My path to "polar"dom

One paradoxically hot, dry summer in Ketchikan, a hiking friend and I jumped into an alpine pool to cool off during a long hike. It felt so good, we jumped in again and again. Then dove in, as the water was plenty deep from our rock diving platform. Geez, was this Ketchikan! Unbelievable. Normally, subjecting more than one's toes to the water of a Southeast Alaska mountain tarn is a numbing feat!

That day, that summer, was more than 10 years ago.  I haven't experienced the same circumstance of sustained hot weather in the summers since, and that particular hiking friend, Susan, has moved from Ketchikan, but I've challenged myself to keep up the celebratory dip each time I hike to that same area. I've even heard my hiking buddies refer to the spot as "Kerry's pools." (Sometimes used in that context when giving me a status report if I haven't made it to the area yet myself, as in:  "Kerry, your pools are still iced over."

So, when I see photos of intrepid (crazy?) people taking a dip in the ocean in the middle of winter, usually on New Year's Day, the so-called Polar Bear Club,  I can somewhat relate. Hey, I have my own version, my own pool all to myself. My pool isn't the ocean, but it still usually has a skim of ice when I take my plunge. The video in this post attests to that fact - The water was VERY COLD, so though the "swim" was very quick, I think I earned my Polar Bear status. Hah! Neither of the two men who were with me jumped in!!

The "swimming" pool from a different angle and almost completely covered.  The area of open water at the far end is where the "diving platform" /sunbathing ledge is located. This bowl between two ridges is my favorite hiking destination for a longer day hike. It is also a great stopping spot on the "traverse" - a 13 mile hike over the most spectacular alpine ridges that Ketchikan has to offer. 

Okay, to be fair, one of the men did finally earn Polar Bear status. I do think he prefers a second set of pools accessed on a different ridgeline. It is the perfect spot to cool down on a warm summer ay. It is much shallower than my pool (above). Somehow, we're still trying to convince his wife to take the plunge as well! (She prefers to be the photographer. To get this sequence of photographs,  she had us jumping over and over and claimed that something was wrong with the camera and she hadn't captured a photo. By about the 5th jump in, we were getting suspicious. She finally captured these.)

The "Warm" Pool - two different years, two different techniques. "One, two, three - JUMP" in 2009, and trying diving in 2014. Al's sweet wife Sue taking photos both times, but refusing to join us, darn her.