Oahe Downstream Recreational Area


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Published: May 30th 2008
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Dressed for the ArcticDressed for the ArcticDressed for the Arctic

It was 35 degrees, overcast and windy this morning -- MISERABLE
We started doing our volunteer work on Monday, April 20. It was very, very cold that morning and I was saying to myself "what in &#$% am I doing in South Dakota this time of the year." I was so bundled up it looked like I was dressed to be working in the Arctic, and I was still cold. It stayed cold almost every day, same conditions -- cold, overcast and windy -- there were also days when it was drizzly and damp. As it turned out, according to the rangers who live here, spring was a long time coming this year. We did quite a bit of work on the archery range trail and finished most days, tired. We decided to work four 6-hour days and have three days off, since we were supposed to each put in 24 hours a week. On the second day we were working on the trail, we came across three bull snakes mating -- two males each trying to mate with the female. On good-weather days (which weren't many), it was nice working on the archer range trail. It was quiet, we could see birds flitting around in the trees and bushes and hear them singing. There is a small stream which runs through this area with a couple of very small waterfalls and it was pleasant to hear the water trickling over them. We cleared out a great amount of tumble weed, pruned back hundreds of wild plum trees, tightened the targets so they would be stable, cut roots out of the pathway, and spread many, many loads of wood chips. We did not come back to the RV for lunch, but would take it and eat out on the trail, although there were days when I wouldn't have minded coming back to the RV to eat as I was cold. Dee did not mind the cold nearly as much as I did, but there were days when he stayed bundled up, too. However, on the days when it was not too cold or on the occasional warm days, it was nice eating out on the trail, out with nature. We decided to leave here and continue our travels for the summer earlier than originally planned, partly because the price of fuel just keeps rising. When we left home we were paying about $3.60 per gallon and it is now $4.62 per gallon
Archery RangeArchery RangeArchery Range

A view from a hill looking down on some of the trail.
for diesel. We were concerned that if we waited another month or more here to continue traveling fuel will just be that much higher. Also, I was tired of working out in the cold. I just cannot handle that cold, damp, windy weather. We left Oahe and traveled to Deadwood, South Dakota on Monday, May 19, 2008.


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Work VehicleWork Vehicle
Work Vehicle

This is the vehicle we used while working on the trail.


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