26APRIL2011 near Twin Buttes, ND - I've not yet written about the "Winter Landscape" I am paddling through. It is awe inspiring. Off to my left is about two miles of ice. I am ever so happy it just sits there and does not move toward me. To my right is a lake shore/bank displaying many snowdrifts - BIG snow drifts. Amongst the snowdrifts are trees and bushes with zero leaves. Bursting buds are not even evident, just the buds that all trees carry all winter. The shore is intermittent cliffs and bays. The cliffs are loose sedimentary deposits and given to sluffing large quantities and to losing small amounts of rocks and sand. I have seen many rock/sand loads roll into the lake. Today two of the sedimentary layers were coal, the bottom one being about 4 feet thick. The intermittent bays all have a beach, normally gravel that is pink, orange, black and white. On and behind each beach are huge cottonwood driftwood trees and lots of firewood. I paddle through an ice free space often as wide as 200 feet, but occasionally blocked by ice. That's 200 feet of pure easy paddling, so long as the wind stays down.

Today the wind was non-existent until about 1430 when a fairly strong shower with associated wind occurred. At that time, though, I was sitting in the house of Bob and Ethel at the Red Butte Bay homes. Timing is sometimes everything and my timing for rounding the bend and finding a lakefront housing development (IT WAS NOT ON MY MAPS!) could not have been better. I tied up, grabbed my computer and walked up to knock on doors. No need for knocking as Bob and Ethel were in their open (and new) garage adding OSB walls ... and they have internet with no password needed. And oh yes, the housing is tucked inside the bay only feet from the main lake ... no need to paddle in a mile or so. All-in-all it is simply amazing.

I got on the lake late with the sun already a hand high and attempting to dry the dew from my tarp. Encountering 1/16 inch skiff ice was fun, adding a crunch/grind as I slid along. I encountered several small ice blockages and one significant blockage. The small blockages succumbed to my canoe surge but one spot of 40 feet was too much. I had to paddle up onto the ice, step off with one foot and push the canoe the 40 feet and back into the lake. It was not as pleasant as the ice skidding done Sunday as this ice was only 4 or 5 inches thick. Don't step out of your canoe on that type ice.

At noon I saw Indian structures on the bluff. Upon examining them I noted several sweat lodges, a food preparation area and about 50 poles ten feet high and connected on top with
other poles in a grid pattern. From a receipt found near the food area it appears that the area was last used in October 2010. Also at the food area I found a gallon of water ... that had not been opened. I like that! My water was getting low and I did not know that I would find this housing scene.

Bob and Ethel invited me to stay the night in their downstairs bedroom. I will. Today I traveled 5 miles and am 37 miles from the dam. Weather.com says the next three days will be favorable with light wind from the west and only some showers tomorrow in the late afternoon. If ice does not intercede I should make those 37 miles in two days. But ice has interceded so far, so lets plan on three days.