....well, it was sort of like deja vu this morning. The sun was shining, the air temp was climbing into the 80s and there was a slight wind from the south....ahhh, a perfect day for a swim. Upon arriving on the north Klode beach we were delighted to find the water conditions to be a carbon copy of yesterday....crystal clear and comfortably warm....certainly the best swimming conditions of the summer!
While the conditions were essentially a xerox of yesterday's, our group wasn't. Josh was nowhere to be found. The Patriarch, Robin and I were joined by Jessica, Mathew and Phil. As was the case yesterday I could hear the Lady of the Lake tempting us to log another great adventure....perhaps a Klode to Beach Drive swim....or a Klode to Big Bay to Klode to Big Bay adventure....or perhaps a... The temptation was great but we turned a deaf ear and stuck to our guns and went out for our traditional rockpile and back loop.
As we swam out from shore it took but a blink of an eye for Jessica to leave us far behind....deja vu from the experience we had with Josh yesterday. Robin and Mathew opted for more of a non-traditional route to the rockpile swimming nearly half way out to Michigan before angling back the rockpile. The Patriarch and I, content with sightseeing along the sandbar, opted to follow more of a straight line along the shoreline up to the rockpile.
As we arrived at the rockpile we found Jessica swimming backstroke between the landslide and the rockpile.....so to celebrate our arrival we all decided to join in with our own variations of what some call the backstroke. I would liken my backstroke to more of a dying man's flail than a stroke but the nice thing about any stroke you do on your back is that you don't notice if anyone is laughing at you.
After frolicking around a bit we decided to venture back to Klode. Similar to yesterday the winds and current seemingly picked up from the south as we ventured towards Klode....thus creating more of a ripple of waves and presenting a little more of a challenge to maintain your stroke. Despite the challenge we still made good time back to Klode....some swifter than others but still certainly faster than a leisurely stroll through the park.
Tempted to continue our swim down to 'south, south beach' to search again for the sunken cannon to we opted instead to call it a day. Rest assured, we'll be at it again tomorrow though...hope to see everyone then!
Current plan is to swim Monday at 10am. Please respond if a different time works better for you.
-Capt'n
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Shot Out of a Cannon
Cap'n and I egg each other on in different ways, so that we each do stuff we wouldn't do normally. The other day, for example, I convinced him to do a lunchtime dash-n-splash to Bradford Beach.
Today it was his turn to instigate. I had suggested a Klode to Big Bay swim, and his reply was "and back!". I said, "Are you nuts? Two and a half miles in Lake Michigan without a wetsuit!?".
He insisted. I gave a noncommittal, "Let's see when we get to flat rock".
So off we went, accompanied by Josh and Robin. Josh was quickly far ahead of us, out of sight.
It was probably the best swimming conditions we had all summer in terms of water quality and temperature. I don't know the actual temp, but it had to be well into the 70s. And it was so clear you could probably see 100 feet along the bottom.
About 200 meters into the swim I spotted something odd on the bottom in about 7-8 feet of water. At first we thought it was some sort of kids toy. But we dove down and saw it was made of steel! It looked like a cannon! It had wheels and a barrel. But the end of the barrel was buried in the sand so I can't say for sure. Whatever it was, how did something like that get out there? (Crackpot theories welcome!).
We continued on, stopping a couple times to climb on and jump off the rocks from the crumpled cement piers along the shore. And we stopped to admire some of the biggest and oldest north shore mansions up on the bluff. They are even more impressive from the lake side.
We got to "flat rock" and ran into Josh already on his way back from Big Bay (meaning he was at least 3/4 mile ahead of us).
At this point I expected Cap'n to stop ask if we should continue on to Big Bay or head back. He didn't say a word, he just continued swimming towards Big Bay. It was such a beautiful day how could I refuse the challenge? With current against us, and with all the screwing around, it took us over an hour to reach Big Bay from Klode. Robin was already there.
We walked out onto the beach for a minute and then headed back. Getting more serious now, and with southerly waves and currents building behind us, we headed back at a much faster pace. It felt like we had been shot out of the lake cannon! Only 45 minutes back to Klode. Josh was there, having shaved, showered, taken in a movie, and eaten lunch. (A little humility is good for Cap'n and I.)
Tomorrow (Sunday) we plan a 10AM swim at Klode, and then we'll go out for lunch. Please join us! This will definitely be a shorter swim, no matter what Cap'n says.
P.S. I formally apologize to Mr. Josh Gordon Esquire, swimmer extraordinaire, for the "vicious slur" (his words) of insinuating in a previous post that he swam one day in a wetsuit. It's bad enough he kicks our butts, we have to apologize too! Cheeeezzzz.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Continued very pleasant conditions...
Swim conditions this morning continued to improve. As was the case yesterday, the Patriarch, Robin and I arrived on the beach at 6:30am this morning to find that we were not alone. Several swimmers had already taken the plunge and found out for themselves how beautiful the conditions were today.
The lake surface was calm with only an occasional ripple to interrupt it's glass like appearance. Water clarity continued to improve although remained a bit cloudy...occasionally you could see the bottom if it was less than 6ft down. The water temp remained warm enough to get by without a wetsuit although it may have been a tad bit cooler again than last night.
Our journey this morning again was very smooth and swift taking us up to the rockpile and back. As was the case yesterday, we found it difficult to part ways with the lake upon returning to Klode so we continued our swim from north beach to south and then back before pulling ourselves reluctantly out of the water.
Upcoming Plans:
Saturday: 11am
Sunday: TBD
Monday: TBD
We love to swim with others so please let us know if you plan on coming out to Klode this weekend and if you have a preferred start time....we're VERY flexible. :)
The lake surface was calm with only an occasional ripple to interrupt it's glass like appearance. Water clarity continued to improve although remained a bit cloudy...occasionally you could see the bottom if it was less than 6ft down. The water temp remained warm enough to get by without a wetsuit although it may have been a tad bit cooler again than last night.
Our journey this morning again was very smooth and swift taking us up to the rockpile and back. As was the case yesterday, we found it difficult to part ways with the lake upon returning to Klode so we continued our swim from north beach to south and then back before pulling ourselves reluctantly out of the water.
Upcoming Plans:
Saturday: 11am
Sunday: TBD
Monday: TBD
We love to swim with others so please let us know if you plan on coming out to Klode this weekend and if you have a preferred start time....we're VERY flexible. :)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Triple Dip
Today was one of our most fun days yet - a triple dip day. The morning swim is described by the Cap'n in the previous post. And then I finally convinced him to join me in a dash-n-splash to Bradford Beach at lunch. And for the cherry on top we did another mile swim at Klode after work in clear, calm, warm water.
We're going on 55 straight days in the lake, with double dips on many days, and without wetsuits the last 31 days. And we still can't get enough!
This summer, as compared to previous summers I've been swimming a lot more and biking and running a lot less. And I never felt better. Lake swimming just feels good, none of that achy all over feeling of daily biking and running. All swimming does is make me ravenously hungry, I can't seem to shovel in enough calories yet I'm not gaining weight.
Life is good.
Tomorrow (Friday): 6:30AM Klode
We'll also be looking to set up swims every day this Labor Day weekend, if anyone has preferred time and place let us know. We want to do at least one longer swim.
Then next week we'll be backing down the mileage because next weekend Cap'n has Ironman and I have Big Shoulders.
Delightful Swimming Conditions
The lake conditions this morning were starkly different from the past few mornings....and very similar to what we experienced with last night's Klode north beach to sewer pipe and back swim.
Gone were the Big waves, strong currents and accumulated gunk along the shore. Instead we experienced clear and very warm water temps with water visibility ranging from 3-6ft. The water surface was slightly rippled with sporadic 1ft waves moving up from the south from a barely noticeable light breeze.
The Klode beach this morning was a popular place. As the Patriarch, Robin and I arrived on the scene at 6:30am several swimmers had already taken the plunge into the lake. Soon after starting we encountered Lindsay and David. After completing a very swift swim to the 'rockpile' and back we also greeted Erin, Mathew and Greg before continuing our delightful swim around the Klode beach bay until conceding to the fact that we had day jobs that needed to be tend to.
....not too despair though....The Patriarch and I plan to continue our adventures again at 4:30pm at Klode (weather permitting.)
Upcoming Swim plans:
Thursday: 4:30pm Klode
Friday: 6:30am Klode....although we are flexible...if anyone is interested in going earlier just let us know.
Gone were the Big waves, strong currents and accumulated gunk along the shore. Instead we experienced clear and very warm water temps with water visibility ranging from 3-6ft. The water surface was slightly rippled with sporadic 1ft waves moving up from the south from a barely noticeable light breeze.
The Klode beach this morning was a popular place. As the Patriarch, Robin and I arrived on the scene at 6:30am several swimmers had already taken the plunge into the lake. Soon after starting we encountered Lindsay and David. After completing a very swift swim to the 'rockpile' and back we also greeted Erin, Mathew and Greg before continuing our delightful swim around the Klode beach bay until conceding to the fact that we had day jobs that needed to be tend to.
....not too despair though....The Patriarch and I plan to continue our adventures again at 4:30pm at Klode (weather permitting.)
Upcoming Swim plans:
Thursday: 4:30pm Klode
Friday: 6:30am Klode....although we are flexible...if anyone is interested in going earlier just let us know.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Gentle Giants
It's been a tale of two swims this week...morning swims have had big waves rolling onto shore and challenging swim conditions....evening swims have had smaller / gentler waves rolling onto shore and easier swim conditions. The morning water temps have also been just a tad bit cooler (perhaps the result of the cooler overnight temps?) whereas the afternoon water temp has been very, very comfortable....although both certainly manageable without a wetsuit.
This morning appeared to be once again similar to the last 2 with enormous waves crashing onto shore....I know I've said this before, but these waves really were the biggest and best waves for body surfing.
We would soon discover great news....all the seaweed and gunk that was lining the shore the past two mornings was completely gone. The waves have certainly stirred up the water but no where to be found this morning were the rocks, seaweed and other miscellaneous crap that tested your determination to get out for a swim.
Just beyond the second sand bar from the Klode beach the conditions were considerably different than the previous two mornings. Instead of sporadic white capped sea serpents and rougher waves this morning Eric, Linda, John, The Patriarch and I found larger waves gently rolling toward shore. Oh what FUN the conditions turned out to be...seriously, a very pleasant surprise!
Swimming out beyond the sand bars we were able to swim up, over and then back down the waves....or for a change of pace you could occasionally slice right through the larger waves. Admittedly the adventure this morning wasn't pure pleasure...with the waves and current pushing from the south the return trip to Klode required a bit of effort. In the end though, the constantly changing sea scape provided an exhilarating change of pace from our past swims across the calm lake surface. So much so, that upon reaching the Klode north beach the Patriarch and I decided to do it again...so we embarked on a second garage loop before calling it swim for the morning and body surfing back to shore.
Upcoming plans:
Wednesday: 4:30pm Klode
Thursday: 6:30am Klode
This morning appeared to be once again similar to the last 2 with enormous waves crashing onto shore....I know I've said this before, but these waves really were the biggest and best waves for body surfing.
We would soon discover great news....all the seaweed and gunk that was lining the shore the past two mornings was completely gone. The waves have certainly stirred up the water but no where to be found this morning were the rocks, seaweed and other miscellaneous crap that tested your determination to get out for a swim.
Just beyond the second sand bar from the Klode beach the conditions were considerably different than the previous two mornings. Instead of sporadic white capped sea serpents and rougher waves this morning Eric, Linda, John, The Patriarch and I found larger waves gently rolling toward shore. Oh what FUN the conditions turned out to be...seriously, a very pleasant surprise!
Swimming out beyond the sand bars we were able to swim up, over and then back down the waves....or for a change of pace you could occasionally slice right through the larger waves. Admittedly the adventure this morning wasn't pure pleasure...with the waves and current pushing from the south the return trip to Klode required a bit of effort. In the end though, the constantly changing sea scape provided an exhilarating change of pace from our past swims across the calm lake surface. So much so, that upon reaching the Klode north beach the Patriarch and I decided to do it again...so we embarked on a second garage loop before calling it swim for the morning and body surfing back to shore.
Upcoming plans:
Wednesday: 4:30pm Klode
Thursday: 6:30am Klode
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Answer is Blowing in the Wind
It was a pleasant evening, so I left my east facing bedroom windows open. When I awoke the curtains were blowing and I could hear a low roar coming from the east. Could that really be the lake? I live 3/4 of a mile away!
Yes, it was. Driving to Klode, I went around the curve at Big Bay beach, where you can see all of Whitefish Bay. This morning it was Whitecap Bay!
Nahi, the Cap'n and me had to really fight through the surf to get past the sandbars to where you could actually swim. Sort of. Sometimes you reach out to stroke and grab nothing but air. Other times your arm can't even get out of the water because it's being swamped by the waves.
What a ride! We swam out to the "garage", and Cap'n and Nahi decided to keep going. I thought they were nuts. I turned back and played in the surf near the beach. When I saw them coming back to the beach I swam out to meet them. The waves pushed us up onto the shore like driftwood. Wow! It's a good thing the Klode beach has such a wide expanse of sand, it's not easy to control exactly where you come to shore.
Swimming in these huge waves is fun and scary all at the same time, sort of like a huge roller coaster. It's as much a mental game as a physical one. But it sure is a lot of fun.
The only bad part is that there's lots of algae or seaweed in the shallow water near the shore, and it seems to want to cling to every hair on your body. It takes forever to pull it all off. (Out further the water is very clean.)
But a little seaweed isn't going to stop us. We'll be at it again this afternoon and tomorrow morning. The nearshore marine forecast says the waves will be even bigger!
Klode 4:30PM today (Tuesday)
Klode 6:30AM tomorrow (Wed)
Yes, it was. Driving to Klode, I went around the curve at Big Bay beach, where you can see all of Whitefish Bay. This morning it was Whitecap Bay!
Nahi, the Cap'n and me had to really fight through the surf to get past the sandbars to where you could actually swim. Sort of. Sometimes you reach out to stroke and grab nothing but air. Other times your arm can't even get out of the water because it's being swamped by the waves.
What a ride! We swam out to the "garage", and Cap'n and Nahi decided to keep going. I thought they were nuts. I turned back and played in the surf near the beach. When I saw them coming back to the beach I swam out to meet them. The waves pushed us up onto the shore like driftwood. Wow! It's a good thing the Klode beach has such a wide expanse of sand, it's not easy to control exactly where you come to shore.
Swimming in these huge waves is fun and scary all at the same time, sort of like a huge roller coaster. It's as much a mental game as a physical one. But it sure is a lot of fun.
The only bad part is that there's lots of algae or seaweed in the shallow water near the shore, and it seems to want to cling to every hair on your body. It takes forever to pull it all off. (Out further the water is very clean.)
But a little seaweed isn't going to stop us. We'll be at it again this afternoon and tomorrow morning. The nearshore marine forecast says the waves will be even bigger!
Klode 4:30PM today (Tuesday)
Klode 6:30AM tomorrow (Wed)
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