Life changes.
Before retiring last spring, I spent much of the last five years in north-central Montana, teaching science and coaching archery at Hays-Lodgepole High School. Since returning to Helena full-time, I’ve continued to do a lot of hiking, but I’ve stayed pretty close to home and haven’t had many new adventures. The most exciting thing I have to report this summer is that I took up open water swimming, and it has become one of my new favorite activities.
Aka wild swimming.
Simply put, open water swimming involves swimming in lakes, rivers, oceans and reservoirs. In the Helena area, a small group of people frequent Canyon Ferry Lake for early morning swimming, and in the Flathead area, there is a larger community of swimmers who enjoy the lakes. Most open water swimmers prefer longer distances and some compete in 1-mile, 5K, or 10K races. Last summer there were races at Whitefish Lake (8/10), Flathead Lake near Polson (8/16-18) and the Big Sky State Games in Billings (mid-July). Elite open water swimmers test their mettle by crossing large lakes or straits, such as the 21-mile swim across the English Channel. Diana Nyad is arguably the greatest open water swimmer of all time. In 2013, at age 64, she swam 110 miles, from Cuba to Florida! (watch “Nyad” on Netflix)
Take the plunge.
I have always been a good swimmer. I swam on the Harlem (Montana) swim team during my summers as a teenager and then coached the team during my college years (1978-1981). However, in recent decades my swimming has been limited to occasional albeit very enjoyable outings in the state’s lakes. Besides the fact that I REALLY love the feeling of swimming in lakes, there were several factors that influenced me to finally commit to the sport last summer. On one hand, I wanted to find an aerobic activity that would give my legs a break from my daily hiking routine – swimming was perfect for that. Additionally, the “Swim the Fish” race in Whitefish Lake has been on my RADAR for several years, but I was unable to participate due to the early school start date in Hays. Now that I’m retired, it’s no longer a problem. I like the idea of having an event to train for. Even though I’m not very competitive, having a race coming up 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 spending time in cold lakes MUCH easier this summer was the extreme heat we experienced in late June and July. And then there are the Olympics: swimming is always sexier during an Olympic year!
Let the games begin.
I began preparing for the 5K (3.1 mile) race in Whitefish in early June by training twice a week – once a week at Spring Meadow Lake on the west end of Helena, and once a week in the Capital City Fitness Center pool. I hiked most other days. My swims at Spring Meadow ranged from 1.5 to 3 miles, while during the pool sessions I focused on speed work. As the race date approached, I began swimming weekly in Canyon Ferry Reservoir, 30 miles from home. The race turned out to be a real character-building experience, but it was still a great experience nonetheless. To see highlights of the Whitefish event and other open water swims I’ve enjoyed since, take the photo tour (see link below). Make sure to read the captions!
For your information, I have an Instagram account. I will try to post something interesting at least once a week. Check it out: rodbenson406
Below: This map shows hikes that have been featured so far on bigskywalker.com, including several in Glacier Park – Select full-screen mode to enlarge, zoom for details, or click on a marker for a link to the post.
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