Beach: Klode
Water Temp: 52
Air Temp: 42 (wc 35)
Waves: calm
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 12PM Sunday
Tomorrow is the day...the day we finally get a shot at logging a November swim! Mother Nature and the Lady of the Lake didn't make it easy today. The air temp hovered around 40 and a brisk west wind dropped the windchill to the lower 30's. The water temp also matched our coldest swim temp at 51.9. What a change from yesterday's pleasant temps...
The only reprieve was the calm lake surface which made for an easy entry into the cool water and for an effortless swim. Today's swim toured the Klode beach area with a trip up to the garage and then down towards south-south beach before calling it a day at approximately 25 minutes of fun.
We plan to set sail at high noon on Sunday for our first ever November swim. This will surely be a historic moment for us that will be worthy of a celebration afterwards...perhaps a round of Killepitch and a few high fives? What say you....who's in for this adventure? Patriarch? Brad? :)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Goin' SKIN at 55...AGAIN!
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 55
Air Temp: 60
Waves: slight chop from south
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 12PM Saturday
It's as if the Lady of the Lake read my earlier blog entry and was calling our bluff about going skin again. The air temp was 60 and the water temp had climbed to 55...everything was nearly identical to last time...except that the air temp was 6 degrees cooler and the skies were overcast.
Who'd a thunk that we'd be tempted to go skin on October 30th? ...we sure didn't. We walked down to the beach clad in our wetsuits expecting to find a water temp in the neighborhood of 52 and an air temp in the upper 50's. But the Patriarch's high tech thermometer never lies and when we saw the official temperature readings we knew it was GAME ON!
The original plan was to swim up from Klode's southeast beach up to the north beach down spout to take a checkpoint on how everyone was feeling and to determine if we should continue on to the garage. Unlike last time, when Gabriel and I paused at the checkpoint Gumdrop kept going....determined this time to make it all the way up to the Garage. So Gabriel and I raced after Gumdrop to join in on the party at the Garage.
With a slight chop from the southeast the trip up the garage was relatively easy. The trip home...not quite so. Although its tough to say whether it was the cold water or the slight chop with occasional 1ft waves that made the return trip more of a challenge. ...those 1ft foot waves may not sound like much but when they hit me near Klode's north beach they felt as insurmountable as those 6ft whoppers from last week. :)
We plan to log swim T-minus 1 at noon on Saturday. We're almost there...but where-o-where is The Patriarch???
Water temp: 55
Air Temp: 60
Waves: slight chop from south
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 12PM Saturday
It's as if the Lady of the Lake read my earlier blog entry and was calling our bluff about going skin again. The air temp was 60 and the water temp had climbed to 55...everything was nearly identical to last time...except that the air temp was 6 degrees cooler and the skies were overcast.
Who'd a thunk that we'd be tempted to go skin on October 30th? ...we sure didn't. We walked down to the beach clad in our wetsuits expecting to find a water temp in the neighborhood of 52 and an air temp in the upper 50's. But the Patriarch's high tech thermometer never lies and when we saw the official temperature readings we knew it was GAME ON!
The original plan was to swim up from Klode's southeast beach up to the north beach down spout to take a checkpoint on how everyone was feeling and to determine if we should continue on to the garage. Unlike last time, when Gabriel and I paused at the checkpoint Gumdrop kept going....determined this time to make it all the way up to the Garage. So Gabriel and I raced after Gumdrop to join in on the party at the Garage.
With a slight chop from the southeast the trip up the garage was relatively easy. The trip home...not quite so. Although its tough to say whether it was the cold water or the slight chop with occasional 1ft waves that made the return trip more of a challenge. ...those 1ft foot waves may not sound like much but when they hit me near Klode's north beach they felt as insurmountable as those 6ft whoppers from last week. :)
We plan to log swim T-minus 1 at noon on Saturday. We're almost there...but where-o-where is The Patriarch???
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Washing Machine
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 54
Air Temp: 54
Waves: 1ft-2ft - moderate chop from ESE
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30 PM Friday
Rub-a-dub-dub it was like being in a tub today. While the bay for the most part was sheltered from the southeasterly winds they still resulted in a pretty decent chop. Waves were 1-2ft with an occasional white cap but the sizable waves were spaced about 4-5 seconds apart. In between the sizable waves were several smaller ones that begged for attention and challenged you to remain concentrated on your swim stroke.
Our swim this afternoon took us from Klode's southeast beach down to south-south beach, up to the garage and then home. Regardless of the direction we swam it always felt as if the chop was challenging our progress forward. When all was said and done today's adventure lasted a little more than 30 minutes.
T-minus 2 days until our attempt at a November swim! Who's in?
Water temp: 54
Air Temp: 54
Waves: 1ft-2ft - moderate chop from ESE
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30 PM Friday
Rub-a-dub-dub it was like being in a tub today. While the bay for the most part was sheltered from the southeasterly winds they still resulted in a pretty decent chop. Waves were 1-2ft with an occasional white cap but the sizable waves were spaced about 4-5 seconds apart. In between the sizable waves were several smaller ones that begged for attention and challenged you to remain concentrated on your swim stroke.
Our swim this afternoon took us from Klode's southeast beach down to south-south beach, up to the garage and then home. Regardless of the direction we swam it always felt as if the chop was challenging our progress forward. When all was said and done today's adventure lasted a little more than 30 minutes.
T-minus 2 days until our attempt at a November swim! Who's in?
T-minus 3 days
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 56
Waves: 1ft - slight chop from southeast
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30 PM Thursday
Only 3 more swims before we get our shot at logging a November swim. It's amazing that we're even contemplating the event much less having a legitimate shot at it. We'll see though....as we witnessed in August a lot can happen from one day to the next.
Wednesday's swim was nothing out of the ordinary for us. A swim up to cedar grove...actually we now know, thanks to The Patrirach, that our landmark group of trees contains just a little cedar tree. The grove of cedar trees is actually closer to the rock wall and not the half way point between garage and rock wall.
The plan is to swim again at 4:30pm Thursday. Perhaps skin? As it stands right now the water temp is only 1.5 degrees cooler than our last skin swim. Going skin with an air temp below 60 is another story though....
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 56
Waves: 1ft - slight chop from southeast
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30 PM Thursday
Only 3 more swims before we get our shot at logging a November swim. It's amazing that we're even contemplating the event much less having a legitimate shot at it. We'll see though....as we witnessed in August a lot can happen from one day to the next.
Wednesday's swim was nothing out of the ordinary for us. A swim up to cedar grove...actually we now know, thanks to The Patrirach, that our landmark group of trees contains just a little cedar tree. The grove of cedar trees is actually closer to the rock wall and not the half way point between garage and rock wall.
The plan is to swim again at 4:30pm Thursday. Perhaps skin? As it stands right now the water temp is only 1.5 degrees cooler than our last skin swim. Going skin with an air temp below 60 is another story though....
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Getting Closer...
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 48
Waves: slight chop from south
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n with special guest The Patriarch
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Wednesday
It had almost been a week since we last saw The Patriarch at Klode...it was great to see him although it would have better to see him in the water with us. I think, though, that he's inching closer to coming out of his self induced swim season retirement. :)
Speaking of getting closer we're now just 5 days away from logging a November swim....can you feel the excitement?!?! Conditions haven't changed much the past few days....53 degrees with a slight chop. To demonstrate our mastery of the conditions we logged a 30+ minute swim down to the Silver Spring downspout and back. ..perhaps a little long for the conditions but with The Patriarch setting the pace along the shoreline I don't think any of us will admit to it. Personally, I know I could have swam longer. :)
The plan is to return Wednesday at 4:30 for day T-minus 4. See ya on the beach!
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 48
Waves: slight chop from south
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n with special guest The Patriarch
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Wednesday
It had almost been a week since we last saw The Patriarch at Klode...it was great to see him although it would have better to see him in the water with us. I think, though, that he's inching closer to coming out of his self induced swim season retirement. :)
Speaking of getting closer we're now just 5 days away from logging a November swim....can you feel the excitement?!?! Conditions haven't changed much the past few days....53 degrees with a slight chop. To demonstrate our mastery of the conditions we logged a 30+ minute swim down to the Silver Spring downspout and back. ..perhaps a little long for the conditions but with The Patriarch setting the pace along the shoreline I don't think any of us will admit to it. Personally, I know I could have swam longer. :)
The plan is to return Wednesday at 4:30 for day T-minus 4. See ya on the beach!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Familiar Swimmers with Unfamiliar Faces
Here are a few pictures from my most excellent Halloween party....recognize anyone?
A) The Patriarch celebrates his "Most Repulsive" award title!!
B) Gabriel, Capt'n & Gumdrop displaying their opinion of the recent lake swim conditions.
C) Brad attempts to sweet talk himself a flight over to the other side of Lake Michigan to see if the water is any warmer over there....
A)
A) The Patriarch celebrates his "Most Repulsive" award title!!
B) Gabriel, Capt'n & Gumdrop displaying their opinion of the recent lake swim conditions.
C) Brad attempts to sweet talk himself a flight over to the other side of Lake Michigan to see if the water is any warmer over there....
A)
Swan Swim
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 48 & rain
Waves: 1ft - slight chop from northeast
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30 PM Tuesday
While walking down to the beach a lone white cap near the sand bars straight out from Klode's north beach caught the corner of my eye. Strange...so I looked again and mentioned it to Gabriel who was walking down next to me. Upon closer review what I saw wasn't a white cap but 4 rather large white objects floating parallel to shore. Two large to be seagulls...but as they appeared to be moving slowly along with the waves we decided to swim out to them.
By the time we got into the water the objects had moved past Klode's south beach towards south south beach. About half way to south-south we finally got close enough to take another look at what we were chasing. As they appeared to be getting bigger Gabriel was quick to exclaim, "Buoys? ...no wait....they're moving away from us.....quickly....they're....SWANS!"
A very interesting sight they were as we've never seen any swans in the water much less 4 of them. Kind of an odd sight given the time of year and cloudy/rainy conditions. We didn't hear them but hopefully they weren't their to sing any songs...we've got 5 more days yet until we get a shot at a November swim.
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 48 & rain
Waves: 1ft - slight chop from northeast
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30 PM Tuesday
While walking down to the beach a lone white cap near the sand bars straight out from Klode's north beach caught the corner of my eye. Strange...so I looked again and mentioned it to Gabriel who was walking down next to me. Upon closer review what I saw wasn't a white cap but 4 rather large white objects floating parallel to shore. Two large to be seagulls...but as they appeared to be moving slowly along with the waves we decided to swim out to them.
By the time we got into the water the objects had moved past Klode's south beach towards south south beach. About half way to south-south we finally got close enough to take another look at what we were chasing. As they appeared to be getting bigger Gabriel was quick to exclaim, "Buoys? ...no wait....they're moving away from us.....quickly....they're....SWANS!"
A very interesting sight they were as we've never seen any swans in the water much less 4 of them. Kind of an odd sight given the time of year and cloudy/rainy conditions. We didn't hear them but hopefully they weren't their to sing any songs...we've got 5 more days yet until we get a shot at a November swim.
A nice day for a dip
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 62
Waves: 1ft - slight chop from southeast
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Brad, Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30 PM Monday
In terms of weather conditions its been a rough month. Opportunities to swim under sunny skies have been rare commodity and having the chance to swim under sunny skies with an air temp above 60 have been virtually non-existent. So Sunday's conditions were certainly a very welcome reprieve for us.
It was nice to have Brad back with us for Sunday's swim adventure. Although we still feel a bit empty without The Patriarch. Oh where-o-where is The Patriarch???
Sunday's swim took us from Klode's southeast beach up past Cedar Grove...as a few of the trees no longer have leaves it was a bit of a challenge to pick out the Cedar Grove landmark from where we were swimming. A slight chop from the southeast made for a bit more of a challenge coming home but were a pleasant change from the stiff currents experienced at the end of last week.
Only six more days until our opportunity to log a November swim! :)
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 62
Waves: 1ft - slight chop from southeast
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: Brad, Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30 PM Monday
In terms of weather conditions its been a rough month. Opportunities to swim under sunny skies have been rare commodity and having the chance to swim under sunny skies with an air temp above 60 have been virtually non-existent. So Sunday's conditions were certainly a very welcome reprieve for us.
It was nice to have Brad back with us for Sunday's swim adventure. Although we still feel a bit empty without The Patriarch. Oh where-o-where is The Patriarch???
Sunday's swim took us from Klode's southeast beach up past Cedar Grove...as a few of the trees no longer have leaves it was a bit of a challenge to pick out the Cedar Grove landmark from where we were swimming. A slight chop from the southeast made for a bit more of a challenge coming home but were a pleasant change from the stiff currents experienced at the end of last week.
Only six more days until our opportunity to log a November swim! :)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Pancake Flat
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 52
Air Temp: 46
Waves: none
Current: none
Water Clarity: stirred up
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4PM Sunday
After two days of huge waves there was just something about the glass like lake surface that looked odd Saturday. It was almost as if a huge steamroller had flattened the entire lake as barely a ripple could be seen all the way out to the horizon.
This was probably our coldest swim ever...by just a few tenths of a degree. The thermometer read a constant 52.1 and occasionally would flash a 51.9 before jumping back to 52.1.
Due to time constraints we kept the swim short. (...as I had a most excellent Halloween party to finish preparing for...stay tuned for pictures!) Our swim took us from Klode's southeast beach up to the garage and back.
Due to a 10K race Sunday morning and the Packer game we plan to swim Sunday at 4pm.
Water temp: 52
Air Temp: 46
Waves: none
Current: none
Water Clarity: stirred up
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4PM Sunday
After two days of huge waves there was just something about the glass like lake surface that looked odd Saturday. It was almost as if a huge steamroller had flattened the entire lake as barely a ripple could be seen all the way out to the horizon.
This was probably our coldest swim ever...by just a few tenths of a degree. The thermometer read a constant 52.1 and occasionally would flash a 51.9 before jumping back to 52.1.
Due to time constraints we kept the swim short. (...as I had a most excellent Halloween party to finish preparing for...stay tuned for pictures!) Our swim took us from Klode's southeast beach up to the garage and back.
Due to a 10K race Sunday morning and the Packer game we plan to swim Sunday at 4pm.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Swimming long among the giants
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 56
Waves: 5-7ft
Current: from the south
Water Clarity: stirred up
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 12PM Saturday
The big waves continued Friday afternoon. These though, were not nearly as violent as the previous days waves and were only cresting as they hit the multiple sand bars that run adjacent to the shoreline.
Despite the southerly winds and current we opted to swim from Klode's north beach and swim north. The sandy shoreline to the north was a lot more appealing should we encounter a one way swim like yesterday.
We knew our swim northward would be a quick one...still Gumdrop egged us on to continue up past our garage and cedar grove check points to the Rock Wall. "How often do we get a chance to get there so easily?" he rationalized. So true. To avoid the rip currents and enormous waves crests we swam out pretty deep. The swells were a lot of fun to swim up and down and occasionally we'd see a Hawaii-five-O like wave moving towards shore ahead of us.
The swim home was a lot of work, but we did it. I didn't time the journey each way but the entire journey took us nearly 45 minutes. Satisfied with our accomplishments we again plan to return at noon Saturday.
Hope to see you on the beach! :)
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 56
Waves: 5-7ft
Current: from the south
Water Clarity: stirred up
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 12PM Saturday
The big waves continued Friday afternoon. These though, were not nearly as violent as the previous days waves and were only cresting as they hit the multiple sand bars that run adjacent to the shoreline.
Despite the southerly winds and current we opted to swim from Klode's north beach and swim north. The sandy shoreline to the north was a lot more appealing should we encounter a one way swim like yesterday.
We knew our swim northward would be a quick one...still Gumdrop egged us on to continue up past our garage and cedar grove check points to the Rock Wall. "How often do we get a chance to get there so easily?" he rationalized. So true. To avoid the rip currents and enormous waves crests we swam out pretty deep. The swells were a lot of fun to swim up and down and occasionally we'd see a Hawaii-five-O like wave moving towards shore ahead of us.
The swim home was a lot of work, but we did it. I didn't time the journey each way but the entire journey took us nearly 45 minutes. Satisfied with our accomplishments we again plan to return at noon Saturday.
Hope to see you on the beach! :)
Friday, October 23, 2009
One way ticket
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 52
Air Temp: 47
Waves: big...very big. (6-8ft?)
Current: very strong from the north
Water Clarity: stirred up
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Friday
I've been at a loss of words to describe Thursday's swim since the moment I crawled out of the water. Conventional wisdom has always indicated that there may be days when its not a good idea to swim in the lake. Was this one of them? I don't think so...but then again how does one really know?
The wind was blowing hard (gusts up to 30mph) from the east-north-east and the rain hit you hard enough in the face to make you contemplate wearing your swim goggles even if you weren't in the water. The waves were big but my initial thoughts were that we've swam in bigger waves. In retrospect though, there were several waves that were so large that you actually couldn't swim over them....your only choice was either to cut through them or dive underneath. If these waves weren't the biggest we've swam in perhaps they were the steepest....if that's even possible?
There were no visible signs of a curent as the waves were crashing along the shoreline directly from the east. Their frequency was approximately every 3-4 seconds....very similar to last weeks big wave experience. What was different this time was a very sneaky current. From the surface you couldn't see it....perhaps this is what is known as a "rip current"? As I've never swam in one before...at least not that I've known of...I can't say for sure. If you recall last weeks blog entry where Gabriel got stuck in a stalemate there's probably a difference between the situation where a current results from the waves moving to/from shore and a rip current....or perhaps they're the same thing?
Regardless, Thursday current was a sneaky one...which resulted in a very interesting swim for Gumdrop and I. Gabriel, with his super human senses knew from the minute he stepped in the water from Klode's south beach that the current wasn't one to mess with and climbed back to shore. Given the cooler water temp and the need to generate body heat I swam quickly out from shore and didn't see Gabriel's retreat. Before I knew it I was halfway to south-south beach.
Oh what fun the waves were as I bobbed for a bit to find Gabriel and Gumdrop. Between the waves I saw Gumdrop swimming towards south south beach closer to shore. As Gabriel is typically ahead of Gumdrop I assumed he would be closer to south-south....so I took a few strokes towards south-south beach and BOOM, I was there.
I bobbed for a bit and looked for Gumdrop and Gabriel...no sign. Perhaps they turned around? So I decided to swim back to Klode...or at least try. I swam, and I swam...I attempted to climb over waves and then decided to start ducking under them as it took less energy...and then I swam and I swam....and finally I decided to take a peak at the shoreline to see how close to Klode I was. I wasn't. In fact as hard as I swam I still remained at south-south beach.
I contemplated swimming further out to escape the stalemate as I did last week with Gabriel...but the waves appeared to keep getting bigger. At this point it felt like I was continually ducking underwaves and unable to swim/climb over them. Some of them even packed enough punch to nearly knock my goggles off. (In retrospect, I was probably just too close to the sand bars that run adjacent to the shoreline and the waves were probably not building.) So I decided to punt and swim to the south-south beach shore. It marked the first time ever that I actually felt as if the Lady of the Lake had complete control over my swim route and not me....but perhaps that's just inexperience talking.
Fortunately there's a nice little path that runs from south-south beach to Klode's south beach. Upon arriving back at Klode I was very relieved to see both Gabriel and Gumdrop were waiting for me...although truth be told, I did have Gabriel's car keys so he really didn't have a choice. :) Both had fascinating stories of thier own to share about their adventures....butI'll save those for another day.
This is certainly a swim we will not soon forget!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Goin' SKIN at 55!
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 55
Air Temp: 66
Waves: slight chop from south
Water Clarity: crystal clear
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n with special guest The Patriarch
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Thursday
The weather Wednesday afternoon was absolutely beautiful. Sunny, air temps in the mid 60's and a warm breeze. Ahhh....a perfect day to go skin! Even the Lady of the Lake got into the spirit of the day by nudging the water temp up to 55.
We had joked about capping the season off with a skin swim. Given the conditions it was if both mother nature and the Lady of the Lake were calling our bluff. Never being ones to step down from a double dare we gave it go. Don't believe us? Stay tuned for The Patriarch's pictures of this historic swim.
Our swim took us swiftly down to the north beach down spout. While a little chilly at first the water didn't seem to have the bite it did just a few day ago and our bodies adapted well to the conditions. After a little joking and splashing around at the down spout we decided to give Garage a go.
In retrospect, we probably could have made Garage quite easily but when we were about half way there we realized we were getting a bit of a push from the southerly current. Out of respect of our first skin swim at this temp and not wanting to fall short of completing our swim we decided to turn around and head for home. While it did take longer for the return journey we still found ourselves comfortable enough in the water to splash around for a bit on the sand bar 100m from shore before heading in.
Given the relative ease of today's swim at 55 we're now contemplating the possibility of swimming into November. 11 more days to go! :)
Water temp: 55
Air Temp: 66
Waves: slight chop from south
Water Clarity: crystal clear
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n with special guest The Patriarch
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Thursday
The weather Wednesday afternoon was absolutely beautiful. Sunny, air temps in the mid 60's and a warm breeze. Ahhh....a perfect day to go skin! Even the Lady of the Lake got into the spirit of the day by nudging the water temp up to 55.
We had joked about capping the season off with a skin swim. Given the conditions it was if both mother nature and the Lady of the Lake were calling our bluff. Never being ones to step down from a double dare we gave it go. Don't believe us? Stay tuned for The Patriarch's pictures of this historic swim.
Our swim took us swiftly down to the north beach down spout. While a little chilly at first the water didn't seem to have the bite it did just a few day ago and our bodies adapted well to the conditions. After a little joking and splashing around at the down spout we decided to give Garage a go.
In retrospect, we probably could have made Garage quite easily but when we were about half way there we realized we were getting a bit of a push from the southerly current. Out of respect of our first skin swim at this temp and not wanting to fall short of completing our swim we decided to turn around and head for home. While it did take longer for the return journey we still found ourselves comfortable enough in the water to splash around for a bit on the sand bar 100m from shore before heading in.
Given the relative ease of today's swim at 55 we're now contemplating the possibility of swimming into November. 11 more days to go! :)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Record set...going for more
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 54
Air Temp: 54
Waves: very slight chop from north
Water Clarity: crystal clear
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n with special guest The Patriarch
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Wednesday
A slight chop and current from the north made our swim Tuesday up to the Garage a bit more of a challenge than we thought. Originally we thought our slow trek northward was due to our great anticipation and enthusiasm to log our record breaking swim...as our return trip to Klode was nearly effortless it became evident that our early challenges were due to a current and not faulty engines.
The forecast for Wednesday was announced just prior to our swim Tuesday to be near 70 and sunny...although looking out the window now its apparent that this forecast may have been wrong. Regardless, we still plan to swim at 4:30pm Wednesday. Rumors are still circulating of a skin swim.....we'll see. :)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Poised to break the record
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 54
Air Temp: 60
Waves: very slight chop from south
Water Clarity: crystal clear
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Tuesday
It was an absolutely delightful day to tie our record for the latest swim day. Sunny skies and an air temp pushing the plus side of 60....I think this may have been the first day in October where the air temp actually reached 60.
Unfortunately The Patriarch's thermometer still appears to be in need of his magic touch. The display for the water temp alternated between 52.4 and 54.6...but it read 54 more than it read anything else so we called the 'official' temp as 54. For the record though, Gabriel's toe reading placed the temp at 53.
We took full advantage of the pleasant conditions by logging a 30 plus minute swim down to the Silver Spring down spout (aka Sewer Pipe) and back. A slight southwesterly breeze made for a very slight chop and a quicker return trip if you swam out far enough from shore to avoid the protection of the bluff.
Tomorrow we plan to break the record for the latest swim day of the year at 4:30pm. If the sunny & warm conditions return tomorrow we may try to get in a little earlier to take advantage of the sun. (...currently the forecast isn't calling for sunny skies though...)
There are also rumors that we may celebrate our record setting swim by also logging a skin swim....but I don't know anything about those rumors. Come on out and be a part of history! :)
Water temp: 54
Air Temp: 60
Waves: very slight chop from south
Water Clarity: crystal clear
Crew: Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Tuesday
It was an absolutely delightful day to tie our record for the latest swim day. Sunny skies and an air temp pushing the plus side of 60....I think this may have been the first day in October where the air temp actually reached 60.
Unfortunately The Patriarch's thermometer still appears to be in need of his magic touch. The display for the water temp alternated between 52.4 and 54.6...but it read 54 more than it read anything else so we called the 'official' temp as 54. For the record though, Gabriel's toe reading placed the temp at 53.
We took full advantage of the pleasant conditions by logging a 30 plus minute swim down to the Silver Spring down spout (aka Sewer Pipe) and back. A slight southwesterly breeze made for a very slight chop and a quicker return trip if you swam out far enough from shore to avoid the protection of the bluff.
Tomorrow we plan to break the record for the latest swim day of the year at 4:30pm. If the sunny & warm conditions return tomorrow we may try to get in a little earlier to take advantage of the sun. (...currently the forecast isn't calling for sunny skies though...)
There are also rumors that we may celebrate our record setting swim by also logging a skin swim....but I don't know anything about those rumors. Come on out and be a part of history! :)
Colder than we think?
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 52
Air Temp: 56
Waves: none
Water Clarity: crystal clear
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n with Special Guests Perry & The Patriarch
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Monday
It had been two years since we last saw Perry. Once upon a time ago he was a regular with The Patriarch and I...but then suddenly disappeared. Funny how things work sometimes...as mysterious as his disappearance and reappearance were he mysteriously vanished during Sunday's swim. Perhaps we shall nickname him 'Houdini". (btw...it was great to see you again Perry...albeit for just a bit.)
Sunday marked the first time in while that the air temp was actually warmer than the water. The sunny skies also added to the warmth of the day. The Patriarch's thermometer was a bit indecisive today...one second it would read 51.2 a few seconds later it would read 52.8 only to cycle back and read 51.2 a few seconds later. ...if I had to guess I'd say the water felt more like 51 but Gabriel's theory was that the chill we felt during swimming was actually the result of the breeze that was kicking up across the water.
Our swim consisted of a trek from Klode's southeast beach up to Cedar Grove and back. Upon reaching our first checkpoint at the north beach down spout Perry signalled to go ahead with out him. .....sadly, we would not see Perry or The Patriarch again. Still, the show must go on and Gabriel and I swam on. The sunny skies, crystal clear water and calm conditions made for a fantastic swim.
Upon returning we re-measured the water temp. The reading.....53.7.
We plan to tie the record for the latest swim day in the year at 4:30pm Monday. Anyone care to join in on the fun? :)
Water temp: 52
Air Temp: 56
Waves: none
Water Clarity: crystal clear
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n with Special Guests Perry & The Patriarch
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Monday
It had been two years since we last saw Perry. Once upon a time ago he was a regular with The Patriarch and I...but then suddenly disappeared. Funny how things work sometimes...as mysterious as his disappearance and reappearance were he mysteriously vanished during Sunday's swim. Perhaps we shall nickname him 'Houdini". (btw...it was great to see you again Perry...albeit for just a bit.)
Sunday marked the first time in while that the air temp was actually warmer than the water. The sunny skies also added to the warmth of the day. The Patriarch's thermometer was a bit indecisive today...one second it would read 51.2 a few seconds later it would read 52.8 only to cycle back and read 51.2 a few seconds later. ...if I had to guess I'd say the water felt more like 51 but Gabriel's theory was that the chill we felt during swimming was actually the result of the breeze that was kicking up across the water.
Our swim consisted of a trek from Klode's southeast beach up to Cedar Grove and back. Upon reaching our first checkpoint at the north beach down spout Perry signalled to go ahead with out him. .....sadly, we would not see Perry or The Patriarch again. Still, the show must go on and Gabriel and I swam on. The sunny skies, crystal clear water and calm conditions made for a fantastic swim.
Upon returning we re-measured the water temp. The reading.....53.7.
We plan to tie the record for the latest swim day in the year at 4:30pm Monday. Anyone care to join in on the fun? :)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Easy (er)
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 46
Waves: none
Water Clarity: clear
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 11AM Sunday
On a sad note though, we were both bummed to find out prior to our swim that The Patriarch would be unable to join us. ...although, truth be told...as much as we missed the comforting guidance and smartass remarks of The Patriarch I think we missed his bottle of Killepitsch more. (Ok...I'll be honest...we actually just missed the Killepitsch....I mean like, he's loco you know. Comforting??? Now that's funny!)
Today we swim up to Cedar Grove and back. We were pretty tempted to stretch the journey up to the rock wall...but with Coach Gabriel's rugby kids hanging out on the beach we wanted to maximize our opportunities to set a good example for them by repeatedly swimming back and forth along the Klode beach on such an exceptional day for swimming.
The plan is to swim again on Sunday at 11am. Just two more days to tie the record...three more to break it! Anyone care to join in on the fun? Gumdrop? :)
Setting our sights on a new record
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 52
Air Temp: 46
Waves: none
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: The Patriarch, Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swims: Klode 1PM Saturday, 11AM Sunday
The Patriarch was ever so close Friday to declaring the official end of the 2009 swim season. But after careful deliberation (and a little persuasion) he has decided to extend it at least for a few more days. Why? Well, actually, when your as nuts as The Patriarch one can only ponder the rational behind any of his decisions....but the story I'm sticking to this time is that the swim season has been extended so that we can attempt to set a new swim record.
....and that record would be the much coveted and very prestigious "latest swim in the year" record. (10/19....which is next Monday!) Yes, there's no doubt The Patriarch is a wise one. A near mortal would have long since called it a season.....but NOT The Patriarch. He's always finding something to motivate us to swim another day. ;)
And swim another day we did on Friday. Conditions were considerably less challenging for us. Sure the skies were cloudy and the air temp was around 46 but absent today was the steady wind and the big waves from the past two days. Our swim consisted of a leisurely swim up to the garage and back along with some frolicking on the newly formed sandbars approximately 100m from shore.
We plan to continue our quest towards the latest swim in the year record Saturday at 1pm. Anyone care to join us?
Water temp: 52
Air Temp: 46
Waves: none
Water Clarity: cloudy
Crew: The Patriarch, Gabriel, Gumdrop, Capt'n
Next Swims: Klode 1PM Saturday, 11AM Sunday
The Patriarch was ever so close Friday to declaring the official end of the 2009 swim season. But after careful deliberation (and a little persuasion) he has decided to extend it at least for a few more days. Why? Well, actually, when your as nuts as The Patriarch one can only ponder the rational behind any of his decisions....but the story I'm sticking to this time is that the swim season has been extended so that we can attempt to set a new swim record.
....and that record would be the much coveted and very prestigious "latest swim in the year" record. (10/19....which is next Monday!) Yes, there's no doubt The Patriarch is a wise one. A near mortal would have long since called it a season.....but NOT The Patriarch. He's always finding something to motivate us to swim another day. ;)
And swim another day we did on Friday. Conditions were considerably less challenging for us. Sure the skies were cloudy and the air temp was around 46 but absent today was the steady wind and the big waves from the past two days. Our swim consisted of a leisurely swim up to the garage and back along with some frolicking on the newly formed sandbars approximately 100m from shore.
We plan to continue our quest towards the latest swim in the year record Saturday at 1pm. Anyone care to join us?
Friday, October 16, 2009
Tres Locos
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 52
Air Temp: 41 (32 wind chill)
Waves: 4-6ft!
Current: moderately from the north
Water Clarity: Stirred up
Crew: The Patriarch, Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Klode 4:30PM Friday
Cloudy, raining, an air temp of 41 and a strong northeast wind....that was the scene as we arrived at Klode on Thursday afternoon. Still the Lady of the Lake called out and invited us to come in and play. There was a brief moment as we climbed out of our cars where we paused as if to contemplate whether we were nuts or not for thinking about swimming....but that moment quickly passed and we excitedly climbed into our wetsuits in great anticipation of the adventure that was in store for us.
The waves weren't quite as big as yesterdays although they were close and still as frequent. For some reason today's swim felt more like a challenge. Almost as if there was a bit more of a chop today than a current...but at 4-6ft I'd hardly describe the waves as choppy...perhaps just more playful.
Our swim took us from Klode's south beach down to south-south beach and back. At approximately 400 meters the adventure may not sound that long but according to my watch we spent nearly 20 minutes in the water.
In anticipation of Gumdrop coming out the Patriarch has decided to extend the Klode swimming season for another day. The plan is to swim again at 4:30PM Friday. Any other takers?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
100!
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 53
Air Temp: 47
Waves: 5-7ft!
Current: strong from the south
Water Clarity: Stirred up
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
This was probably our toughest swim of the year. The playful seas and strong current made you all but forget about the cool water temp and even cooler air temp. Our 200m swim from Klode's south beach to south-south beach took a little more than 10 minutes. The return trip took only 3. Not quite partied out yet we continued on up past the north beach down spout before turning around.
The return trip was quite entertaining. Upon reaching the southeast beach rock pile I noticed that Gabriel was swimming but not going anywhere. A very amusing sight if you've never seen it. Gabriel had found the sweet spot where the currents moving to and from shore are at a stalemate. The only way out of this spot is either to swim into shore or out from shore. After a little deliberation and a valiant attempt to out muscle the stalemate we both decided to call it a day and swam ashore.
As The Patriarch has yet to declare the official end of the 2009 Klode Swim season we plan to swim again at 4:30pm on Thursday. Any takers? Gumdrop? Brad? :)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Just Like Hawaii
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 53
Waves: 2 ft
Water Clarity: Not good near shore, better further out
Crew: Gabriel, Cap'n, Patriarch
Returning to Klode after two weeks in beach heaven (Hawaii) is quite the shock. Instead of 83 degree water, it's 53. Instead of 85 and sunny, it's 42 windy and cloudy. Instead of a beach packed with beautiful women in bikinis, it's Cap'n and Gabriel in wetsuits. Instead of swimming with tropical fish and sea turtles, it's swimming with Cap'n and Gabriel. On the positive side, instead of jellyfish and sharks, it's Cap'n and Gabriel.
I about froze my hands and feet off, but it has to be done. Once more, at least, so we can complete the season with at least 100 swim days.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Pumped for The Patriarch's Return
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 54
Air temp: 47
Waves: none
Water Clarity: crystal clear
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Tuesday 4:30PM Klode
Besides the cloudy skies, the water temp being just a smidge cooler (53.7), the air temp being a few degrees warmer and a slight current from the south...today's conditions were very similar to yesterday.
This afternoon's swim consisted of warm-up from Klode's south beach to south-south beach. A fast paced swim up to the north beach drain spout and a leisurely swim back to Klode's south beach.
It's been 10 days since The Patriarch last swam with us. For Gabriel and I our motto has been the same every day since his departure..."let's log another one for The Patriarch!" Prior to this afternoon's swim I was delighted to have received a voice message from our long lost compadre. If all goes according to plan he plans to make his grand return from the land of Paradise and scantily clad beach babes on Tuesday. I can hardly wait!!
Water temp: 54
Air temp: 47
Waves: none
Water Clarity: crystal clear
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Tuesday 4:30PM Klode
Besides the cloudy skies, the water temp being just a smidge cooler (53.7), the air temp being a few degrees warmer and a slight current from the south...today's conditions were very similar to yesterday.
This afternoon's swim consisted of warm-up from Klode's south beach to south-south beach. A fast paced swim up to the north beach drain spout and a leisurely swim back to Klode's south beach.
It's been 10 days since The Patriarch last swam with us. For Gabriel and I our motto has been the same every day since his departure..."let's log another one for The Patriarch!" Prior to this afternoon's swim I was delighted to have received a voice message from our long lost compadre. If all goes according to plan he plans to make his grand return from the land of Paradise and scantily clad beach babes on Tuesday. I can hardly wait!!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
A little help from the sun
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 54
Air temp: 41
Waves: none
Water Clarity: clear
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Monday 4:30PM Klode
The water temp gauge actually never broke 54 but peaked at 53.9 while I was wading a few feet from shore....close enough to call it 54. To be honest though, with the sunshine and calm winds I thought yesterday's conditions were a bit more challenging.
Our swim today took us up to cedar grove and back. The calm lake surface and crystal clear water clarity temped us to swim up to the rock wall. But upon reaching cedar grove the sun ducked behind a few passing clouds and reminded us how cool the conditions were without the sun.
Tomorrow we plan to log swim day 98 at 4:30pm. For those who avidly follow our stats we are also only 8 days away from last years season ending swim date (10/19). Will we be fortunate to last that long this year? Stay tuned! :)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
There's a chill in the air
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 55
Air temp: 49 (wind chill 30)
Waves: none
Water Clarity: clear
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Sunday 1PM Klode
Still, the show went on for Gabriel and I this afternoon. Due to time constraints we limited our swim to just a trip down to south-south beach and back....we did, however, pause for a bit down by south-south beach to enjoy the sun as it peaked momentarily from behind the clouds to fully illuminate the colorful fall foliage lining the shoreline.
We plan to log swim day 97 Sunday afternoon at 1pm. The forecasted sunny skies and light winds should make for a delightful swim! :)
Increasing the ante
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 55
Waves: 1-2ft waves
Water Clarity: stirred up near shore, clear offshore
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Saturday 2PM Klode
The water temp inched down ever so slightly for our Friday afternoon swim. 54.6 was the official reading from shore. We did notice, however, that once we swam out of the stirred up near shore water that the clearer water felt considerably warmer. (...any theories as to why?)
Increasing the challenge of this afternoon's swim was an air temp of 51, cloudy skies and damp conditions from the on & off sprinkles that had been popping up all day. The show still went on though. Our swim took us up to what we call cedar grove which is approximately half way between the garage and the rock wall. The rolling 1-2ft waves that were spaced approximately 2-3 seconds apart made for fun experience.
The plan is to log swim day number 96 at 2pm Saturday. The later start time is to accommodate Al's run which doesn't start until 10:30am. If 1pm is more convenient there is a possibility that I can make that time. If interested, please comment or call me.
See you on the beach? :)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Doable
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 56
Waves: calm
Water Clarity: Cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Friday 4:30PM Klode
Cloudy with sprinkles and a water temp of 56....a little on the cool side but definitely doable. Today we logged swim day number 94...only 6 more days until swim day 100. Anyone besides me getting excited for it? Less than 1 week! :)
Despite a water temp just a few tenths cooler than yesterday it felt like it took a lot longer for our faces to acclimate. Once acclimated, though, swimming felt a lot more comfortable than yesterday. (Perhaps due to the lack a breeze this afternoon?)
This afternoon's swim consisted of a vigorous swim up to the garage, a relaxing paddle down to south-south beach before kicking it back to Klode's southeast beach. Probably could have went further....perhaps tomorrow. :)
Water temp: 56
Waves: calm
Water Clarity: Cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Friday 4:30PM Klode
Cloudy with sprinkles and a water temp of 56....a little on the cool side but definitely doable. Today we logged swim day number 94...only 6 more days until swim day 100. Anyone besides me getting excited for it? Less than 1 week! :)
Despite a water temp just a few tenths cooler than yesterday it felt like it took a lot longer for our faces to acclimate. Once acclimated, though, swimming felt a lot more comfortable than yesterday. (Perhaps due to the lack a breeze this afternoon?)
This afternoon's swim consisted of a vigorous swim up to the garage, a relaxing paddle down to south-south beach before kicking it back to Klode's southeast beach. Probably could have went further....perhaps tomorrow. :)
Cooling Off
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 56
Waves: Occasional 1-2ft swells
Current: none
Water Clarity: Stirred Up
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Thursday 4:30PM Klode
Tuesday's big 30-50mph winds were not too kind the Klode beach front....although certainly they've been worse. The southeast beach that just yesterday had a neatly organized pile of rocks and a sandy path into the lake is now a strewn mess of seaweeds and rocks. Gone also are our clear water conditions and......sadly our 60 degree water temps.
While challenging to put your face in at first, though, 56 degree water temps are still swimmable. Our record coldest swim temp of the season is 54 so we're still well above that mark. :)
Wednesday afternoon's swim consisted of a trip up to the garage and then back down towards south-south beach before we decided to call it a day.
The plan is to return at 4:30pm Thursday to attempt swim day number 94.
Water temp: 56
Waves: Occasional 1-2ft swells
Current: none
Water Clarity: Stirred Up
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Thursday 4:30PM Klode
Tuesday's big 30-50mph winds were not too kind the Klode beach front....although certainly they've been worse. The southeast beach that just yesterday had a neatly organized pile of rocks and a sandy path into the lake is now a strewn mess of seaweeds and rocks. Gone also are our clear water conditions and......sadly our 60 degree water temps.
While challenging to put your face in at first, though, 56 degree water temps are still swimmable. Our record coldest swim temp of the season is 54 so we're still well above that mark. :)
Wednesday afternoon's swim consisted of a trip up to the garage and then back down towards south-south beach before we decided to call it a day.
The plan is to return at 4:30pm Thursday to attempt swim day number 94.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Twilight Zone?
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 60
Waves: Occasional 2-3ft swells
Current: moderate from the south
Water Clarity: Cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Wednesday 4:30PM Klode
A strong wind from the west was blowing this afternoon. Yet occasional 2-3ft waves would crash into the rock piles from the southeast. Also a bit strange was a slight current pushing up from the south while there were wind gusts blowing from the northwest. Sound odd? It certainly looked odd. Perhaps even stranger were "now you see them now you don't" waves that would crash ashore in groups of 3-4 and then disappear for several minutes only to reappear.
Despite the oddities this afternoon we enjoyed another great swim in the lake. Uncertain whether our eyes were deceiving us with the direction of the current we swam down to south-south beach and then north up past north beach. While the current wasn't as strong as yesterday I'd say it was still pushing from south to north...opposite the direction of the wind. Strange? ...well, perhaps I shouldn't go there. :)
Water temp: 60
Waves: Occasional 2-3ft swells
Current: moderate from the south
Water Clarity: Cloudy
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Wednesday 4:30PM Klode
A strong wind from the west was blowing this afternoon. Yet occasional 2-3ft waves would crash into the rock piles from the southeast. Also a bit strange was a slight current pushing up from the south while there were wind gusts blowing from the northwest. Sound odd? It certainly looked odd. Perhaps even stranger were "now you see them now you don't" waves that would crash ashore in groups of 3-4 and then disappear for several minutes only to reappear.
Despite the oddities this afternoon we enjoyed another great swim in the lake. Uncertain whether our eyes were deceiving us with the direction of the current we swam down to south-south beach and then north up past north beach. While the current wasn't as strong as yesterday I'd say it was still pushing from south to north...opposite the direction of the wind. Strange? ...well, perhaps I shouldn't go there. :)
Swim Day 91
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 61
Waves: slight chop
Current: moderate from the south
Water Clarity: Good
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Tuesday 4:30PM Klode
We're moving closer to the century mark with our swim days! Only nine more to go. Our swim Monday took us down to the Silver Spring tunnel. (aka sewer pipe) A steady current and slight chop made for a challenging swim out but a very swift return trip back.
We plan to log our next swim at 4:30pm Tuesday. Any takers?
Water temp: 61
Waves: slight chop
Current: moderate from the south
Water Clarity: Good
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Tuesday 4:30PM Klode
We're moving closer to the century mark with our swim days! Only nine more to go. Our swim Monday took us down to the Silver Spring tunnel. (aka sewer pipe) A steady current and slight chop made for a challenging swim out but a very swift return trip back.
We plan to log our next swim at 4:30pm Tuesday. Any takers?
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A clean house
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 61
Waves: slightly rippled sheet of glass
Water Clarity: Good
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Monday 4:30PM Klode
It's been a busy week for the Lady of the Lake. The big waves earlier in the week robbed the water of its clarity and left behind a shoreline that was littered with rocks and seaweeds. In sharp contrast the Southeast Klode beach is now completely clear of all traces of seaweeds and water has once again become crystal clear.
Interesting also is that the reef of little rocks that greeted you the first 5-10 feet as you walked the plank into the water have now all been pushed out of the water into a neat pile near the north edge of the beach. Only a few rocks now remain along the waters edge and a clear rockless path can now be traversed from the sandy beach into the water. (...my toes have never been happier!) A distinct sand cliff is also apparent about a 1/4 of the way up the beach...a reminder of how powerful the waves were and how far they advanced up the beach.
Our adventure today was very similar to yesterday. A trip up to the rock wall and back. Unlike yesterday's momentary glimpse of the sun the partly cloudy skies allowed the sun to illuminate the fall foliage along the shoreline for more than half of our swim.
Our plan is to return to Klode at 4:30PM Monday to log swim day number 91. The forecasted high temp of 61 looks a lot more appealing the the overnight low of 43. :)
Water temp: 61
Waves: slightly rippled sheet of glass
Water Clarity: Good
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Monday 4:30PM Klode
It's been a busy week for the Lady of the Lake. The big waves earlier in the week robbed the water of its clarity and left behind a shoreline that was littered with rocks and seaweeds. In sharp contrast the Southeast Klode beach is now completely clear of all traces of seaweeds and water has once again become crystal clear.
Interesting also is that the reef of little rocks that greeted you the first 5-10 feet as you walked the plank into the water have now all been pushed out of the water into a neat pile near the north edge of the beach. Only a few rocks now remain along the waters edge and a clear rockless path can now be traversed from the sandy beach into the water. (...my toes have never been happier!) A distinct sand cliff is also apparent about a 1/4 of the way up the beach...a reminder of how powerful the waves were and how far they advanced up the beach.
Our adventure today was very similar to yesterday. A trip up to the rock wall and back. Unlike yesterday's momentary glimpse of the sun the partly cloudy skies allowed the sun to illuminate the fall foliage along the shoreline for more than half of our swim.
Our plan is to return to Klode at 4:30PM Monday to log swim day number 91. The forecasted high temp of 61 looks a lot more appealing the the overnight low of 43. :)
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Seeing the light
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 60
Waves: slightly rippled sheet of glass
Water Clarity: Cloudy but blue
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Sunday 1PM Klode
Overcast and cool. That's pretty much been the norm this week for weather. When Gabriel and I arrived at the beach today little had changed...an air temp in the upper 50's and cloudy skies.
The absence of any waves or current made our trip up to and back from the rock wall seemingly effortless. Upon arriving at the rock wall we were pleasantly surprised to see a familiar friend...the sun. This skies above the rock wall were clear and blue. Looking back at Klode interestingly, the skies remained overcast. A strange but very welcome sight as seeing the sun, albeit for just a bit, was better than what we've experienced all week.
The plan is to return to Klode at 1pm Sunday to continue our progress towards swim day number 100....only 11 more days to go!
Water temp: 60
Waves: slightly rippled sheet of glass
Water Clarity: Cloudy but blue
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Sunday 1PM Klode
Overcast and cool. That's pretty much been the norm this week for weather. When Gabriel and I arrived at the beach today little had changed...an air temp in the upper 50's and cloudy skies.
The absence of any waves or current made our trip up to and back from the rock wall seemingly effortless. Upon arriving at the rock wall we were pleasantly surprised to see a familiar friend...the sun. This skies above the rock wall were clear and blue. Looking back at Klode interestingly, the skies remained overcast. A strange but very welcome sight as seeing the sun, albeit for just a bit, was better than what we've experienced all week.
The plan is to return to Klode at 1pm Sunday to continue our progress towards swim day number 100....only 11 more days to go!
Friday, October 2, 2009
The Black Pearl
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 61
Waves: slight chop from the southeast
Water Clarity: Stirred up
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Saturday 1PM Klode
Arrg...taint nothin' like the feelin' of christening a new wetsuit. Today be my first swim in my DeSoto Black Pearl wetsuit....now that's a name fit for a pirate! :)
It was a fine October day for a swim. Today's voyage went up to the rock wall and back. Easy on the way out...not quite so on the way back. (...should have known better than to think the easy trip out was because of the wetsuit....)
Gabriel and I will be back Saturday at 1pm to log another adventure. Any takers?
Water temp: 61
Waves: slight chop from the southeast
Water Clarity: Stirred up
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next Swim: Saturday 1PM Klode
Arrg...taint nothin' like the feelin' of christening a new wetsuit. Today be my first swim in my DeSoto Black Pearl wetsuit....now that's a name fit for a pirate! :)
It was a fine October day for a swim. Today's voyage went up to the rock wall and back. Easy on the way out...not quite so on the way back. (...should have known better than to think the easy trip out was because of the wetsuit....)
Gabriel and I will be back Saturday at 1pm to log another adventure. Any takers?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
One flew over the Cuckoo's nest
Last Night's Swim:
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 63
Waves: slow rolling 1-2ft
Water Clarity: Stirred up
Crew: The Patriarch, Gabriel, Gumdrop, Lindsey, Capt'n
This Morning's swim:
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 60
Waves: choppy 1-2ft from the southeast
Water Clarity: Stirred up
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next swims: 4:30PM today, 4:30 PM Friday
Yes indeed, it's sad but true....The Patriarch has flown over the Cuckoo's nest, literally! By the time he reads this he'll probably be sitting on the beach in Hawaii sipping a tropical drink mixed with Killepitsch.
As strange as it was logging an adventure without The Patriarch this morning, the show must go on here....and that it did this morning. Gabriel and I were greeted by choppy 1-2ft waves moving quickly from south to north this morning. Klode's southeast beach has been over taken with seaweeds that are washing ashore. As a result we set said instead from Klode's south beach. The swim south took us almost to the Silver Spring tunnel (aka sewer pipe). The return trip lasted only about half the duration as the swim out.
The plan is to return again this afternoon at 4:30pm and again Friday at 4:30pm. Any takers?
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 63
Waves: slow rolling 1-2ft
Water Clarity: Stirred up
Crew: The Patriarch, Gabriel, Gumdrop, Lindsey, Capt'n
This Morning's swim:
Beach: Klode
Water temp: 60
Waves: choppy 1-2ft from the southeast
Water Clarity: Stirred up
Crew: Gabriel, Capt'n
Next swims: 4:30PM today, 4:30 PM Friday
Yes indeed, it's sad but true....The Patriarch has flown over the Cuckoo's nest, literally! By the time he reads this he'll probably be sitting on the beach in Hawaii sipping a tropical drink mixed with Killepitsch.
As strange as it was logging an adventure without The Patriarch this morning, the show must go on here....and that it did this morning. Gabriel and I were greeted by choppy 1-2ft waves moving quickly from south to north this morning. Klode's southeast beach has been over taken with seaweeds that are washing ashore. As a result we set said instead from Klode's south beach. The swim south took us almost to the Silver Spring tunnel (aka sewer pipe). The return trip lasted only about half the duration as the swim out.
The plan is to return again this afternoon at 4:30pm and again Friday at 4:30pm. Any takers?
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