canoe for the first time use our boats. It was a great time and allot of fun to see everyone try their hand at paddling, especially the young kids. Before the majority of the people arrive Kay and I took the opportunity to head to the southwest corner of the lake and down Nine Mile Creek. I was great. Narrow channel with reeds on both sides made it seem like you were in another place altogether. Although very shallow in some spots it was quiet passable until we came to a small rapids with lots of rocks. We could have carried our boats around and kept going, but we opted to turn around and head back. There were quite a few Carp flopping around the edges of the reeds and several turtle sunning themselves on logs. All in all it was a great time and Kay and I would like to thank the South Dakota Canoe Association for this great event. Kay and I left at about 3:30PM head home, unhooked toe boats, changed clothes, loaded the bikes and headed to Sioux Falls to get in our last 20 miles of the week on our bikes. It was very busy on the bike trail and made for a bit slower going until we got north of the falls, then is was not to bad. It was a great night for riding otherwise. Great temp and gentle breezes. And best of all finishing this ride was even more exciting because it was our 100 mile for the week, a goal I had set some time back. It was fun to achieve it, but now we will have to set a new one. Oh well that's what is all about. Having fun.

May 31, 2008 "A Relaxing Morning Ride-"NOT"

2008-06-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

Well this was one very unusual morning of bike riding. It was warm, light breeze and the skies were clear. That in itself was unusual. We left our favorite staring point on the Sioux Falls Bike Trail at about 9AM and headed north on the west side. The three of us, Kay , Nancy and myself had opted for a middle of the road pace so we could enjoy the morning. We took turns riding a head then slowing down and someone else would take the lead for a while. It was beautiful out and it was incident free all the way to 41 Street. Kay picked up her first point of the day. It was not until he got to Highway 38 that Kay picked up her second point of the day. Points you might ask. Well I am not going into great detail on here, but when you do something foolish, crash etc you get points. So for the day it was Kay 2, Nancy zero and Ed zero. I was in great shape until I hit the pigeon on the way underside of the bridge along highway 38. It was strange, but we both lived. This maybe should have been a omen. It was pretty smooth sailing to Falls Park where we stopped for a little snack. Back on our way things again were pretty good although the amount of traffic on the path was getting more congested by the minute. Well, I decided to sprint out a head for a bit and when I decided to stop and let them catch up I took a bit of detour so I good come up behind them. Well good idea until I hit the water hole and made a bit of an abrupt stop.....1 point Ed. Not serious just humiliating. By this time we were almost back to our starting point, but where was Nancy? Well seems she decided to make friends with another rider the hard way, face to face, bike to bike. Again both survived without any real serious injury, just a few raspberries. The big news it Nancy picked up a quick ten point and took the lead for the day, not a lead you want by the way. All this behind us we finished our 20 miles , loaded up our bike, laughed a bit and headed home to do some lawn mowing. That proved to be much less exciting.

Memorial Day Ride May 26, 2008

2008-05-26T19:50:00.000-05:00

Well the weekend weather really put a damper on the kayaking and riding. Between the wind, rain and cold temps it just was not very good. We did manage a nice ride this morning though and it was in just the nick of time. I was about to go crazy if I did not get to turn some peddles or paddle some paddles. Five of us got together at the south end of the Sioux Falls bike trial and head out at 8AM. We opted to go the the east due to the wind and the fact it is a bit more protected. Kay and I were joined by Bruce and Nancy DeNeui and Daryl Elcock. Daryl had ridden once before with us, but this was Bruce and Nancy's first time . It was a nice morning, brisk temps, bright sunshine and not much other traffic. There were a few other bikes and a jogger or two, but nothing that really slowed us down. We rode the top of the Penitentiary hill and the head back the way we came. We decided not to continue north due to the wind, although we later decided we should have. The ride back from the north end would have been great with the wind at our backs. We stopped at Falls Park for small bite to eat and some coffee before heading the rest of the way back. There was a it of racing going on on the way back. Well in the end we rode about 17 miles, a short one by standards. It was a fun one though. We should have ridden another 20 or so, but people had things to do. Oh well another day. Atleast we got one ride in over this holiday weekend.