Spitting Us Out

Next Swim: TBD

Last Swim: Sunday. April 23rd noon
Water: 50 Clear and Calm when we started, a raging sea of whitecaps thirty minutes later
Swimmers: Showgirl, Wet Taco, Iceman, Panini, Itch, Mr. Anonymous, and Diablo (our lone skin swimmer)

The lake is warming much more quickly than usual, but as if to warn us against false optimism, conditions deteriorated rapidly during the swim.  Inside of ten minutes the air temperature dropped 20-30 degrees and the wind went from still to gale force and water from dead calm to heavy foaming chop.  Almost as if she was spitting us out.
 

Next Swim is Sunday

Next Swim: Sunday April 23rd noon

That Dot Out There Is Itch

As some of the links in the below post by the Patriarch are not working, here's some pic.s from yesterday's swim.  Above, going long to open the season, that dot out there is itch.

Above, the Happy Iceman, post skin swim in 48 degree water.

Above, happy to see the return of the Kru, the Forsythia in Klode are blooming.

Earliest Opening Day Ever!

Next Swim: TBD

Last Swim:  Tuesday April 18th 6PM
Water: 48, 2 ft waves, very rough
Air: cold cloudy and blustery
Swimmers: Gumdrop, Itch
Spectators:  Panini, Kahuna, Phoenix, Showgirl, Patriarch

Even though the water was much warmer than might be expected from looking at the web or looking at the calendar, it was hardly a great day for a swim.   This did not stop Gumdrop who did a loop inside the rockpiles (skin!).  Or Itch who donned his wetsuit for a cruise to "picnic table" (another one of many non-sensical landmark names - the picnic table that was once there succumbed to the elements long ago).

Luckily for Kahuna and I, none of the ladies ventured forth, which of course would have called our manhood into question if we had not followed.

After the swimmers returned to the beach we of course celebrated the opening of the season with our favorite beverage.

The dot out there is Itch.

A Manifestly Awful Idea

Next Swim:  Tuesday April 18th 6PM (no joke!?)

Last Swim: Diablo and Itch claim to have swum "a couple strokes" last Sunday with the water temp registering 47.  Lacking any photographic proof or accounts from reliable witnesses I'm trying to decide whether to file this report under "fake news", "drunken rant", or just plain "bullshit".

Several weeks ago, after one (or five) too many, Itch declared that he would swim at Klode on Tuesday April 18th "no matter what".  (For reference, we normally start lake swimming in mid to late May, when the water temp reaches the 50's, currently it's in the 30's and low 40's.)  At the time we laughed it off, which was probably a mistake because the more we ridiculed the idea the more he insisted that he would be taking the plunge on April 18th.  In the following weeks nobody would have blamed him if he had just dropped the matter, but apparently his self image does not allow him to back off a pledge even if it's a manifestly awful idea.  (One has the impression that a similar chain of boasts and provacations will lead to World War Trump.)

I want no part of this lunacy but feel responsible in the sense I may have helped to provoke this madness, so I will be there to take pictures, dial 911 and administer Killepitsch to the survivors.  See you on the beach Tuesday at 6PM.  

Klode Cru Lake Michigan 2017 Swim Season Open!

Last Swim: Saturday April 1st, 2017
Water: Clear Calm 75 degrees

Swimming on April 1st!  Unbelievable!  A warm sunny day and clear calm water made for a perfect day of swimming.  Well almost perfect.   An annoying guy on a jet ski tried to ruin the fun, but Crash decked him with a right cross and a knee to the groin.

After the swim we enjoyed cocktails in the new Klode Hot Tub Tiki Bar, compliments of the generous tax payers of Whitefish Bay.  Thank you!

Those of you who swam with us today please share your experience of this incredible swim by adding a comment.

See you on the beach!