27MAY2011 near Agar, SD - Last night's storm was so violent that one of my four tarp attatchments came loose and I awoke to the feel of water on my hand. Only a small corner of the tent was affected - and I was totally dry, but a prolonged rainy day would have presented a problem. Partly due to the damp corner and partly due to the realization that the wind was greatly reduced, I began loading the canoe while the last of the rain was still falling. Pushing off I was dismayed to have difficulty paddling into a still stiff wind ... and it remained stiff for a mile or so. As the sky cleared though, the wind speed dropped and by late in the day I was paddling in totally calm water.
At about 0900 I stopped at the second green of the Sutton Bay golf course. There being no boats/people at the Sutton Bay ramp, I chose to attempt getting coffee and maybe a breakfast at the pro shop/clubhouse. Well - the clubhouse is 1.2 miles from the first tee ... and this is a private, fancy course ... so I was hustled into the kitchen and provided coffee and pastry. It was at this point that I realized that this is a private establishment and that they really do not want me there. At 0930 I was back on the water paddling away. The pastry was as good as any I have ever tasted.
All around this lake are eyecatching examples of soil sloughing and the golf course is yet another ... and that is why the clubhouse is so far away (out of the sloughing zone).  Apparently lake water has penetrated horizontally far into the hills causing the deep soil layers to be "slippery when wet".  Upper layers thus begin sliding toward the lake.  The golf course aggravates the situation by irrigating, thus making some higher elevation wet and slippery ... so a new green is needed every year as the soil sinks and slips.  The casual observer would notice that there are essentially zero houses close to the water's edge and likely conclude that the waterfront areas are public land.  While a fair amount may indeed be public, land sloughing is the real reason. 
At 1500 I arrived at Bush's Landing and by 1800 I was showered, shaved, all my clothes were washed and all my gear that was not totally dry was drying. Enjoying my supper with me are hosts Sandy and George Portz as well as Tami and Terry Nelson, owners of a neighboring resort. Enjoying the river and riverbank with me today were many deer, a turtle, a coyote and many ducks ... no pelicans or geese today. My mileage today was 16, arriving at river mile 1125, only 53 miles from the dam.  At river mile 1130 I reached the point that is halfway between Helena and St. Louis.  Two miles later I paddled by local rancher Wyman John's boat; he told me the location of Bush's Landing.  In our brief discussion he revealed that he is - as stated above - a local rancher.  My response "Oh, are you Wyman?" surprised him immensely.  Ahhhh Yes, the small thrill one gets when using the single local info item picked up at the Sutton Bay clubhouse ... PRICELESS!