The forecast called for south/southwest wind, so I was expecting the lake to be fairly clear of ice close to the short. However, we had winds coming from the southeast instead, so we once again had to contend with ice floes packed up against the ladders. Fortunately, they were less extreme down at L4, so we were able to get in there for a brief swim.
The lake was close to freezing (estimated 33F) but the air was a relatively balmy 30F which made the post-swim experience much more pleasant. I went in with my usual winter setup (neoprene shorty, hood, gloved, booties) and was quite comfortable. The ice floes at L4 were much smaller (and not sharp!), so they were very easy to navigate. I tried to get in a more extended swim, but my gloves kept filling up with cold water as I didn’t have my wrist straps to seal my gloves. If it wasn’t for this, I probably could have done 1/8 mile or so as the water opened up about 20 feet from the ladder. Just my luck!
