We gambled and won this morning. The forecast called for a 40% chance of thunderstorms, and we managed to finish up our swim right before they moved in! But our streak of luck really started the moment we arrived at L1.
I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as lake temperature given that it had still been stubbornly clinging to 55F up in Evanston. However, Dave had been out at L1 the day before, and he was getting consistent readings in the 67F – 68F range.
And sure enough, I came up with a 71F reading!
Other than a slight chop in the water, the swimming conditions were ideal. The only wildcard factor was something that didn’t rear its ugly head until much later – namely the lake allergens.
Even before I got to L1, I had been fighting off what I thought was a late summer cold. But the symptoms were eerily familiar to the ragweed allergies that had plagued me last year at this time. And given that they actually intensified a few hours after I had gotten out of the water, I strongly suspect that ragweed season is now in full bloom (literally).
Nonetheless, it’s a very small price to pay for the opportunity to swim in Lake Michigan this time of year. The conditions are perfect, and the views are amazing as always.
So where were you?
L1 at 6:00am
Sunrise in swim
The view from Oak Street Beach
Back at L1
Post-swim sunrise
Erika, Lake Monster 382 and Joy, Lake Monster 383
Becca, Lake Monster 384
Ashley, Lake Monster 385
Kristan, Lake Monster 386
Himanshu, Lake Monster 387
The storms move in!
Video compilation