Category: columns-outdoors

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Getting the Good Stuff

By Chad Coppess

I’m constantly on the lookout for good photo locations. Sometimes they are places that will need that little something extra to make them great. Sometimes they just need the right weather. Sometimes they are perfect as is.

I keep a small notebook and pen next to me in the vehicle as I travel across South Dakota. If I notice a particularly scenic rolling field that would look great when it’s planted with wheat I’ll jot down the location. The same goes for a spot that would make an interesting foreground for some nighttime photography. Some day I’ll come back to these locations when the conditions are right.

This summer I stumbled across a hillside filled with aspen trees on a gravel road in the northern Black Hills. A small grassy ridge was in front of it and I knew it would be perfect for some hikers to be standing on. I made a note of the location and the time of day that I thought would be best for photos.

Weeks later when the leaves were changing I talked my friend Julieanne Morse into posing for some images in that spot. I’m happy with the results, but it probably won’t be the last time I’m back there for more.

Identifying specific daytime locations that will look good in nighttime exposures can take a little practice, but once a photographer starts thinking that way it’s fairly easy to choose where to return to after dark. Looking for strong silhouette shapes will help.

Sometimes the landscape and/or the weather dictate that you must take a photo. When huge puffy white clouds float over the South Dakota landscape, you can bet I’m stopping my car at the first scenic spot I find. On a recent morning in Custer, a blanket of fog was filling the valley. I could tell the sky was clear above and the mist would soon be gone, so I made a beeline for Stockade Lake to shoot the sun breaking through. Knowing the best spot to be facing into the rising sun was critical to getting a good shot, so my mental notes on the lake came in handy.

Keeping a list, whether actually written or just in your head, will allow you to get the good shot when the situation arises.

Chad Coppess is the senior photographer at the South Dakota Department of Tourism. He lives in Pierre with his wife, Lisa. To view more of his work, visit www.dakotagraph.com.

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S.D.’s High Holiday

Pheasant Season Opener is a family event in South Dakota

By Lee Schoenbeck

As I write this it is the night before the South Dakota High Holiday, the Friday before the third Saturday in October, and my friend Bernie Hunhoff just called to ask if I would write a column on the outdoors for the on-line version of South Dakota Magazine. On Pheasant Opener Eve, who could resist?

Next to Christmas, there really is no other time in South Dakota that screams FAMILY like”the opener”. If you’re a 57 zip code, or used to be, or want to be, you don’t even need to use an adjective for people to know that”the opener” is that special event on the third Saturday of October when over 100,000″out-of-staters” join over 75,000 South Dakotans in our native ritual of the pheasant hunt.

Thursday night as I was impatiently waiting with my 16 year old in line to get his hunting license before the weekend onslaught of out-of-staters, I listened to a gentleman ahead of me getting his license. No matter how the clerk asked for information, each answer included the fact that he may not be living here any more, but that he was a South Dakotan. It was a little annoying at first, but as I listened you could tell there was a story there he wanted to share. He had sold his farm near Huron the year before and had moved elsewhere to be near children and grandchildren. It soon became clear that the other out-of-staters straggling near him were his sons from Connecticut and Chicago. This was a story happening a thousand times over across South Dakota during our High Holiday, a family united afield back in their native South Dakota.

I have to admit that while I thought it was kind of neat, I was still annoyed with two trips back and forth to town to get the gear it takes to outfit a sprouting 16-year-old for the weekend hunt. At 16, fashion matters, hand me downs — even afield — don’t cut it. I’ve done this with sons and daughters, same deal either way. Finally, after 10 gallons of case and all my after work daylight was burnt, I had a son properly licensed and outfitted for the weekend hunt.

The next morning I happened to read the latest Ike’s issue and caught some perspective on all this preparation. It turns out that 92% of youth that enjoy the outdoor hunting experience come from a family that hunts. Meaning the majority of children that will be a part of carrying on our state’s outdoor legacy will be those whose parents made the effort at some point to make the High Holiday a family experience. That former Huron farmer pushing his eighth decade was still enjoying the fruits of some time spent with his sons years ago, getting them outfitted, getting them afield and making sure they had an experience that made them want to come back for many more years together.

Besides the family bonding opportunity our High Holiday presents, those who hunt also leave a substantial legacy for the rest of their communities. The federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment and ammunition provide more than 75% of the total funding of many wildlife agencies in America. Those dollars support habitat development, clean water, and the creation of outdoor opportunities of all stripes.

This year the rooster roundup continues until January 1st. If it sounds like taking a youngster out in the field safely with a loaded firearm for a several mile walk might be a little inconvenient — it is. Like a lot of what’s involved in raising children, there’s sacrifice. But I have yet to hear a mother endure the unbelievable pains of labor and express regret about the fruits the experience.

So when you get the chance, grab a son or daughter and be a part of something special for today — and for the future — out on the land here at home in South Dakota.

EDITOR’S NOTE: See more photos of the 2011 Pheasant Opener in our gallery.

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Running with Parkinson’s

By Rebecca Johnson

Gary Pauley runs in his home town of Parker, SD.

Gary Pauley ran the Sioux Falls Half Marathon in September of 2010 in two hours and 10 minutes. A good race time for any 48-year-old, but Pauley has Parkinson’s Disease. Despite a 20-year Army career including multiple deployments to hostile areas, the Parker resident’s greatest challenge came at age 46 when he was diagnosed with the brain disorder. His symptoms included movement problems, shakiness and impaired balance. Pauley began a rigorous regimen of running and biking to help maintain his health.

As his condition worsened, exercise became harder and Pauley considered stopping running altogether.”I realized I needed to continue to exercise as long as possible in order to keep my quality of life,” says Pauley. He decided to have a deep brain stimulation (DBS) device implanted to help manage some of the disabling motor symptoms of his disease.”It offered me the best chance to reach a ‘new normal,'” he says.

The device was implanted in April of 2010 and activated in May. And his symptoms are not as noticeable as before.”I like when people who don’t know that I have Parkinson’s look at me and say I would have never guessed anything was wrong,” says Pauley.

After his surgery, Pauley came up with a”bucket list” of things he wanted to do. Running the half marathon was first on the list and his next big run is the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 mile on October 2nd in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He was chosen as one of this year’s 25 Medtronic Global Heroes – runners with implanted medical devices who continue to pursue their passions with the help of medical technology.

“I have pressed on through the progression of the disease and have managed to continue to do the activities I have always enjoyed,” says Pauley. I asked him if there is a race he is preparing for after the Twin Cities race.”There are a couple of short road races I am thinking about running in, but actually I am just trying to stay in good shape ’til high school basketball season starts,” he says. He officiates boys and girls basketball during the winter.”That’s primarily my workout for December through February.”

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The Stars Above

By Christian Begeman

King David of the ancient Hebrews wrote that the heavens declare God’s glory and is proof the Creator exists (Psalm 19). Just over a century ago, Vincent Van Gogh painted his magnum opus”The Starry Night” which is now one of the most recognized images in the world. I can easily sing along to Skeets McDonald’s”Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes” from hearing it so often in our 1988 Oldsmobile car that featured a new-fangled car stereo cassette player. (Great Country Hits of the 50’s, The Statler Brothers and The Mamas and the Papas are all burned in my memory from those days. We only had a few cassettes at the time.)

All these thoughts and memories run through my mind when I’m out trying to capture photos of the stars. Just over a year ago, I happened to view some amazing timelapse videos of night scenes in Arizona and instantly made a decision that I needed to learn how to do that. Before I could start, I needed to learn how to take photos of the night sky.

The essentials include a tripod, flashlight, remote cable and a camera that allows you to set long exposures. Vampire sleeping habits are helpful too. My first attempts took place at Palisades State Park near Garretson, SD in mid-November of last year. One of my favorite images from that night is an example of what I call”flashlight graffiti.” I set a long exposure on my camera and proceeded to paint the rocks with light from my flashlight. I did my initials in one image and one of my favorite bands, U2, in another. I figure I now have something to send Bono and the boys if they need some unique artwork for their next album.

I went out to the Palisades again on a crisp, clear night in February. I brought two cameras and spent roughly two hours scrambling over the rocks in the dark getting scenes of the stars passing overhead. Once I got over scaring myself with horror movie scenes that kept popping into my head, the night turned into a magical time of just being in awe of our vast universe and God’s creation.

This spring and summer I have been trying to capture the Milky Way in the night sky. To do this you need to be well away from the light pollution of larger cities (I would suggest at least 20 miles) on a moonless night. It is also helpful to have a fast lens (f2.8 or less) and a sturdy tripod. I typically shoot around 30 second exposures at 1600 or 3200 ISO. It takes time and patience, but the rewards of capturing the starry hosts and being humbled by them are worth every minute of lost sleep. Just don’t watch any “Friday the 13th” movies before you go.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog.

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Triple V Triathlon

By Rebecca Johnson

140 individuals and 17 relay teams conquered the 4th annual Triple V Triathlon last weekend in Yankton. The triathlon, named for the Latin phrase,”Veni, vidi, vici,” was started by Yankton locals Lynn Peterson and Dr. Lawrence Leon. Both had participated in several triathlons around the area.”We realized Yankton offers the perfect venue for this,” Peterson said.”We wanted to promote a great sport as well as all the benefits Yankton has to offer — the lake, river, beautiful bridges, historic downtown and campgrounds.”

My husband Jeremy participated in it as his first triathlon. He tried to talk me into doing it, too, but I’m not much of a swimmer and the chain doesn’t always stay on my bike. It’s definitely a hazard.

The race begins with a 1/4 mile swim in Lewis & Clark Lake near the marina. Athletes then bike over Gavins Point Dam, follow the Missouri River until they reach the Discovery Bridge, cross over the bridge to Yankton, and bike back to the transition area at the marina. The race ends with a 5k run on the bike trails along the lake. Approximately 25 volunteers help out along the course. I decided to participate by taking timing chips from the athletes at the finish line. It was fun greeting everyone at the end because a lot of them seemed very happy to see me.

Missouri River flooding didn’t affect the course, but Peterson said numbers were down for the first time in four years. The race directors fielded a lot of calls from people wondering how the water had been affected.”The South Dakota Parks Department did a great job informing us of water quality as they do daily tests,” said Peterson. There hadn’t been any tests showing the water was a hazard. My husband said he ran into some plant growth, but I think that sort of made it feel even more adventurous.

Yankton high school athlete Kipp Kinsley was the overall winner and Becky Youngberg from Eden Prairie, Minn., was the women’s top finisher. You can view a list of participants’ times at allsportcentral.com.

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The Monarch Mystery

Thousands of monarch butterflies are fluttering through eastern South Dakota on their way to Mexico, where they will spend the winter. Their annual migration has stumped scientists for decades. This generation of monarchs has never been to Mexico, so how do they know where to go?

To better understand the mystery, here’s a brief synopsis of the monarch life cycle. In the spring, when monarchs head north, they fly only a short distance before they lay eggs. That dramatically shortens their life span, and soon they die. The cycle repeats through the spring, so the butterflies that eventually arrive in South Dakota may be the great-grandchildren of the monarchs passing through right now. Theoretically, they shouldn’t know a thing about Mexico.

On Thursday, a group led by Jody Moats of the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve gathered at Spirit Mound north of Vermillion to tag monarchs. The tiny, sticky dots affixed to a wing help researchers track their flight and provide other data that might someday help solve the monarch mystery. Click the image above to watch a short video of the tagging.

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South Dakota Adventurer

By Rebecca Johnson

Hello to all our South Dakota Magazine readers. My name is Rebecca Johnson. I look forward to sharing my experiences of outdoor adventure and travel in South Dakota. I am a Yankton native and attended the University of South Dakota to study communications. It was my dream at graduation to work at South Dakota Magazine, but alas, they were not hiring at the time! My husband Jeremy and I returned to Yankton anyway and I worked as a graphic designer for several years.

I fulfilled my dream of joining the South Dakota Magazine staff about two years ago and am currently the Special Projects Coordinator. I’ve enjoyed a lot of behind the scenes projects as well as writing for the magazine.

My parents taught me an early appreciation for the beauty of our state — almost all of my childhood vacations were to some part of the Black Hills. I still remember the excitement I felt when we finally reached the tall pine trees and winding roads. It made the long, boring car ride worthwhile.

A favorite vacation memory is hiking Sunday Gulch Trail off Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. Finding its trailhead seemed serendipitous as we hiked down the rocks among little waterfalls. I felt like a real rock climber. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring any water or snacks, nor had we researched the length of the hike. Eventually my sisters and I became tired and cranky. We dramatically plodded along, complaining that we were starving. We were sure we couldn’t go any further. Finally my Dad gave in to our whining and jogged ahead to look for the car. It makes me smile now to think that it was only about three miles. I’ve hiked longer and more difficult trails since but I still get that feeling of awe when I return to Sunday Gulch.

Jeremy and I continue to explore the outdoors through running, hiking and biking. I even completed my first marathon last fall when Sioux Falls brought back their full marathon. We are also big music fans and love to take in live shows around the state, especially the outdoor ones. So you might even catch me writing about a local band or two. I can’t wait to share our future adventures with you!

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Prisons, Flood and Cancer

By Bernie Hunhoff

C.S. Lewis wrote,”We read to know we’re not alone.” So we all need to do more reading. Or we could put the books down and reach out to neighbors trapped in their various prisons.

One day this summer, I visited the Federal Prison at Yankton to speak to inmates about writing and publishing. That same afternoon, I learned that one of our best friends was diagnosed with a serious cancer.

Later, at the office, I asked a co-worker who has survived cancer,”What’s it going to be like for her?”

“She’ll feel all alone at times, no matter what people do to help, because it’s something you have to ultimately face alone,” said my co-worker.”She’ll walk down the street and feel sort of disconnected from everyone else as they go about their daily routine, smiling and laughing.”

That same week, I also traveled up and down the Missouri River, meeting with victims of the historic 2011 flood. By coincidence, one landowner used the same street analogy as he explained his predicament.”You walk down the street and you think, ‘these people have no idea I might be losing my house and farm. They have no idea what we’re going through.'”

I’ve spoken to classes at the Yankton prison for a number of years, and on every trip I leave with somewhat the same message that the flooded farmer and the cancer survivor expressed. Prisoners are crammed on a campus or cell-block with hundreds of other inmates as well as guards and staff, and yet there is a palpable atmosphere of aloneness, despite the hail-fellow camaraderie.

As the summer wore on, friends and total strangers came to help the flooded homeowners and farmers — including state and federal prison inmates who filled thousands of sandbags in June.

Hutterites, who live on communal farms in South Dakota, came to help neighbors they’d never met. Just when one particular fellow was feeling overwhelmed by the flood, some large four-door pickup trucks came and parked on the nearest dry spot, and then,”eight large men got out of each pickup ….” He was referring to the arrival of the Hutterites.

The flooded fellow was also overwhelmed with the assistance and generosity of Native Americans who lived in his area. He hadn’t met most them, even though he grew up in the same small county. They showed up in droves, working and sweating alongside the Hutterites and the white farmers to save a stranger’s property.

A few days later, the homeowner was refueling his vehicle at a local gas stop when he saw a Native American coming out of the store with a twelve-pack.”I thought, man, I’m fighting for my life and this guy has nothing better to do than drink beer,” he admits to thinking.

He was surprised when the Native American stopped by his pickup and asked how the battle was going with the river.

“Do you know where I live?” asked the surprised homeowner.

“Yes, I was out there helping yesterday,” said the Native American.

Prison. Cancer. Floods. Droughts. Fires. Poverty. Alcoholism. Mental illness. There are a hundred types of prison cells. We are on solo paths, but perhaps we’re seldom as alone as we feel.

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Finding Crow Peak

By Rebecca Johnson

The Black Hills of South Dakota are a hiker’s dream — as long as you can find your trailhead. My husband and I learned this lesson on our first visit to Crow Peak last summer. We got up early feeling optimistic about our day. We’d hike the trail near Spearfish in the morning and then have the afternoon to do whatever we wanted, maybe even hike Harney Peak if we felt ambitious.

Google Maps had driving directions, but we found a hiker’s blog that gave the gps coordinates of Crow Peak.”What a great idea,” we thought and entered them into the Garmin. Do not try this! Our navigator took us on a winding trip through gravel logging roads, continually shouting”recalculating.” We soon realized it was trying to get us to the actual peak and not the trail. Even worse — we hadn’t realized we were nearly out of gas.

We reset our destination point as our hotel, but the Garmin insisted we were not even on a road. Resigned to the fact that we had been led astray, we turned it off and used our brains to get us back to Spearfish — placing bets on whether we would run out of gas. Luckily we didn’t.

We found the trailhead three hours later than planned and it was totally worth the hassle. The hike was beautiful and the view at the top was amazing!

Do not let my story discourage you. The Crow Peak trailhead is actually easy to find — take Hillsview Road from Main Street in Spearfish and head west. From there, take Forest Service Road 214 approximately 7 miles southwest of Spearfish. There is a small parking area. No sign is immediately visible but a small green gate opens to the trail. I encourage you to give it a try!

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Rapid City Peregrine Release: Now on Live Feed

By Katie Hunhoff

Raptor biologist Janie Fink released osprey near Yankton a few years ago. Now she’s in Rapid City releasing peregrine falcons. It has been almost 100 years since peregrine falcons lived West River. The species almost died out in the early 1970s due to pesticides like DDT. Populations have slowly recovered and the government removed them from its endangered species list in 1999. But the birds are still considered endangered in South Dakota.

Fink released 15 falcons last spring from atop the Assurant Building in Rapid City. This year they are releasing 15 more. Fink believes the birds will return to nest at the location they learned to fly.

A live feed has been set up to watch the young birds on top of the Assurant Building. Peregrine falcons are impressive hunters. They can reach speeds of 200 mph while diving for a catch. That makes them the fastest creature on the planet.

“It’s an impressive bird of prey,” says Eileen Dowd Stukel, wildlife diversity coordinator for the state Game, Fish and Parks Department. “We would love to have it here again for people to see and perhaps to benefit falconers, but that’s a long way off. Right now we’re just trying to do our responsibility of recovering something that used to be here.”


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