24MAY2011 @ Mobridge, SD - At 0700 it is 52 degrees, high humidity and windy - a very raw day. My cold is almost gone, but this weather gives me pause ... makes me think it could return. Staying here a second night is being considered. The wind speed forecast for tomorrow has been reduced to 19mph (from 24mph) so tomorrow sounds a bit more like something I can handle; that is part of my decision too.
Jerry just stopped by. He thinks the cabin is rented for tonight - his wife has all that info and will be here in a few hours. Meanwhile we looked over a map and he showed a site - Evarts - 6 miles down the shore. I decided that even with poor weather I can go 6 miles, so I will leave soon.
Departing I waved aloha to Jerry and was indeed actually sad. Staying a second night would be my choice ... I feel a bit like the small eagle being pushed from the nest. Eh bien ... lets focus on the task at hand ... which means paddling into an intermittent head wind. Generally it is not too strong, but it is cold and with a cloudy sky, uncomfortable. I proceeded essentially straight east for three miles to the mouth of Blue Blanket Creek. At this point I faced an open water crossing that looked imposing, what with all the shelter removed and failure would mean being deposited on the west side of the reservoir. Fortunately the wind was not kicking up whitecaps, so I took a big breath and started out. After 300 strokes I felt secure enough to get off my knees and after 400 strokes I slowed down the pace, reaching the far shore after approximately 450 strokes. With the shelter of the bank and with a new southern heading I paddled on for several more miles with little wind effect. Not wanting to paddle past the Evarts resort, I tethered up and asked for directions at the first easy place to tie up. I knocked at the door of Larry Fliehs and he pointed to the general area. Larry is the owner of Evarts - yet he never told me. I stopped one other time to inquire, nobody was at home, but at the southern end of the houses I looked out over a small bay and could see what Larry was telling me. Paddling in to the end of the bay I tied up about 200 yards from the resort restaurant. Upon entering I was once again looking at Larry. We laughed, joked and shared a few stories then I settled in to a wonderful hamburger and fries, followed by checking in to one of the rooms. A wall map shows me that I paddled 8 river miles, not 6. I am now at river mile 1183, only 111 miles to the dam.
For the first three miles today I paddled through submerged trees. With the head wind these trees were very helpful, providing a meaningful windbreak. Only on a few occasions was it difficult to make my way through. Most of the trees are dead from either too much water or too much ice damage, or both. Some, however, are putting forth light green leaves a if they truly believe the inundation will soon end. In most locations the bank is a vertical dirt wall about ten feet high ... and many dirt falls are seen. One dirtfall occurred only about 40 feet ahead of me - very dusty and very attention demanding.
As the day ends clouds are thickening. It is cold - wind driven cold.