August 22nd Cedar Creek to Pierre, SD
Man, was I tired last night. One of the biggest differences I've noticed in paddling these lakes than on the rivers is you need to put so much more effort into each stroke and by day's end I find my arms and shoulders about ready to fall off. It's going to take a little to get used to it. What's helped is that when I was on the river, every hour or so I'd paddle as hard as I could for about 5 minutes and I believe this has helped me keep up a pretty good pace the last few days. Hopefully I can keep it up.
I was up early and paddling at 6:00. Pierre was in my reach and I felt I could easily make it by late afternoon if conditions stayed as good as they were yesterday. As I started out they were, just a light wind out of the east and at my back.
The wind stayed down until about 9:30, then it began to pick up and by 12:oo I was riding waves again! I was able to make it to the Fort George Landing and decided I better get off the water, which I did. I figured I had about 15 miles to Pierre so I decided to get the bike out and pedal the rest of the way.
Ride went well and I was in Pierre by 3:00 and better yet, in a Super 8 Motel that I got for $36.05! Time for a shower and a good rest. I'm beat and my arms feel like rubber.
NOTE:
Plans for tomorrow are to get up at 5:00 and be on the road at 6:00. I have about a 15 mile portage to the spot I want to enter Oahe Lake. This is the large lake (over a mile wide) everyone has been talking about. Supposedly it can get real rough and I will need to play close attention to my maps so not to go into a wide - deadend channel. I hate having to turn around!
Back a ways I was told this lake is as low as it has ever been. Probably 40 feet low. Not sure this will help me with navigation and wave action or not, we'll see. Also saw in the paper that for the next 5 days the wind is supposed to be out of the south at 5 to 15 miles an hour. If that is true I should be okay for I'm heading straight north now until I get to Mandan. On the down side, it is supposed to be in the high 90's the next couple of days. Oh well, can't have everything!
I was up early and paddling at 6:00. Pierre was in my reach and I felt I could easily make it by late afternoon if conditions stayed as good as they were yesterday. As I started out they were, just a light wind out of the east and at my back.
The wind stayed down until about 9:30, then it began to pick up and by 12:oo I was riding waves again! I was able to make it to the Fort George Landing and decided I better get off the water, which I did. I figured I had about 15 miles to Pierre so I decided to get the bike out and pedal the rest of the way.
Ride went well and I was in Pierre by 3:00 and better yet, in a Super 8 Motel that I got for $36.05! Time for a shower and a good rest. I'm beat and my arms feel like rubber.
NOTE:
Plans for tomorrow are to get up at 5:00 and be on the road at 6:00. I have about a 15 mile portage to the spot I want to enter Oahe Lake. This is the large lake (over a mile wide) everyone has been talking about. Supposedly it can get real rough and I will need to play close attention to my maps so not to go into a wide - deadend channel. I hate having to turn around!
Back a ways I was told this lake is as low as it has ever been. Probably 40 feet low. Not sure this will help me with navigation and wave action or not, we'll see. Also saw in the paper that for the next 5 days the wind is supposed to be out of the south at 5 to 15 miles an hour. If that is true I should be okay for I'm heading straight north now until I get to Mandan. On the down side, it is supposed to be in the high 90's the next couple of days. Oh well, can't have everything!
posted by Coach at 2:27 PM
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