Into Farm Island...

I won't go into great detail, but over the past week I have managed to paddle in and about Farm Island on a few occasions. The fingers/inlets into the island I have always enjoyed exploring are even more interesting when I can travel further up them and jump between them by paddling through tall grasses. I have also paddled through the main campground area a couple of times. Also, near the causeway, there is a small inlet that is now much larger. When exploring it, you now can hear water rushing over the causeway somewhere among the trees and you have to constantly fight the a strong current to keep from being pushed into trees/strainers. I am still far from done exploring the area; hopefully I will have more to share later this week.





View Farm Island August 2, 2011 in a larger map

From 2011-07-30

From 2011-07-30

From 2011-07-30

Into Farm Island... Beware of Carp!

Today, I went out to what is called the boater's beach at Farm Island State Recreation Area. It is a sandy beach behind the East Campground (separate from the swim beach). Launching from the boater's beach, I headed downstream towards the channels into the interior of Farm Island. It is about 1.25 miles down to the point of entry. Once in, I took the time to explore all 4 fingers of the interior. I have done this numerous times, so nothing too surprising occurred. Numerous small birds were about. What I believe are carp always seem numerous in the channels, but today there seemed to be a greater than normal population. There were points where I could see dozens of fins sticking above the water and there were splashes all along the channels as I passed by. A few even splashed close enough to get water on my spray skirt! I covered 6.5 miles on today's outing. Quite a few pictures in the slideshow below. I had the interval shooting set to 45 seconds. One minute, thirty seconds is appearing to be a better setting for shorter outings.

Farm Island in November

In part due to the wetter than normal weather in October, I only got on the water once during the month. This weekend was beautiful, so John and I decided to get our November paddle in yesterday (Sunday). Even Chuck was able to join us!

We put in at the main Farm Island boat ramp and continued down and into Farm Island.

We covered 4.8 miles and finished in time for me to get back into town to catch my Panthers game and the Vikes/Packers game :)

Exploring Farm Island

I convinced John to go paddling yesterday. It was a beautiful day; temperature in the mid to upper 80s, light wind, and few clouds. We went into the interior of Farm Island. I also took along Indy, my new dog from the humane society. He is an australian shepard/blue heeler mix and is about 7 months old. He did alright on the water. As well as Scruffy did the first few times he went out. We ended up putting in about 4.9 miles.The last picture is from Saturday, when I took Indy out for only about a mile near the American Legion cabin.

The past week...

Well, I haven't been very good about posting this week. Though I have kept the paddling days and distance in the sidebar updated. On Sunday, John and I paddled around Farm Island, about 6.5 miles. We paddled against a stiff headwind on the way downstream. We relaxed a bit after coming around the end of the island. Somehow, we managed to move against the wind faster than with it.

On Tuesday, I paddled around La Framboise Island, about 5.7 miles. I was out late enough to get some decent pics of the sun setting.

From 2009_07_21

On Wednesday, I dinked around near the bridges and caught some more sun setting pictures. Only about 2.4 miles on Wednesday evening.

From 2009_07_22

From 2009_07_22

From 2009_07_22

Yesterday afterwork, I helped my mom go out in my parents' boat. And then I went out myself along with Will Coolidge, a pharmaceutical student, and his brother. Will was paddling one of Chuck's boats and Will's brother was paddling Will's boat. We just made a run around La Framboise Island, about 5.7 miles. Will and I believe we saw two immature bald eagles. They were too big to be much else. Anyone that can tell me if we assumed correct, thanks. Not too much else to say.

From 2009_07_23

My mom paddling my parents' Wilderness Systems Excel. A 16' tandem; the front seat slides into the middle for soloing.

From 2009_07_23

Will Coolidge.

From 2009_07_23

Will and his brother.

From 2009_07_23

An immature bald eagle, I believe.

Farm Island

I took a paddle around Farm Island this afternoon. It was a beautiful afternoon, low winds and a high in the low to mid 80s. I put in at the upstream boat ramp near the polo fields and paddled around the island, back past the beaches and campground. I took out on a beach behind some campsites and walked the quarter mile or so back to the launch point to fetch my pickup. The trip totaled 6.5 miles.There was one other kayak on the water, a tandem, and a paddle boat. I also noticed 3 or 4 kayaks and 2 canoes on shore at the campground.Click any of the pictures to visit the full album.Don't forget, SDCA event in Pierre next Saturday, June 20th.

Dissecting Farm Island

Well, today I paddled up all four channels into the interior of Farm Island. It was a nice afternoon, but a little warm and breezy. Temperature was in the upper 80s and the wind was about 12 mph. I had something to photograph in the first second of my paddle too. A car jumpstarting a boat!All it takes to jumpstart my boat is some water or coffee if it is in the morning! It's hard to see, but there is a good-looking, bikini-clad gal behind the car too.The trip ended up covering 6.8 miles.  Almost immediatley as I began to enter the channels, I came across a bunch of pelicans sitting atop a partially submerged log.I also came across the remains of a building that I do not recall seeing before. I assume that I have because I am certain I have been down all the channels in the past though.And then there is the remains of the building I don't forget.The motorboat and personal watercraft traffic is picking up for the summer. There were numerous vessels zipping back and forth between the boat ramp and the entrance to the channels. The ONE benefit that $4/gallon gas had was that the personal watercraft were fewer in numbers last summer.

An Evening At Farm Island...

Yesterday evening John and I decided to go out for a paddle. Because of the possibility of storms and the wind picking up, we chose to paddle alongside the Pierre side of Farm Island. That way we had some where to come ashore if the weather got bad too soon. We ended up covering 5.7 miles. The wind picked and switched direction on our way back from the tip of Farm Island; we could  also see lightening in the distance, but we only had a few sprinkles fall on us. And we were off the water soon after.

From 2009_05_12

From 2009_05_12

From 2009_05_12

John letting his wife know we are heading back.

From 2009_05_12

Pretty cool looking...

After Work Cruise

After work today I decided to go for a paddle. But I was limited on time. I needed to pickup a pizza at Domino's and get over to my parents' house in time to watch The Big Bang Theory with my mom. Sort of a belated Mother's Day celebration. So I decided to just dink about around the campground and boat ramp at Farm Island (Domino's is on the way back into town). I ended up putting in nearly 3.5 miles and made sure that John could see me... give him a hard time about not paddling :)

From 2009_05_11

Land Ho!

From 2009_05_11

It's hard to see, but there is a fish caught in this contraption.

From 2009_05_11

From 2009_05_11

Poor John's boat :( It isn't wet. But I feel even sadder for Chuck's boats :)

Unnamed Creek

While Chuck was flying his model planes and John was setting up his RV to spend the week camping at Farm Island (he really needs to rent his house out during the summer), I decided to try to get a little paddling in this evening (late afternoon really). I put in at the boat ramp near the polo fields at Farm Island and paddled around the little islands, up to an unnamed creek, and back to the ramp. It was quite relaxing. I put in an easy 3 miles and was only on the water about an hour. I did get some good pictures of pelicans and a goose too.

From 2009_05_10

From 2009_05_10

From 2009_05_10

Earth Day Paddle

As some already know, I will not be able to attend the SDCA Earth Day cruise on the Big Sioux this Saturday. On Friday I will be taking the PE Exam in Rapid City and I am not going to feel like driving back to Pierre  Friday evening. So I took this afternoon off of work and went paddling.

The temperature was in the 80s; it is 87 right now (5PM). I put in at the ramp near the polo fields and paddled around Farm Island. I also took a short detour into the island. The trip ended up being about 8.2 miles. As I paddled downstream, I had to fight the wind but it wasn't too bad; only in the teens. When I came around the end of the island the wind calmed.

From 2009_04_22

I managed to get a couple of pretty awesome pictures of pelicans...

From 2009_04_22

From 2009_04_22

Into Farm Island

The temperture was in the mid 60s and the wind was under 15 mph so John and I decided to go paddling. We met at the main Farm Island boat ramp and paddled into the interior of the island. Nothing much else to report. We covered 3.9 miles.

First Solo Cruise Of The Year

As the temperatures rise, I have been getting braver and braver about when I am willing to go out paddling. Today, the temp. hit just above 70, but the wind was blowing around 15-16 mph with gusts over 20 mph. Chuck bowed out, citing the wind and John had spring cleaning on his RV. I really wanted to go out though so I started scouting the open water/white cap situation. When I went out to Farm Island to check the the polo fields boat ramp, I stopped at John's campsite and chatted with him and Cathy for a bit... tried unsuccessfully to talk him into going out too. I ended up putting in by the polo fields, where the ramp is protected from the wind by a small island. I intially just paddled around the protected area, but I did end up going out and playing in the rougher water too. I only spent half an hour on the water. The water actually didn't feel all that cold and the wind was warm (SE). Some pictures from the afternoon... note the captions.

Mid-November Excursion

Yesterday was so beautiful out that I couldn't resist. I took the afternoon off and went kayaking! I invited John and Chuck to make it a Pierre Kayak Club event but they are salaried so they have to use 8 hours every time they use leave. ...and John, in his words, has too much of a conscience to just call it a day at noon.

So I was on my own. I put in from the  boat ramp near the polo fields (upstream end of Farm Island). Not too much to report from the excursion; the water was very low and I nearly got caught on a sandbar. I managed to get free without exiting my boat though. And, of course, some pictures:

The past few days...

On Thursday, I went paddling with a friend and his brother. They borrowed another Pierre Kayak Club member's tandem (much larger than my tandem, btw) and we paddled around La Framboise Island. We took the little inlet that I enjoy. I had no problems but their boat struggled towards the end... not enough water. So they missed the below sight that I captured: two deer crossing the dam-like structure at the end of the inlet.
On Saturday afternoon I went paddling with William again (same friend as above). This time he borrowed a Wilderness Systems Tempest from Chuck (owner of the tandem and chevy metro). His brother did not join us. We paddled a few inlets along Farm Island, totaling 5.1 miles. Caught a picture of a turtle sunbathing:

A picture of Will in front of the remains of an old building.

Afterwards I let him practice wet exits with my kayak since I had my skirt along and he missed the last time.

On Saturday evening Will, Chuck, and myself went out for a Bad River excursion, totaling 6.5 miles.

I always enjoy an early morning or late evening paddle, because the wind is normally down at those times and the sunset doesn't hurt photo opportunities either :)

Farm Island and More

On Wednesday evening the Pierre Kayak Club took a paddle around Farm Island. Ended up being about 7.1 miles. I took some pictures but they all turned out blurry. I cleaned the camera's case and the pictures turned out fine tonight.

Scruff can ride on the new boat for short distances!And a pair of pictures of myself in the new boat.