Snow kayaking picks up speed
It’s no secret that the Black Hills are a Mecca for snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing. This time of year, we make a pretty big deal of those winter sports – and for good reason. The snow is great and the scenery outstanding!
Chances are though, that there’s a new Black Hills winter sport you haven’t heard of. Now, use your imagination with me – walk out into your garage, look up at that lonely kayak hanging on the wall and picture it flying down a mountain, on the snow – with you inside!
You read that right – snow kayaking.
Adventure junkies throughout the Black Hills have been snow kayaking this winter and having a blast doing it. It’s exactly what it sounds like – find a kayak, drag it up a hill, get inside and hang on for dear life.
Kind of like old-school sledding – with a really big sled! When I first heard about this, the first thing that came to mind was that scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation where Chevy Chase waxes up the old metal saucer-sled and screams down the hill in a blaze of fire.
I called down to the folks at Global Market, in Rapid City, as they sell kayaks and gear and are pretty dialed in to the kayaking circles in the Black Hills area. I was told that people in the area have been snow kayaking for years, mostly with older, used kayaks but that the activity has just recently started to gain popularity.
Since the local ski hills obviously won’t allow a 12-foot kayak to go parading down their meticulously groomed slopes, folks in the area have had to get creative with where they can sled.
But, with more than a million acres of public forest service land, there are plenty of slopes around. Obviously, the main thing to keep in mind is to find a wide-open area with minimal trees in the way.
I was told that some folks use an old kayaking paddle to help steer while headed down the hill, while others just use their hands to help balance or guide their way down.
This whole kayak sledding thing sounds like a hoot to me – now off to find an old kayak. If you go, be careful, have fun and be sure to let us know how it goes. Happy sledding!
