Life changes.
Before retiring last spring I spent much of the past five years in north-central Montana, teaching science and coaching archery at Hays-Lodgepole High School. Since returning home to Helena full-time I’ve continued to do a lot of hiking but have stayed pretty close to home, and haven’t taken many new adventures. The most interesting thing about this summer is that I’ve gotten into another outdoor activity – It’s open water swimming, and it has become one of my new favorite things to do.
A.k.a. Wild Swimming.
Simply put, open water swimming is the practice of swimming in lakes, rivers, oceans, and reservoirs. In the Helena area there is a small group of people who frequent Canyon Ferry Lake for early morning swims, and in the Flathead region there is a larger community of swimmers who take advantage of the lakes there. Most open water swimmers swim longer distances, and some participate in races of 1-mile, 5 Km, or 10 km. For instance, this past summer there were races in Whitefish Lake (8/10) and Flathead Lake near Polson (8/16-18), and there was a 1-mile race in Lake Elmo as part of the Big Sky State Games (in Billings, mid-July). The world’s most elite open water swimmers test their mettle with greater challenges such as the the 21-mile swim across the English Channel. Diana Nyad is the most famous open water swimmer. In 2013 at age 64, she swam over 100 miles from Cuba to Florida! (watch ‘Nyad’ on Netflix)
Taking the plunge.
I’ve always been a decent swimmer. I swam competitively on the Harlem (MT) Swim Team during summers as a teen-ager, and then coached the team during my college years (1978-1981). However, over the past few decades my swims have been limited to occasional albeit very enjoyable outings in lakes around the state. Besides the fact that I REALLY like the feeling of swimming in lakes, there were a few factors that enticed me to finally commit to the sport this past summer. For one, I wanted to find a form of exercise that would give my legs a break from my daily hiking routine – Swimming has been perfect for this. Also, ‘The Swim the Fish’ race in Whitefish Lake has been on my RADAR for several years but I haven’t been able to participate due to the early starting date for school in Hays. Now that I’m retired that’s not a problem. Furthermore, I like the idea of having an event to train for. I’m not super-competitive but an upcoming race motivates me and makes me feel a bit like an athlete again, which helps me feel younger – and that’s a good thing. Another factor that made it MUCH easier to spend time in our cold lake waters this summer was the extreme heat we experienced in late June and July. And then there’s the Olympics – Swimming is always sexier during an Olympic year!
Let the games begin.
I started preparing for the 5 Km (3.1 miles) race in Whitefish in early June by training twice a week – once weekly in Spring Meadow Lake on the west end of Helena, and once per week in the pool at Capital City Fitness Center. I hiked most other days. My swims at Spring Meadow ranged from 1.5 to 3 miles, whereas during the pool sessions I focussed on speed work. As the race date approached I started taking weekly swims in Canyon Ferry Reservoir, a 19-mile drive from my house. The race ended up being a real ‘character-builder’ but still a great experience. To see highlights of the Whitefish event and other open water experiences I’ve enjoyed since the then, take the photo tour (see link below). Be sure to read the captions!
FYI – I have an Instagram account. I will try to post something interesting at least once a week. Check it out: rodbenson406
Below: This map marks hikes that have been featured on bigskywalker.com so far, including several in Glacier Park – Select full screen to expand, zoom in for more detail, or click on a marker for a link to the post.
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