James River trip set for Aug. 24 near Mitchell

The August SDCA cruise will tackle the James River, and we'll launch boats at 10:15 a.m. on the 24th at the put-in located on state Highway 38, just north of I-90, just a couple miles east of Mitchell. (The highway is also called E. Havens Avenue and 254th St. on various online maps.


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The route will cover about 12 to 17 river miles, downstream, heading towards the colonies located southwest of Alexandria. The free SDCA shuttle service will be in full effect, and we're hoping to get a good group for a trip on this "new-to-many" river.

The put-in is located on the south side of 38 and should provide plenty of space for assembly.


The take-out point is located at a bridge located on 257th St. There are additional potential take-out points further south along the river, and it'll be a game-day decision on the length of the route. A dam at Rockport Colony would probably be the stopping point, marking the maximum distance for this cruise.

The river is somewhat low and it will run more slowly than the Big Sioux River does, even now, so if we have high temps, it will be a bit of a marathon. But there are plenty of places to rest, rehydrate, and perhaps grab a bit of grub.

I spoke with the GFP chap for Davison County and he said there's little if any debris and slow flow, so it should not pose any increased risk. I hope we'll have a great turn out for the event. E-mail me (jbies0341@hotmail.com) if you have questions or if you want to confirm your spot. No registration is required, naturally.

The map I included in this post should be "scrollable" meaning you can click on it and move in, out, etc., to see where we're paddling. If it's not your style, directions are included below.

Jarett

From the west: Take 90 to the second (eastern most) Mitchell exit, head north to 38, head east to the bridge.

From the east: Take 90 to the Riverside exit, head north to 38, head west to the bridge.

Planned route to the take-out: 38 back into Mitchell to 37, take that south to 257th St. Head east to the bridge. (I will scout the route in advance and assure we have a place to put the cars. So look for updates, or just come out.)