That kind of nonsense could get me a membership in the Sierra Club. Spring is here and the ice is gone from the main river channel; along the cliffs below the Double Ditch Indian Village, however, the ice is clinging to the banks pretty stubbornly.

Personally I’d like to have a year-round ice shelf here. I could chip off pieces to keep my Red Bull cold!

That sandbar to the right knows a lot of late summer tales. It used to be a tradition in the 80’s to have one great big blowout before college started. We’d drag a generator and PA system out there for music, set up volleyball nets and get some bonfires going. It was the last time many of us would get together before we all left town to get back to school. There would be a couple of people shuttling people back and forth from the shore on pontoon boats.

Double Ditch has changed a lot since then. The road used to be a loop; now it only comes in a short way from the north. After that you have to hoof it to get to the actual historic site. It’s one of the best places around to watch the stars, but it’s supposedly closed at night. Visitors used to be able to park along the cliffs and hang out; now that area is fenced off. But it’s still one of my favorite places to go.