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Avon Descent
Pictures
The leading group coming
up to the Extracts Weir Portage. Photo John C
The US Team of Yonley
&Yonley portaging Extracts Weir. Photo John C
The US Team of Yonley
&Yonley in the prototype PRS double ski. They blitzed
the double plastic class and beat many of the K2s with a time
of 12:36:13 giving them an overall position of 26th fastest
team. Photo John C
Neil Long and Susan
Quick getting refilled with fluid at Extracts. It looks like
a tedious job. Photo John C
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A Day On The
Missouri River USA
Taken From My Diary.
Sunday 17th August. Paddling on a knife's edge.
At the moment I am taking shelter at
a boat ramp car park waiting for the gale force winds to calm.
My tent is pressed hard against a barrier of bushes as I'm
trying to get as much protection as possible from the storm
winds and rain. I have just come in from paddling in near
suicidal waters on Lake Sharpe, which is one of the smaller
lakes on route down the 4000km Missouri River. The lake is
only 140 kilometres long but it is proving to be more difficult
to navigate than the larger ones due to the weather conditions
and the trees stumps that are in the water. Cold, strong westerly
winds have turned the lake into one big mass of whitecaps
with huge waves.
I couldn't believe how rough it was,
I was really fighting the elements and I mean that literally,
it was so cold with the temperature around 5?C, it was very
wet and not just from the rain that came down in heavy showers
but also from the large waves that pounded the boat and washed
over the bow and stern. The wind was blowing a gale, and the
large waves that were whipped up were forever swamping me,
predominately smashing me from the side and behind. This was
making it hard to keep control of the kayak and making paddling
that much more difficult. When the really big waves rolled
violently over the kayak the whole boat was virtually underwater,
I had to be prepared for a severe destabilising, as the kayak
would wallow and flounder with the weight of the water. At
these times my spray deck often supported several litres of
water and occasionally allowed the cold water to drip onto
my legs and sending a chill through my entire body.
To counteract the boat from submerging,
whenever I heard a big set of waves rolling from behind I
would angle my boat into the wave hollows and ride up the
wave sideways. Although I still got wet from the wave breaking
and had to be ready to do support strokes, I had more control
of the kayak and it felt a safer method of paddling. But this
method was far from safe on much of this lake, as tree stumps
that were once living trees but now flooded by the river being
dammed, were lurking above and below the water surface. Hitting
one of these stumps broadside could destroy the kayak and
bring an end to my life's journey, the water was so cold and
wind so strong it would be hard to survive more than half
an hour in the water. As you can imagine, keeping a straight
course where-ever there were tree stumps, although nearly
impossible with such high winds, was vitally important for
my survival.
If these conditions weren't bad enough
to contend with, I also had wind gusts that were so strong
that I had to stop paddling to prevent the paddle from being
wrenched out of my hands. These severe gusts brought another
dangerous element to my paddling, the wind alone could have
easily capsized me if caught at a time I was most vulnerable.
I virtually had no control of the boat when the wind gusted
severely and I was always praying there were no tree stumps
in my way. Nevertheless, I was alert for any sudden increase
in wind and kept paddling with caution. For much of the time
I was paddling on a knife's edge and pushing my limits and
although I knew that I wasn't infallible I just wanted to
keep going and keep on schedule, taking as much care as possible.
I have paddled in the ocean for thousands of kilometres in
all conditions but the conditions on the lake were equal to
or even worse, than what I have ever encountered on the ocean.
Unlike on the ocean, where the swells can get big but the
waves are usually less steep and longer, the lake waves were
quite high, steep and rolled in much closer together making
them impossible to surf. As a result, the kayak spent a lot
of the times with either the bow or stern submerged in the
waves.
Kilometre after kilometre the shore
was lined with a large number of big floating trees that had
been washed up, making landing in these trying conditions
very difficult if not impossible. As nightfall was edging
closer, the wind getting stronger, the temperature getting
colder and the shoreline in sight almost impossible to land
on, it was with great relief when I saw a boat ramp in a small
bay, free of trees. My spirits soared as I spotted my home
for the night and a place that I would be safe.
As I dragged my kayak up the boat ramp
the cold was so intense it was hard for me to function properly
and to get motivated to find a place to erect my tent. The
days paddle had been a trying experience. It had been like
playing Russian roulette in gale force winds and rough seas
with the tree stumps that littered thickly at times along
my path. This is expedition paddling and not all things go
to plan or are easy going, I just wonder what tomorrow was
going to bring.
Irrigated fields beside
Lake Sharp
Lake Sharpe, located on South Dakota
Highways 50 and 47 near Chamberlain, and Reliance, is one
of the four reservoirs constructed along the Missouri River
in South Dakota. (The other three are Lewis and Clark Lake,
Lake Oahe, and Lake Francis Case). Lake Sharpe was named after
a former South Dakota Governor, Merrill Q. Sharpe, who was
influential in the construction of the dams and reservoirs
along the Missouri River. Stretching 80 miles long and with
200 miles of shoreline, Lake Sharpe is a great place for,
fishing, hiking, biking, swimming, camping, hunting, boating,
or wildlife observing.
Lake Sharpe was created by impounding the Missouri River near
Fort Thompson. Seven miles upstream from the dam, is a unique
bend in the Missouri River. At this bend, the Missouri makes
almost a complete loop, before returning to the "neck"
where the land is not quite a mile wide, hence the name Big
Bend Dam. Construction began in 1959, as project of the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineer under the Pick-Sloan Plan. The Dam
was completed in 1964 and measures approximately 10,570 feet
long and 95 feet high, it now provides flood control, conservation
of fish and wildlife, irrigation, hydropower, and recreation.
Fishing and Hunting are two popular
activities along Lake Sharpe. All public lands around the
Lake Sharpe are open to hunting, except for developed recreation
areas. Hunting opportunities include, water fowl, upland game
birds and big game. Whitetail and mule deer, as well as elk,
bison, coyotes and wild turkeys, are the big game animals
you can expect to find. The waterfowl and upland game birds
include ducks, grouse, prairie chickens, geese, and pheasants.
Hunting regulations are established and enforced by the State
of South Dakota, and the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Tribes.
Walleye, large and small mouth bass, northern pike, catfish,
and white bass are the fish of choice in Lake Sharpe. If fishing
on reservation land a Tribal license is required.
There are 19 recreation areas along
Lake Sharpe operated by the Corps of Engineers, the State
of South Dakota, and Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. Highly developed
recreation areas like Left Tailrace and West Bend, include
campsites with electrical hookups, shower houses, picnic shelters,
boat ramps, fish cleaning stations, and amphitheaters. Primitive
recreation areas are also available, such as the North and
South Iron Station. Lake Sharpe is a great family retreat.
Whether you are looking for a relaxing time on the sandy beaches,
or to be exhilarated by the hunt of big game there is always
something to do at Lake Sharpe.
Ed and Sue
Ed & Sue were waiting at the end
of the Missouri River to take my kayak back to their home
in Ogden, Utah and store it there for me. Ed had very kindly
taken me to the start of the Missouri River (a day's drive
from where he lives) and he also met me halfway to see how
I was going. I had been very fortunate to have had Ed and
Sue's wonderful support.
As a footnote, Ed and Sue also drove
from Utah to Vancouver, Canada to pick Tony and I up to take
us to the start of our Mountains to Arctic Ocean trip in 2008.
This journey took them several days and thousands of miles.
Again their support was invaluable.
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Looking for
a good haircut?
Then call into Tom's at Shop
2 Old Theatre Lane, Claremont
(its off Bayview Tce)
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