Bitch Rock

Next Swims:

Mon - Fri 6 am and 5pm

Sun 8am and noon

Last Swim: 6am Wednesday

Water Temp: 50-ish, warmer outside the rockpiles

Air Temp: 70-ish, bright sun with heavy fog
Clarity: crystal
Waves: like glass

Kru: Lydia the Tattooed Lady,  Showgirl, Rick from Boston, Magic Mike

Magic Mike, TTL, and I met up in the parking lot and proceeded down the ramp, picking up Rick from Boston at the bottom.

Shortly after we hit the sand, TTL found the Bitch Rock, and presented it to me.  Unlike Love Rock, it is portable, and I shall take it with me wherever I go.

It is adorned with a lotus flower,  described as "a symbol of purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth. Its characteristics are a perfect analogy for the human condition: even when its roots are in the dirtiest waters, the Lotus produces the most beautiful flower."

Characteristics which are also a perfect analogy for Lake Michigan swimming.

Speaking of swimming, the water was even colder this morning.  I had inconveniently forgotten my wetsuit, so I did a short skin swim to sewer pipe wearing my booties and gloves. (and swimsuit)  TTL went past the rock wall, Rick went skin.  Magic Mike disappeared into the fog, continuing his silent protest of the cold water.

MM looking dejected about the cold water situation,
enormous Bitch Rock in the foreground.

Another amazing photo courtesy of TTL.

Our new swimming friend Rick mentioned this event in Vermont, the. Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival:

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/vermont/theres-a-winter-swim-festival-in-vt-and-its-just-as-cold-as-it-sounds/

Seahorse Art and Swimming Stars

Next Swims:

Mon - Fri 6 am and 5pm

Sun 8am and noon

Last Swim: 6am Tuesday

Water Temp: 55.7

Air Temp: 70-ish, though dropping as we approached the water.  Bonus beautiful fog.
Clarity: crystal
Waves: like glass
Kru: Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Dragonfly, Showgirl, Diablo on the early shift

Shore Support:  dude with a kayak

The radar looked iffy pre-6am today, but we went to the beach anyway, and as usual, the rewards were great.

We were delighted by this arrangement of yellow seahorses, arching branches, and rocks.  You just never know what ephemeral art installation will appear on the beach.  We were grateful to the mystery artist.

Those are yellow seahorses, with assorted other artistically arranged twigs and rocks.

Even at the bottom of the ramp, the air started to cool, and it dropped further as I stood in the water taking the temperature.  55.7.  

The fog moved in and out.

Amazing layers of fog

TTL stoically swam to the Tree Massacre.  Dragonfly and I swam skin through weird pockets of cold and not-so-cold water, ultimately staying in far longer than we expected.  I made a last minute trip to the sewer pipe.

I think the water outside the rockpiles was closer to 60, but I'm still not sure if the cold was suggesting some bad choices.

The fog as we walked up the ramp.

There was lots of shivering as we disrobed and re-robed.  In the meantime, a guy and his kayak arrived on the beach, and seemed unsure of how to manage his wetsuit and baggy shorts.  I think he was relieved by our departure, so he could sort out his issues alone.

Finally.... when I got home and looked at the report of my swim, I saw this star I swam around the rockpile.

Sausage Fest

Next Swims:
Sun 8am and noon
Mon - Fri 6 am and 5pm

Last Swim: noon Saturday 

Water Temp: 52
Air Temp: 70-ish, overcast, some significant fog
Clarity: clearish
Waves: pretty calm
Kru: Brick, Itch, Mad Dan, Adam the Appleman, Kahuna

Shore Support:  Mad Dan's compadre Janelle (I hope I have that name right).  

The church bells struck noon as the Kru assembled slowly in the parking lot.  Who goes there?  There's Itch,  there's Brick, and a new face Dan (an avuncular smiling face from Madison, with a diminutive compadre), and Adam (here for his third swim).  No women?  When was the last time I've been down to the beach and there were no women?  As we headed down, there was drizzle, and a bit of a fog over the lake (suggesting colder water).  The fog does not lie.  Itch calls out "52" as we suit up, except for Mad Dan, who has come wetsuitless.  We head South, with the Lake deciding to spit Mad Dan back onto shore like a watermelon pip.  Itch, Adam and Brick go long (almost an hour?), and Kahuna less.  After not going very far, the rocks of Klode were quickly obscured by the fog.  There are a couple of times when your correspondent pops his head out of the water, looks around and thinks "hmmm, I should probably swim a wwwweeee bit closer to shore, lest I see the shore no more."  As Adam comes out of the water after his return, he describes his swim without any irony as almost a religious experience.  I think the Kru has hooked Adam, and I hope Dan will come back again (either with a wetsuit or to be met by warmer water), and swim with us again.  Adam is a good enough man to have brought a six pack, which he is willing to share.   

   

A Public Service

 Next Swims:   

Mon - Fri 6 am and 5pm

Sat/Sun 8am and noon

Last Swim: 6am Thursday 

Water Temp: 53
Air Temp: 70-ish, overcast
Clarity: poor
Waves: big swell/chop out of the Southeast
Kru: Showgirl, Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Mr. Anonymous, Luna Laguna, Dragonfly

Shore Support:  Magic Mike

Lydia TTL suggested I blog today to warn erstwhile swimmers of the temperature drop.

To provide some historical context:  It was 63 yesterday at 6 a.m. Kru was Showgirl, Lydia, Magic Mike, and Mark, a new guy.  We swam south in a combination of suits and skin.

Ominous photo below from Wednesday (courtesy TTL) foretelling the coldening temps. Note birds, circling over the 

carrion racoon corpse.  Thanks to the intervention of TTL, such was removed by WFB. It was remained a topic of interest today, as we gave a wide berth even to the sand on which it had lain.

"It looked like a chicken, like someone had lost from the store," someone commented.

"Except for the fur and the tail.  The tail was a problem," said TTL.

After an ankle check, Magic Mike wisely elected to be Shore Support.   TTL put in a thermometer, but pulled it at 53, while was still going down.  Mr. A and Luna took off in minimal gear (Mr. A had lava pants.)  We swam north in agreement that we wanted to have a readily accessible beach. TTL, Showgirl & I all suited up.  TTL had gloves and booties but wished for mittens and her long-sleeved wetsuit.  I wore long-sleeved wetsuit with bare hands & feet...the water did take your breath away.  The air being warm helped a lot, and the quiet beauty of the morning was  a fair compensation.

Full Moon Swim

Full Moon Swim wed 23, tonight, at 7:30. Full moon rises over the lake at 7:42, with a sunset at 8:35 PM. Though a day early, moon light illumination is still 98% and tomorrow is forecasted to be rainy.  Swimming in the intermingling light of the full moon and sun in great conditions. Air temps forecasted in 70s and water temp in 60s. 

It's Not *Just* About the Swim

Next Swims:   

Mon - Fri 6 am and 5pm

Sat/Sun 8am and noon

Last Swim: 6am Tuesday (and others, of course)

Water Temp: low 60's
Air Temp: high 50's (w  t  f !)
Clarity: not great
Waves: slow small swells, but mostly flat
Kru: Lydia TTL, Pannini, Mr. Anonymous, Linda the Lamprey, Showgirl, Magic Mike and Diablo on the early shift

There were a few clouds along the horizon this morning, but the rest of sky was clear.

Photo credit: TTL

We all welcomed back Linda from her amazing END-WET swim in North Dakota.  It will be lovely to have her back doing relaxed swimming with us, versus her training regimen before.

We shivered while getting ready, leaving jackets and shirts on for as long as possible.  We all agreed, "it could be warmer.  But it's not"

TTL took the temperature and got 61.  The air and water weren't too far apart.

With the water in the chilly side, I started with low expectations.  "Sewer pipe."  And yet, still feeling the precious nature of every swimming day, I trailed TTL to the Two Cute Chairs.

Back at the beach we compared notes about our wonky frozen fingers.

Lately I've been trying to resist my inclination to lollygag while swimming, and just get it done.  But today, I deliberately took some time to savor the amazing morning sun on the shore, lighting up every detail.  Even as I did that, I wondered if my refrigerated blood might be clouding my judgement just a tiny bit.

Occasionally, there are creepy/gross things at the beach and today was one of those days.  The carcass of a  hairless creature had washed up.  Without looking too closely, it kind of looked like a cross between a plucked chicken and a piglet.  Ick.  R.I.P. little creature, whatever you were.

A Winning Streak Continues!

 Next Swims:

Mon - Fri 6 am and afternoons at 5pm
Sat/Sun 8am and noon

Sat 6:00 a.m. (for crazy people)

Happy Juneteenth!

Last Swim: 6am Friday, (also Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs at 6am)

Water Temp: low-mid 63-64
Air Temp: probably close to 70
Clarity: yecchy
Waves: 2 feet? Estimated
Kru: Lydia TTL, Showgirl, Rosa, Dragonfly

Where was everybody this morning?  Maybe they had better things to do than get tossed around in the wash cycle.  

I have read that wave height estimates should always be halved, but that's for sailors not swimmers.  So I have estimated on the conservative side.  We probably could say 3 feet and get away with it.

Showgirl continued her winning streak of 10 swimming days.

"In a Row?" I asked.

"That's generally what a streak is," she said just slightly sarcastically.

We ventured south hoping for a nice push back.  Some thunderstorms were sliding away from us, according to radar, but the sky was dramatic.

Showgirl's lime crocs in the foreground.  Thanks Lydia for this great photo!

The water felt cold (quelle surprise.)  The other three took off further offshore than me - I like to stay inshore as I don't like using a buoy.  I kept sight of them for maybe a minute, then was on my own.

I turned at Love Rock.  Sometimes swimming into the waves is actually easier than the return trip which had lots of ups and downs. I kept going off at right angles to the shore.  Major exertion to time your breathing with the ups.  I could see how this would not be everyone's cup of tea.  Despite the general unpleasantness, I found a decent rhythm.  The sun started to make a showing I got closer back to home base. 

Despite the great beauty of the scene, I was happy as always to get back.  Took probably a good half-hour to stop shivering.

One post-swim topic was Linda the Lamprey's upcoming ENDWet North Dakota River Swim this Saturday the 19th, "a down-river swim ultra-marathon (27 miles in 2012-13, 36 miles starting in 2014) where swimmers  travel from rural ND into East Grand Forks, MN, on the mighty Red River of the North.  The longest swim race in North America!"  ENDWet = Extreme North Dakota Watersports Endurance Test.  Linda has been training for months and the Klode Kru wishes her the best of luck!