8/10/14 9:38 PM

River origin is the cascade range at altitude. That snow melting makes for some cold water.

It felt great, but I did feel compelled to get out pretty quick. ;) Few folks were getting in, but tons of folks wading and sitting dipping feet etc.

Big sign warning for Cold Shock painted on an old concrete abutment of some sort.

Brrr... but felt good! :)

I stuck my feet in at same place in early June, and knew I was not going in then. Probably closer to 40^ then. ;)

8/11/14 2:22 AM

"Shrinkage"

8/11/14 8:28 AM

i've swum here in late summer several years ago...despite the water being the warmest it'd be all season, it was F*CKING COLD!!! wetsuit helped a little, i was in the water for maybe 10 mins -- hands, head, and feet were numb!

i vaguely recall 50F being mentioned. but water that far up in the great lakes is soooo clean.

http://goo.gl/maps/423mB

8/11/14 9:46 AM

One time when we where teens still, we went up state camping. The small but fast river was this pristine narrow waterway. It had this 20' foot drop into a small quarry maybe 30' wide by 90' before it hit some other small falls. We had a jump off point maybe 15' off a ledge on the one side. Considering I was probably 6" shorter, it may have be closer to 10, memory and all. ;) It was highish though, and as a teen I frequented the higher diving boards at Palisades Amusement Park Pool a lot. I think the big one was 20'. I digress, as does my memory probably. ;) 40+ years ago...

Long story short, [too late] once you hit the water you could do nothing else but get your ass out by reflex action, very involuntary. Yesterday not quite that bad, I meandered out.

I remember trying to see how deep it was upstate and that I thought I could touch bottom on two jumps. After a few in and outs I guess there was some acclimation to a degree. I would get maybe 12-15' deep and the brain just made you head up and get out. Once out standing there wet I remember it felt warm outside, which it really wasn't. It was pre-noon upstate NY on the Easter holiday from school. ;)