2000
The Minnesota River and Swan Lake
by Brand Frentz
September was unusually dry on the Southern prairie. The Minnesota River got as low as it has in 20 years, hitting 1.22 feet in Mankato on September 18th. The much-ballyhooed "friendly" whitewater rivers of Blue Earth County were mere trickles. The Watonwan, which flipped me over like a toy when running high in July 1998, was flowing at an anemic rate!
But the MPOC was active all the same. Early in the month we had a moonlight cruise on the Minnesota, from Seven Mile Creek to St. Peter. The water was just deep enough. There was a strong wind, but happily it was behind us, pushing. It also blew away the bugs on a warm evening. The moon was near full and lit the way. We found a rich, bubbling spring rising into a rocky pool at water’s edge which would have been underwater at normal river levels. Paul Schaffer and I drank heartily while others tsk-tsked and told ominous stories of the Minnesota’s famed vile water. We survived; after all, it was a spring, not the river. On the last stretch, in full darkness, a violent electrical storm appeared. It gave us some excitement before we figured which direction it was going and then some fabulous cloud panoramas during the flashes as it passed safely to the north of us. After three relaxing and enjoyable hours when we saw no one, we threaded our way through a number of fishermen in green-lit boats (others were gathered by fires on shore) to reach the landing in downtown St. Peter at around 10:30 p.m.
The war canoe got to go to the MCA annual picnic in Coon Rapids! On a bright and beautiful day, it was a great experience to be on the Big River and watch the hard-paddling racers come by. The picnic afterward offered good food and companionship. It was especially interesting to meet some of the Twin Cites members who were involved in the MCA’s original acquisition of the war canoe, and to learn a little more of the boat’s history. Congratulations to whoever thought up the idea of using a canoe full of ice to keep drinks cold! And thanks to everyone who helped organize the event. It was a day when everything seemed to go right.
Our second local trip of the month was a return to Swan Lake, the huge prairie pothole in Nicollet County northwest of Mankato. DNR officer Joel Anderson and his faithful Lab Mazie led the way in their home-built cedar strip. Three MPOC canoes and a kayak followed through the tall weeds, jumping mallards and chasing off coots. Shortly before reaching the put-in we had passed a seemingly endless flock of blackbirds. Sure enough, on the lake itself there were none, so we could not enjoy the weird, raucous background noise that the yellow-headed blackbirds provide in season.
Back at the landing we were standing, making small talk, when (VP) Warren Wagner wandered away. "Where are you going?" He nodded to the west, and there was a full sky of pinkish clouds of all shapes and sizes with a huge orange backdrop, sitting on top the jagged black silhouette of the trees lining Swan Lake. Sunsets on the prairie can take your breath away.
