Crossing Tom Steed Reservoir

This blog focuses on my first lake crossing, which occurred on September 2nd, 2024, at Tom Steed Reservoir at the Great Plains State Park near Mountain Park, Oklahoma. Due to the gap between writing this blog and when it occurred, some information may be missing. Enjoy!

Having kayaked for over a year with a desire to switch from recreational to kayak touring, I began searching for touring kayaks on Facebook Marketplace. This task, however, was very complicated as I lived in Southwestern Oklahoma and the only kayaks for sale were cheap, Walmart-brand. Southwestern Oklahoma was not known for kayak touring. That said, I began talking with people in both the Southwest Oklahoma Kayaking Club and the Oklahoma Kayakers Club. Amazingly, someone posted a Necky Zoar Sport for only $200, and it was located just 40 minutes to my northeast. I thought to myself, "SCORE!" Even more incredible, this legendary kayak had never seen water, but sat in storage for nearly 20-years. After lifting my jaw off the ground and seeing how perfect the Necky Zoar was, I paid the gentleman $200 and the following day took it out to Lake Murray State Park for a 9.70-mile shakedown in rough waves and pop-up thunderstorms. I was beyond amazed by how different the kayak felt and maneuvered in the rough conditions compared to my composite Wilderness Systems Pungo 140.

The following day, I planned a trip that had me kayaking in the Necky Zoar Sport along the coast of Tom Steed Reservoir at the beautiful Great Plains State Park. In total, this trip was projected to be around 11.80 miles. This plan, however, quickly changed.

A large majority of my early kayaking adventures occurred at Tom Steed Reservoir, so to say I knew the lake well was an understatement. Given that the Reservoir was situated in Southwestern Oklahoma, a flat part of the state known for its heavy winds, the waves were usually rough. Sometimes these waves reached a foot in height on a sunny day, attributed to wind gusts of around 20 to 25 mph ripping across the lake. With this in mind, I usually stayed along the coast, rarely venturing further out. Around noon, I pushed off from a beach near Mountain Shade Campground with a northeast wind of 12 mph and temperatures of 79 degrees. A mile into my adventure, I became bored with the coastline and saw the magnificent Glen Mountains off in the distance. Right then and there, I chose to go off course and headed directly for the mountains, pushing myself away from the coastline.

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I pushed myself further from the coastline because I knew that I was no longer kayaking in a recreational composite kayak, but rather a touring kayak built for large adventures, and having seen how it held up a day prior at Lake Murray, I decided to give her another test in open water. One of my favorite parts about kayaking this lake was seeing the beautiful mountain tops just east of the West Dike Dam. Many times, I kayaked west on Tom Steed and found myself surrounded by them in a calm, controlled part of the lake. It often made you feel like you were in Colorado. Those mountaintops were my peace. I saw them not long after deciding to push away from the coastline and had to capture a brief video of them off in the distance. I sat here staring at them and thinking about life for nearly 10-minutes. Everything about this trip had been perfect thus far.

After sitting for some time, surrounded by flowing waves, I decided to pick up my phone and take a selfie with those beautiful mountaintops in the background. Happiness felt rare during this time in my life, but that moment was pure happiness. Here I was out in a practically brand-new touring kayak, kayaking across Tom Steed, a lake I loved. What made the moment better was knowing that I was the only one on this gigantic lake that spanned 6,400 acres.

In amazement, as I neared the northern coast of Tom Steed, I started to notice new things I had never seen from the southern coast, such as smaller mountains and hilltops tucked away behind larger ones. I even noticed a lakeside community. As I ventured further north, the wind slowly picked up, and with it was the beginning of those rougher waves, right on time. I felt like a true adventurer, and decided to look up a podcast with Beau Miles, my favorite adventurer, the one who had helped me discover my passion for kayaking, and played it. At the same time, I kayaked along the rough waves towards the northern shore.

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Nearing the northern shore, an island popped into view. As I came upon the island, I saw a building. The building looked like a water pump, but I was unsure. Regardless, it was cool to see an island out in the middle of the lake, something I couldn't see from the southern side and didn't know existed until that moment! Shortly after, the lake began to bottom out. The once 23.6 ft deep lake had become only a few feet deep, signaled by my paddle hitting the ground. Pushing into shore, I found a group of pelicans relaxing along the water and decided to grab a video of them. Right as that video began, they flew off in unison. It was a neat experience to see alone on the water.

Not long after, I came across a Great Blue Heron standing tall along the shoreside. I noticed how far out the Heron was and how tall it stood. From that example, I could tell the water was becoming more nonexistent. Looking at Google Maps, I recall seeing a creek that fed into Tom Steed called "West Otter Creek" not far from where I was. I decided that I'd attempt to kayak into this creek until I couldn't go any further.

Just before entering the creek, the kayak finally bottomed out. I got out, pushed it back into the water, and jumped back in, deciding that that was my sign to head back towards the put-in, crossing the lake a second time. On my way back, the waves became more choppy as the wind once again picked up. I found myself becoming more fatigued as I battled the waves, often stopping for rest. I wasn't sure if this was the result of back-to-back long kayak adventures or the weather conditions; however, I remember it kicking my butt! Nearing the eastern shoreline, I came across a group of Canadian Geese relaxing in the waves. Geese are one of those animals I absolutely love, as I have always thought the black neck with white striping makes them look powerful. That said, I chose to leave them alone and not face their wrath.

Nearing the end of the trip, I decided to pull off onto the eastern shoreline and capture a self-portrait. A reminder of the adventure I had taken. I remember seeing the drought-cracked soil, a common sight in Southwestern Oklahoma, especially during harsh, hot, rain-deprived summer months. I have always found such sights to be amazing. After relaxing for a bit and watching some spiders maneuver around the kayak and the cracked ground, I headed off for the final leg.

In total, I achieved 8.54 miles in 4 hours and 26 minutes. The views and weather conditions were perfect. The Necky Zoar Kayak was fast, hitting a speed of 12.1 mph, and maneuvering exceptionally well in adverse conditions. Having this new touring kayak in my arsenal made me feel powerful, like anything was possible. In fact, two weeks later, I kayaked 12.27 miles in 5 hours and 47 minutes. For my first true lake crossing, this is one that meant the most to me, as Tom Steed was a magical place for me. Whether it was trail running, hiking, or kayaking, I always felt at peace here, and I am grateful that I have crossed this lake.

About the writer: Michael Thornton graduated from Rose State College, majoring in Emergency Management. He is the Director of Warren County Emergency Management and an Oklahoma Certified Emergency Manager. In 2024, he was awarded the OEMA Innovator Award for his severe weather operations in Tillman County.