The good news was that the lake came in at 33F and was mostly clear except for a skin of ice that was still forming on the surface. The not so great news was that this ice formation was due to a 9F air temperature which made going into the lake like entering a jacuzzi. Nevertheless, the water was calm and the sun was out in force, creating perfect conditions for a swim.
Fortunately the deep freeze hadn’t iced over L1, so it was easy to enter the lake. I largely stuck close to the side of the shore wall where there was a mostly clear swim lane to explore. I had to zig zag a bit to make it out to the 1/8 mile mark as the ice had formed on the surface in several areas. But I managed to get in my 1/4 mile, albeit through a very circuitous route.
The post swim afterdrop was actually very limited – although my fingers were painfully numb making the transition out of my wet gear a challenge. But I had brought out an extra thermos of hot water which I used quite liberally to unthaw my digits and restore manual dexterity.
So overall, a great morning out at good old Lake Michigan!
