Newsletter: YWCA pool events, South Dakota’s first marathon race planned in ‘09

The Sioux Falls YWCA is undergoing some leadership changes, but quite soon they will have it wrangled and we’ll have a few days set for some pool training.

Last year, we did one pool event with about 10 participants. Each person brought their own boat (all kayaks) and we worked on wet exits, self rescues, assisted rescues, and rolling.

The club paid the $50 per hour rental rate for the event last year and we hope to have a free-will offering for those who take part so we do not stress the tiny budget of the SDCA with these events. We will make it work, regardless, and it’s a nice way to get the boats out and work on a few things in a pool that one might never do in a lake, regardless of the weather.

On another note, SDCA board members Jarett Bies and Steven Dahlmeier are organizing an event slated for September 2009: South Dakota’s first-ever marathon/endurance paddling race. It will be on the Missouri River and will fashion itself much like the Missouri River 340 or the Texas Water Safari.

The race will probably be 70 to 100 miles in length, in hopes to attract racers from around the U.S. The Texas and Missouri races are 260 and 340 miles respectively. Our S.D. race may grow to that length, but initially it will be a 24 to 30 hour race, with a couple of checkpoints.

It’d be great if a South Dakota paddler won it, but we’ll certainly need support from businesses, volunteers, and the SDCA to make this race a gem. Feel free to e-mail Jarett with your questions or thoughts. His e-mail is jbies0341@hotmail.com.

Newsletter: May 2009 Cheyenne River trip in the works for SDCA

Jarett Bies of the SDCA is dialing in a Cheyenne River cruise for May 2009. The club has not challenged this river in some time, and if spring melt allows, we will do a two to three day cruise on the river west of Pierre in May.

Working in collaboration with Steamboat, Inc., a Pierre outfitter that often leads trips on this river, Bies plans to organize this overnight trip from his home in Elkton. Those who choose to go will meet in Pierre, then head west to the starting point.

The options include a one-night shorty route, it’d only be a few hours on the water each day, or a two-night longer stretch. Bies said if he’s going all that way, might as well make a trip of it and do the longer version of the route. This area is remote and lots of logistical preparation is already underway.

If you want to join, just e-mail Jarett with your ideas, thoughts, and more. It’s going to happen, folks.

Newsletter: Bloggers with good ideas needed for the SDCA site

By Jarett C. Bies, SDCA publications

The SDCA Web log or blog will be packed with information throughout 2009, but it is a community-driven piece of writing and photos, so if you or any paddler you know has ideas for posts, wants to share insights on their trips or plans, please let Jarett know.

Last year, we did put 55 total posts on the site, so we are hoping to double that this year, since we didn’t get a great start. It’s the online place for all things Midwest paddling, so help us out with ideas, you need not worry about too much, just ship stuff to Jarett and he’ll do the rest.

Catching up and a few items from the meeting

Welcome back to the SDCA blog and Web site, there's news afoot, and here's a brief glimpse at a few things we'll be developing in the near-term:

1) The board met at Dick's place last week, and we discussed plans for the 2009 South Dakota Canoe Association annual meeting. It'll start around noon, Jan. 24, 2009, at the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls. All members are welcome, and bring a friend or two, newcomers to kayaking and canoes, perhaps, we will have a jam-packed program including:

Pat Wellner, a Pierre member, will take us through a few routes in the Pierre area for travelers. Remember, the water stays open all year there, so Pat's presentation might help dial you in for a little Nov. through Feb. paddling excursion.

Jay Heath and Jarett Bies will each present some recon reports on new lakes and new ideas they developed in their exploration over the last summer and fall. Jay purchased a after-market sail for his kayak and may explain some insights on its use, while Jarett's got some more info on a great small town to use as a base for Lake Superior exploration.

Dick Davidson will narrate and show slides from one of his many northern Canada/Arctic adventures.

There will be two paddlers who will have roster space and information about Boundary Waters Canoe Area adventures in 2009, for paddlers who might want to target that famous paddling spot next year.

Plus much more to be announced, along with the SDCA business meeting, to include the election of officers for next year. The board has a few openings and the club as a whole almost always benefits from fresh blood at the top. Write any board member with questions on that part of the meeting.

In addition to the Jan. 24 event, we'll plan a pool training session in Sioux Falls between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we'll probably have another one after that but before the meeting. Those details are to be announced, but we will seek to set it up for a Saturday afternoon, probably Dec. 6, 13, or 20. Still working out the details on that, and when we have them, we'll post it and get the word out.

The SDCA newletter will be back in the mail next week for all members, highlighting these ideas and a few others.

In the interest of community, we hope to get feedback from paddlers about winter storage and add it to this blog in the next week or two. If you have some insights on what to do (or not to do) when it comes to keeping a boat over winter, share for newcomers.

Hope everyone is warm, happy, and ready to do some pool training, and to the hardy souls still paddling this late in the season, please do so with care, we want to see you on the water next spring, or at the pool.

Jarett

It's alive!

Hi friends, and yes, this blog is not dead, news is coming, with a new posting today, so don't forget us the way I have forgotten blogging for way too long.

The board met Thursday and we'll have some news about upcoming pool events and the annual SDCA meeting, that's coming up January 2009 in Sioux Falls at the Outdoor Campus.

Apologies for the long delay, more news coming as soon as I get some plastic on the windows.

Jarett

Another cruise (or two) coming up

Rejoice, paddling Sodak nation-state: Temps will be back in the 78 to 81 range, this weekend, so here's to hoping all get out and paddle.

Regardless of your plans, there's news to announce on upcoming trips:

Pat Wellner and John Adler are heading up a multi-day cruise the Missouri River between Yankton and Vermillion the weekend of Oct. 10.

We are a tight-knit group, so many of you may already know about it, but for details, hit Pat's site:

http://www.piratesofthemissouri.com/

As mentioned, Gene will lead a Split Rock/Big Sioux cruise out of Brandon Oct. 4.

Larry Braaten and I want to put another cruise on before Gene's, perhaps as early as this Sunday if people have ideas.

The weekend of Sept. 27-28 is another possibility. E-mail me, or call Larry, if you'd like to join us.

Targets include a Mo River run, Burbank to Elk Point, or High Lines to Clay County. Or perhaps Clay County to Burbank.

Lastly, the Big Sioux River Recreation Corridor Council is having their annual fall run, but it is in October. No date or link here as their site is not updated.

It's a good time of year (when it's not like last weekend) to get out and suck up as much Zen-time on the water as possible. It will soon be too late. And yes, the newsletter is upcoming, asap.

Please post/share/call/pass it for those without e-mail/Internet.

Jarett

FYI, the "short-notice cruise planner" is no longer; it was a spambot magnet.

Oct 4th: Split Rock / Big Sioux Cruise

Come and join us for a Fall Canoe Cruise from McHardy Park, in Brandon, to the Highway 38/42 bridge at historic East Sioux Falls (The Arboretum) on Saturday, October 4, 2008.

Meet at 1:00 P.M. at McHardy Park in Brandon. This route has short stretches of flat water with gentle class 1 rapids. A pole is useful on Splitrock Creek when the water is low such as last year when we divided into two groups with one going down Splitrock as planned and one going from the Madison Bridge south of Brandon. Deer, fish, muskrat, ducks, owls and other wildlife may be seen. The cruise takes about 3 to 4 hours depending on the water conditions and the skill and goals of the paddlers. Bring a camera, snacks, and some drinking water and enjoy an afternoon on the water. An alternate route is planned in case the water on Splitrock Creek is low. The put in and takeout may be altered depending on conditions. Life vests are required. For more information contact Eugene Preston 605/582-2573.