Pacific NW Inland Masters: Cool swims! Beautiful lakes!

[ViveBene]

There are some neat OW swims in this part of the map. Here is the 2010 listing:
http://www.inlandnwmasters.org/

[ViveBene]

2012
Still beautiful lakes!
If anyone has an inkling of when OW swims might be taking place, I'd be interested (in case I have opportunity to drop in).
I'll assume the Sandpoint Long Bridge 1.7 mile swim and the Flathead L 1 miler will again be on the first Saturday in August.
Coeur d'Alene is later in August?
It would be beyond awesome to have a swim in Glacier NP lakes. I mean, I do, but the only other critters I see swimming are moose, beaver, and grizz.

[jaadams1]

2012
Still beautiful lakes!
If anyone has an inkling of when OW swims might be taking place, I'd be interested (in case I have opportunity to drop in).
I'll assume the Sandpoint Long Bridge 1.7 mile swim and the Flathead L 1 miler will again be on the first Saturday in August.
Coeur d'Alene is later in August?
It would be beyond awesome to have a swim in Glacier NP lakes. I mean, I do, but the only other critters I see swimming are moose, beaver, and grizz.

You're right on (roughly) with those dates for the Sandpoint, Idaho - Longbridge swim (1st weekend in August), and the Coeur d'Alene CAST Classic is around the last weekend in August. There's another one in Coeur d'Alene, that is a one miler called the Steve Omi swim, and that one is in early to mid July, but the lake is much colder then.
They started another OW swim at Lake Chelan, WA last summer, but I can't remember the date exactly, somewhere around the beginning to mid September I believe. It was very well attended too, especially for being the first year it was done. Plans are to do it again.
These lakes are also up at 2200+ feet of elevation as you begin getting into mountainous country.

[ViveBene]

Thanks! I look forward to spending more time in that part of the country.

[jaadams1]

I just got the message straight from the source!

The Lake Chelan OW swim (1.5 miles) will be held on September 8, 2012. All the proceeds of the event go into a fund for low income needy families to get swimming lessons for their kids in the Chelan, WA area.

This one will be on my calendar this year. It's not a USMS related OW swim, but still it's a good cause.

[ViveBene]

I *think* I have converted an inland Northwest hiking-camping family to a swimming family; at least, they asked for recommendations for lakes to splash about in. I've only gone to ID, MT, and Canada ( ) from Spokane airport, but the travel routes all seem to go by luscious bodies of water.

Link for 2012 OW swims:
http://www.inlandnwmasters.org/

Or just hop in: many city beaches and state parks with swimming areas.

[jaadams1]

I *think* I have converted an inland Northwest hiking-camping family to a swimming family; at least, they asked for recommendations for lakes to splash about in. I've only gone to ID, MT, and Canada ( ) from Spokane airport, but the travel routes all seem to go by luscious bodies of water.

Link for 2012 OW swims:
http://www.inlandnwmasters.org/

Or just hop in: many city beaches and state parks with swimming areas.

I'm trying to keep the website as updated as possible.

[ViveBene]

Good work!

Apparently Longbridge swim had ca. 750 registrants last year.
I'm a relative newcomer to things Northwest and find the region fascinatingly different from (but also like) the forested/populous Northeast.
Too, the grizz ... golden trout ... lake salmon ... views of Rainier while doing the backstroke. The Yaak. Huckleberry ice cream. 10-mile lakes.

(Edit) The latest (July-Aug 2012) Swimmer magazine has an enticing picture of 55-mile Lake Chelan, WA, as backdrop for the article on Emily von Jentzen's marathon swim of it. Very nice!