Our last meetup started out on a fantastic note as I once again secured rock star parking in one of the spaces just on the other side of the pedestrian tunnel. So instead of my usual mad scramble from Clark Street to catch the sunrise, I had the luxury of a leisurely stroll out to our world famous swim spot.
Similar to last week, these later sunrises and warmer lake temperatures brought out some open water veterans we haven’t seen for a while. So it was a pleasant reunion at 5:45am made all the more enjoyable by 75F weather and a 70.2F lake!
Without a doubt, what I like most about this time of year is the inherent minimalism of high summer. So apart from bringing my towel, keys, and camera, all I needed in the lake was my swim trunks and a pair of goggles – quite a contrast to the stuffed duffel bags we bring out to the lake in winter!
The lake had a slight ripple, but it was more than manageable for the 1/2 mile down to Oak Street Beach. I opted to get out of the lake there and walk back, and it was a very peaceful stroll given that there were only a few random runners on the lakefront path.
I stuck around L1 for a short while and chatted with some of the other swimmers. Just as I was getting ready to leave, Diver Dave showed up with two large inner tubes. I was REALLY tempted to stay out there for the rest of the morning, but I had to head back north for the day. Maybe next time!
