Iceboating On Oahe

Though only a light breeze wafted across the ice the big boat tugged at the rope in my hand like a thoroughbred pulling at the reins. Not quite sure what to expect I cautiously slid into the cockpit, angled the front blade off the wind, sheeted in slightly and quickly accelerated to cruising speed. Shore became but a memory as the iceboat sped across the ice. Soon I tacked clumsily and regained speed as we raced back to West Shore Boat Ramp on the face of Oahe Dam where the real iceboaters patiently waited their turn at the helm of the impressive vessel.

My brother, Dick – recently transplanted from Rapid City, and his son Sol, a Pierre resident, stood on the boat ramp looking somewhat approvingly at my inaugural performance. I handed the “reins” to my brother and watched in awe as a symphony of wind, ice and balance played out before my eyes. He matter-of-factly stepped onto the back runner and, as the boat started to move, stood motionless like a captain on a sailboat surveying the horizon before settling into the cockpit, sheeting in and flying across the ice. He artfully tacked, scarcely losing any speed, and reached back toward us momentarily before arcing into a jibe that seemed to pick up speed on the turn. Then, he was gone, a solitary sailor superimposed on a featureless surface as he zipped toward the other two iceboaters whizzing across the frozen wasteland.

These relatively new iceboaters, John Koch and his 14 y old son Brad, combined have about 6 y experience compared to the decades of my bro and his son, but what they lack in experience they more than make up for with enthusiasm. And, boy are they enthusiastic. Each with his own skimmer, a much smaller boat than the DN but designed to maximize fun, safety and learning, they tacked and jibed their way across the ice near the face of the dam while curious onlookers parked on the dam.

Earlier this winter, before the Great New Year’s Eve Blizzard covered all good ice with snow, they both had sailed on a private frozen pond east of town. Then, everyone waited for ice wondering privately if they’d ever get to sail again this winter. Storm after storm pummeled the Pierre area covering any newly formed ice under an unsailable blanket of snow – great for XC skiing but lousy for iceboating.

Luckily, a timely February thaw appeared on Friday, the 11th melting the snow and making for sailable conditions. We met after work at West Shore where light winds and soft ice greeted their sail-starved eyes. Undaunted they rigged and Brad, the lightest sailor in the group, caught a few rides before calling it a day in anticipation of a favorable wind forecast for Saturday and even stronger winds for Sunday.

When I drove down to the dam Saturday morning the big boat, piloted by Sol, cruised below the Mid-Dakota pumphouse while the distinctly smaller skimmers plied the ice closer to West Shore. Grabbing my camera and heading toward the silent sailors I quietly marveled at their brisk movements across the ice.

Instantly, Sol appeared bearing straight for me skate flying as he sheeted in and ripped across the ice missing me by less than 10 feet. Pass after pass, first by Sol, then John, gave me ample footage for a Youtube video. Sol stopped and informed me that his GPS registered 28 mph, not bad considering the wind was only blowing about 14 mph. The sailing continued for the rest of the morning until light winds and equipment failure necessitated a return to town for repairs.

Curious about why they like to iceboat, Sol responded:

“Iceboating is a great rush. To be propelled along by the force of the wind is sheer delight in any craft, but the raw speed and acceleration of an iceboat is a singular experience. The boats respond to the simple controls like sports cars. Pull the sheet, and steer off the wind, and they launch like they've been shot from a canon. Sitting a foot off the ice amplifies the sensation of speed, and the g-forces as one accelerates through a jibe are exhilarating. Flying a skate on a reach at 30 mph, and watching objects on the distant shore come into focus as the boat rips along is as good as it gets. It's like riding off the rails in a roller coaster. It's a high performance experience available to the common man.”

Already windy at my house by noon on Sunday I drove to West Shore to find the big boat becalmed. Soon the wind arrived and Sol shot out of the bay flying back in a strong gust that propelled him an impressive 42 mph on the GPS. Soon Dick climbed into the cockpit and made a couple short runs then disappeared behind the jetty and didn’t return. Walking up on jetty for a better view I saw the boat sprawled on the ice like a wounded goose -- a mast shackle stay failed in the strong wind. Thankfully he was only about 100 yards from shore affording a fairly easy rescue before loading up and heading to Oahe Marina for burgers and to plan our next adventure.

BIKING BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK

UPDATE: Movie added

Yesterday amidst sunny skies, nearly 50F ambient, dry pavement and breezy NW wind my brother SAGged us while my wife and I rode from The Pinnacles Overlook, situated at the western terminus of the Scenic Loop Road, to the Visitor Center and up to Cedar Pass and back to the VC for 23.5 beautiful nearly vehicle-free (3 total) miles of sheer heaven. The intense feeling of euphoria of being mobile on a bike for the first time in months bordered ecstasy. My helmet cam captured over a GB of action -- to view Part 1 click here.

Enjoying South Dakota's Winter Wonderland

Effortlessly and silently we gingerly skied down the bluff and onto the wind-blown snow smothering the frozen lake. Around us lay a muted landscape paralyzed by winter’s fury. Ahead our destination beckoned.

The snow was perfect as we focused on the kick and glide motion so natural to cross country skiing. Although we were skiing within sight of my house situated on the tableland above Okobojo Creek, a scant 20 miles north of Pierre, we could just as well been traversing any of the high country lakes that both of us had skied many years ago.

My companion was none other than bicycling visionary Jim Books -- in town for the South Dakota Bicycle Coalition’s Annual Bicycle Summit meeting. Together we have well over 70 years of cross country skiing experience. Yet today was the first time we skied together, and to top it off, we were right in my own back yard. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

According to Wikipedia, “Cross-country skiing (commonly abbreviated XC skiing) is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles.”

That simple definition scarcely scratches the surface of XC skiing. Recreational XC skiing ranges from bushwhacking, using a diagonal stride on waxable or waxless double camber skis, to skating on short slender streamlined affairs using ice-skating movements with double pole plants, to backcountry touring on single camber metal-edged telemark skis. Telemark skis are matched with stiff boots for controlled turns while descending and fixed with synthetic climbing skins for easy ascents. XC ski racing is a different animal requiring incredible aerobic fitness, select gear and technique.

At the time of this writing I have XC skied over 20 times this winter season and all but one have been out my back door. While the nearest groomed XC ski trails are in the Black Hills, the Pierre area provides several opportunities for XC skiing of the bushwhacking variety. On Sunday, January 23, my wife Michele, and nephews Sol and Zach met at Oahe Marina for a XC ski tour along the river and through the campground.

As we left the sheltered confines of the parking area and glided toward the river, the snow changed from powder to a wind-blown crust along the jetty at the river’s edge. Cresting the jetty, a squadron of Mallards erupted off the fast flowing river and Zach, an obsessed middle school-aged hunter with a minor preoccupation with bicycling, called out in sheer ecstasy.

Sol soon took the lead, breaking trail over Black Hills quality snow and looping through the campground and back to the vehicles. Sol’s athleticism showed its youthfulness as he literally ran on his skis leaving a cloud of snow crystals floating in the slanting rays of slowly setting sun.

Meanwhile Michele pointed out a mouse scurrying along over the snow while Zach monitored a hawk flying overhead. Later, when we re-grouped and re-nourished ourselves on bountiful burgers and beverages at the Oahe Marina, Michele noted that they’d seen 3 bald eagles while driving in to the parking area.

These eagles, obviously well habituated to the presence of humans and motorboats, arrive in the fall following the migrating geese and always depart in the spring returning to their northern nesting grounds. Apparently, lack of available forage forces the eagles to disappear each spring. However, one determined pair annually add to a nest along river on LaFramboise Island but have yet to stay and lay eggs.

With a history dating back to prehistoric times, XC skiing provides an inexpensive and enjoyable way to experience winter along the Missouri River. Locations that see XC skiers frequently generally include Hilgers Gulch, LaFramboise and Farm Islands and just about any open snow-covered area in Griffin or Steamboat Park.

Although quality XC ski equipment can be purchased over the internet, to actually handle the gear up close and personal requires a drive to Rapid City or Sioux Falls. Equally, basic information on XC ski equipment can be found on the ‘net at ORS and also at REI.

Since there’s still a lot of winter left, take a walk, er, a glide on the slippery side and come out and join us for some fun. We meet at Oahe Marina every Sunday at 2:00 pm and ski the flats around the campground, sheltered from the wind and with a cup of hot chocolate waiting for us at the restaurant when we’re done. Not only will you have an pleasurable experience you will also be one morevweek closer to spring and biking, fishing and all the other fun outdoor activities we do in the Pierre area.

Snowboarding South Dakota

Sometimes Mother Nature feels sorry for us flat landers and decides to brighten our day in oh so many ways: shovelling snow drifts, digging out stuck 4x4s and more as winter's icy grip tightens on the Northern Great Plains. My most recent day-brightening experience involved snowboarding on the Lake Oahe bluffs.

This winter's combination of snow, already the season's average at 28" and wind direction dumped a pile of snow on the face of the dam. A brief thaw a few weeks ago followed by another 6-10" of the fluffy white hexagonal crystals created a perfect sliding surface for snowboards and probably other recreational snow tools like telemark skis, sleds and toboggans. Since my telemarking days are long gone the venerable snowboard allows me to achieve the gravitationally-induced euphoria so foreign to us prisoners of the prairie.

I'd scouted the snow a couple days earlier while returning from town after a morning's swim and was convinced that the snow was boardable (i.e., deep enough to cover all the usual hazards including the erosion riprap at the road's edge). So, while enroute to town to attend the social gathering of the SD Bicycle Coalition Annual Summit Meeting I stopped the van donned bibs, boots and clicked into my board and sat on the guardrail waiting for my wife to drive the van around to take up position to video the run. With Michele in place I dropped in.

Though a far cry from heliboarding the Bugaboos, the bluffs along Lake Oahe make great downhill runs.

Short Winter

Unseasonally warm temperatures ordered us out and on our bikes for a dam loop+ ride yesterday. The 22 mile ride felt so good that we might have to do it again today.

Lance Armstrong Twitter Ride: Sioux Falls, SD

My twitter dream ride came true last Friday when Lance Armstrong tweeted at noon on the 28th: "One other thing Sioux Falls... Let's ride! 4pm Twitter ride. Let's meet at 23rd and Cliff Ave." However, instead of just me and Lance it seemed like the entire SD bicycling community showed up to ride with Lance -- had to be at least a thousand roadies waiting for their chance to ride with The Man.

My wife, Michele, and several friends lined up about 40 minutes early to have a chance of getting to the front of the line before the lead group established an insurrmountable break. The strategy worked flawlessly as Doug H. and I cautiously cycled along in the draft being towed by an invisible force that emanated off the lead rider, Lance Armstrong.

From 23rd and Cliff we headed north en masse turned right and things got interesting immediately as the lead group mostly stood and powered up a not insignificant double hill leaving most of the rest hopelessly way, way behind. The pace quickened as we headed east out of town and after another right turn we encountered a quartering head-breeze (during his talk later at AVERA Lance remarked that it was a windy ride; but, the crowd unanimously disagreed) that drained most of my hill-climbing energy being situated on the far right side of the lead group (had I known a bigger hill was fast approaching I'd have settled for the draft inside the peleton).

Anyways, the hill arrived and the lead group mostly stood and powered up leaving me alone as others, including Doug H., sped past fast on my left side. I finally managed to catch another rider, drafted briefly regaining energy and led the two of us in a dash for the pack. Thankfully, the lead group slowed for a right turn and we tucked in, secure in the leeward side draft, as we exchanged small talk about the event which quickly came to close back at the new Avera Cancer Clinic.

I made a movie of the videos captured that day and invite you all to turn up the volume and marvel at The Man doing what he does best.

Lance Armstrong Twitter Ride -- Sioux Falls, SD

Earlier today Lance Armstrong tweeted:

"One other thing Sioux Falls... Let's ride! 4pm Twitter ride. Let's meet at 23rd and Cliff Ave. #twitterridesiouxfalls"