"Damn Boats," Father's Day, Solstice Stack

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon (suggestion of going earlier to avoid boats on the weekend)

Last Swim:  Sunday noon
Water Temp:  50.something/macho-meter, 53/itch-o-meter, consensus was "52 with 40-something pockets"
Air Temp:  upper 70s/low 80s, sunny
Clarity:   5 of 10, see your watch in front of your face without having to  stop
Waves: Pretty flat with slight swell
Kru:   Linda the Lamprey, Itch, Diablo, Captain, Ziggy, Panini, Lydia the Tatoo'd Lady, Liz, Kahuna, Dragonfly, sorry if I missed anybody

Shore support:  Patriarch, Squeeze o'Showgirl

SUP support:  Moondaug

It was a momentous day with a full Father's Day parking lot on the first official day of Summer.  Heading down to the beach, we encountered 2 of Whitefish Bay's finest coming up.  Lydia noted they seemed out of breath.  Panini greeted them familiarly; at least one had been part of the rescue mission last week.  

On the sand, we buzzed with hope that the Lake would be warm...maybe a cozy 65?  The verdicts were read out to great disappointment.  Patriarch, who had lava pants but no wetsuit, bailed on the swim.  Kahuna also had only lava pants but chanced it.

And yet the swim, especially past the rocks, was very rewarding and for several including myself, furthest of the season.  It was my first view of New Mudslide and my first tag of Mudslide itself.  "Yay, Mudslide!" Lydia and I said to each other as we passed, in one of those brief but profound moments of comraderie.  I found  that heading north you were moving with current and the water felt warmer than 52.  But once you made the turn to head back south, it was into the current's chilly teeth.  I had noted this same phenomenon on Friday.  About 200 yards north of Klode I altered course to hail a small anchored power boat. (It's always a relief to see they are indeed anchored and not moving toward you.) "Hey, wanted to let you know, there are a bunch of swimmers out here," I called to the teenaged captain.  "Oh, yes, I see them now," he said.  

Now?  

Many forms of luck.

Fortunately the full invasion of power boats began after the Kru had cleared the water.  Hot rocks warming our feet, we circled 'round the Solstice Stack (see photo)  for a shot of Pitsch.  The toast was "Damn Boats."  At least 16 different boats were sighted converging on Klode Bay, including a pontoon boat that looked to be very far from home.

A suggestion was made to swim at 11 a.m. next Sunday instead of noon to avoid boats and perhaps find flatter water as well.

Finally, a Happy Father's Day to all:  Fathers, grandfathers, dog dads, cat dads, etc.