11MAY2011 near Ft Yates, ND - During the night the SW wind did the flap-flap-flap to my tarp until the moon set, then total calm and quiet settled in. After who-knows-how-much time a NW breeze started, just a nice slow breeze, and cold. The SW wind's force being blocked by the canoe, this NW wind had an unimpeded access into my shelter and onto my head. Oh-h chilly ... functionally, if not easily, solved by bedding rearranging. By morning I had slept well - I felt good - so breaking camp and setting off I felt it would be a wonderful day. For five miles it was indeed wonderful and fairly easy paddling. A coyote met me after about a mile. We stared each other down for nine paddle strokes when he bolted away ten yards or so. He then stopped and watched me until it was necessary that I turn my head to the front again ... showing once more that every coyote is different. I also saw a beaver and whitetail deer in these early miles.
As I progressed, the NW wind built slowly and by the time I had completed five miles it was howling. At this point I was at the end of the wind shadow, five miles north of Ft. Yates and needing to cross west across a not-large bay ... or paddle NW up the bay. With whitecaps coming down the bay and foam trails extending SE all the way across the lake and inundated trees blocking the possibility of lining the canoe, I was not able to move. Rather than sit and wait for the wind to change I walked out to the highway, hitchhiked to Ft. Yates and searched for a place to complete yesterday's blog as well as plan my next few days. It has become obvious that I would paddle no farther than Ft. Yates for now as I need to return to Helena to move Alex out of the A-Frame and move the new resident in. So part of my excursion to Ft. Yates was to find a place to leave the canoe for a week, maybe longer.

It was easier than I expected. The tribal administration office had internet (plus Indian Tacos for lunch) and LaDonna Brave Bull Allard offered her yard to store the canoe. LaDonna also gifted me a beautiful key chain - always appreciated even were I not a landlord. During the two hours at the tribal office the wind decreased, so I made my way back to the canoe to complete the day. On the way Edward Swifthorse gave me a ride all the way back to where my walk-in began. While on the way I got my mind around his family name scene. He has brothers named Edsel and Edmund and at least one of theme uses Fasthorse as a last name. So now it is much clearer - three Eds and two last names in the same family. The latter, of course, is a result of translation from the Dakota into English.

Back at the canoe I got packed in once more and pushed off into my most spirited ride of this year's journey. To begin with, the wind had slowed, yet not a lot. Rather than whitecaps without end, occasional whitecaps could be seen looking upwind. While the foam trails had ended, the NW wind still had all the power needed to deposit me onto the eastern shore of the lake if I did not succeed. So I completed the 100 yards into the wind shadow of a mid-channel island, and soon thereafter accomplished the second crossing of about 400 yards. This put me close to the west shore and almost directly upwind of the island on which Ft. Yates is situated. Though not directly upwind, it was clearly not going to be a problem to paddle close to the west shore until indeed I would be directly upwind. Meanwhile the wind started picking up again ... not as many whitecaps, but strong enough to once again establish the foam trails. Foam trails point directly downwind; this was a big help in knowing that I had gone far enough west that a disabled craft - should that occur - would be blown onto the island and not across to the opposite shore. At this point I began the spirited ride, pointing a bit east of directly downwind. My specific target was the eastern edge of the Ft. Yates island. No, I did not want to end on the eastern side ... this was simply a target that would allow me to turn directly downwind when I got amply close. I paddled like this for maybe 3.5 miles, crossing one fairly wide bay, but generally staying 100-150 yards off the western shore. Waves were crashing loudly and ferociously along the shore - no desire to get close to that. Still, I passed very close to two or three jetties - or points of land that acted as jetties anyway - and those were entertaining with their exposed rocks, waves going in different directions as well as waves being amplified. Once past each jetty temporary wave relief was realized. Hey - temporary is better than none. Eventually I reached the last jetty and was looking across at least a mile of open water to the island. To my right was choppy water and to my left was wavy, whitecappy, surging water with foam trails. But after a few hundred yards the latter was once more all around me. A spirited ride I say as after maybe ten surges of common size, about four serious ones would pass under ... then that pattern would repeat. Those serious waves would turn the canoe left and necessitate my concentration at keeping a proper heading so that the next one would not turn me more. I divide turbulent canoeing into six categories and I was often in the paddling position associated with the 4th category. So, not a super serious endeavor, ... spirited I say! Never was I in the first category paddling position. Perhaps about halfway across I noticed an SUV sillouetted on the hill near the water tower. It is certain that he was monitoring my progress - and I was somewhat assured that - should a mishap occur - he would have summoned help. As I neared the island, I veered a bit west and headed directly into inundated trees. Almost immediately upon sliding into the trees, the waves and surge subsided and I paddled in through choppy water. Beaching near one of Sitting Bull's grave sites, I affixed the portage wheels, loaded my gear and pushed/pulled the canoe the quarter mile to Ms. Allard's house. Arriving at 1900, she graciously fed me a divine supper and Miles even drove me the 13 miles back to the casino. How Nice can people be anyway? A week ago I did not even know that LaDonna existed and now she has become a meaningful part of my life - is it not amazing how life goes?

The canoe is 1,245 miles from St Louis. Today I paddled ten miles; 22 miles have been covered over the past 4 days.