This spring when the Covid-19 Global Pandemic emerged in Utah, all of the pools closed. For the past 10+ years Pool Swimming has become a part of my fitness routine. Last Summer I got really hooked on Openwater swimming with weekly trips up to the nearby Mountain reservoirs. This past Fall and Winter I had a few chances to Openwater swim in the cold water of the San Francisco Bay. So in April after a month of no swimming I decided to head out to the Great Salt Lake to attempt to swim in the cool 52 degree Salty Lake. As of today I have swam in the lake 46 days since April 10th. After a particularly fabulous swim this morning I was inspired to put some thoughts into words to share with people what the experience of swimming in the Great Salt Lake has meant to me. I hope you have find your silver lining in these difficult times.
GSL #46 Smooth Rolling Waves Today….
The Great Salt Lake is a place where:
A place That is the opposite of “boring….
A place where you realize that a place so familiar can be different each and every time you visit it…
A place that so many people stay away from, but, has become your jewel….
A place and experience that started as an experiment, became a muse, then a habit, them an obsession and then a passion….
A place where the weather and waves can be angry, turbid and dangerous one day and then calm smooth and safe the next day…
A place that first was a silver-lining in a pandemic, but, then became the backyard salve to the anxiety, pain and sadness from social injustice…
A place where parking lot meetings inspire you…..
Meeting Harper a cat masked motorcyclist from Louisiana touring the country reminding me of lessons learned on my bicycle tour across country at age 18…..
Meeting Kyle with his homemade sailboat evoking memories and lessons formed while sailing with a bunch of “hippies” as a kid on the Hudson River…
Meeting Robert the Rainbow Ninja who inspired me with his life story and heightened my awareness of my white privilege…
Inspiration from fellow swimmers….
Like @swimrwill who inspired me to go further and faster until I feel I can swim forever…..
Like Kilo Z who speaks of social justice, solstice introspections and who teaches me that a life can be full of intentional purpose, if you stop treading water and actively. propel yourself in a new direction…
A place where you learn that your selfish time of day prepares you to be more present and available to your family and friends….
The Great Salt Lake not a boring place at all!
I found this gem of a quote from non other the John Muir about swimming in the great Salt Lake, in a Deseret Newsvarticle ( I couldn’t agree more John and love these descriptive words):
In Muir’s own poetic writing, here is a summary of his experience in the waters of the Great Salt Lake, as recorded in the Salt Lake Herald newspaper of June 27, 1877:
“When the north wind blows bathing in Salt Lake is a glorious baptism, for then it is all wildly awake with waves, blooming like a prairie in snowy crystal foam. Plunging confidently into the midst of the grand uproar you are hugged and welcomed and swim without effort, rocking and whirling up and down and round in delightful rhythm while the wind sings in chorus and the cool, fragrant brine searches every fibre of your body, and at the end of your excursion you are tossed ashore with a glad God-speed, braced and salted and clean as a saint.”
Here is the link to full article on the history of swimming in the GSL:
https://www.deseret.com/2017/7/11/20615570/the-first-pioneers-swim-in-the-great-salt-lake-s-briny-waters
Here are some photos and video to provide you with a visual tour from 46 days swimming in the Great Salt Lake:
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Here is a Video of a 10K swim I did in Great Salt Lake a few weeks ago for an interesting visual perspective:
Drone Video Credit; Sid Baucom
Video Editing credit: Curtis Judd
Drone and Still Video of GSL 10K swim
https://youtu.be/m3DpxOHAPCI
I found this gem of a quote from non other the John Muir about swimming in the great Salt Lake, in a Deseret Newsvarticle ( I couldn’t agree more John and love these descriptive words):
In Muir’s own poetic writing, here is a summary of his experience in the waters of the Great Salt Lake, as recorded in the Salt Lake Herald newspaper of June 27, 1877:
“When the north wind blows bathing in Salt Lake is a glorious baptism, for then it is all wildly awake with waves, blooming like a prairie in snowy crystal foam. Plunging confidently into the midst of the grand uproar you are hugged and welcomed and swim without effort, rocking and whirling up and down and round in delightful rhythm while the wind sings in chorus and the cool, fragrant brine searches every fibre of your body, and at the end of your excursion you are tossed ashore with a glad God-speed, braced and salted and clean as a saint.”
Here is the link to full article on the history of swimming in the GSL:
https://www.deseret.com/2017/7/11/20615570/the-first-pioneers-swim-in-the-great-salt-lake-s-briny-waters
Iterative Living 