Usually by now we start to see a spike in the lake temperature which signals the very much welcome Spring Turnover. However, given the persistent cold snap that we’ve only recently been able to shake off, it seems as if this welcome change will be a bit tardy this year…
The days are getting longer, and you really see it at the front end where the sunrise times get drastically earlier each week. This trend tends to slow down a bit near the solstice, but you can easily see a 15 minute (or more) difference each week – which certainly keeps us on our toes!
In a rare moment of respite, the lake was perfectly calm on Saturday morning. The surface temperature came in at 42.1F, but we still had the murky olive water out at L1 which is a telltale sign that the lake has yet to completely shed it’s “winter layer.” And true to form, the in-swim mercury was still a bit crisp at 41.0F, which is somewhat below average for mid-April. Undeterred, however, three of us suited up and got into big bad Lake Michigan after spending a bit more time than expected checking out the fabulous show to the east.
For the first time in about a month, I was able to do the entire 1/2 mile fairly effortlessly (although my right goggle leaked again much to my annoyance and fury). And the absence of any wind made the post swim experience only slightly uncomfortable versus the utterly horrifying situations that we’ve had to endure in recent weeks.
The bottom line is that, even with this slight delay in the lake turning over, Spring is definitely here to stay. And that other worldly frozen fugue state that we find ourselves in on the long walk back to our parked cars seems to be a distant memory for us – at least until November.
Our swim site at dawn
Sunrise!
Gearing up
Back in the pool!
