The 50F+ lake temp brought out some Lake Monsters that we haven’t seen since the fall. And we all sure had a vigorous swim in the choppy lake!
These earlier mornings can be deceiving. You time it so you can get out to the swim site by sunrise, but you find yourself stepping on the gas as soon as you see the pre-sunrise colors blooming over the eastern horizon. Such was the case on Lake Shore Drive at about 5:45am!
After I parked my car, I grabbed my gear and jogged out to L1 so as not to miss any more of the show. The lakefront was somewhat of a mess with some heavy chops and a sustained 10mph wind from the east. But the lake came in at a fiery 52.7F, so we all geared up and got in right away.
For the first time this year, I went with just my jammers and neoprene cap – no gloves, booties, hood, or dive shirt. It was a bit bracing at first, but I fortunately had a very thick layer of shea butter on that really helped stave off the cold.
I swam out to the 1/4 mile mark and back, but it sure felt more like an entire mile swim given the strong chops. Plus the swells had intensified on the way back making things much more challenging on the swim north!
Still, despite all these trials, it was a great day to be out at the beach!
Sunrise sequence
Swim start
The Spring crew post-swim
