Patagonia Lake State Park is about an hour and a half south of Tucson – well worth the drive! The scenery along Highway 83 and 82 is gorgeous, particularly in the early morning or late afternoon light. I’ve been swimming at the lake for the past three years, usually starting in February when the water temperature is in the upper 50s, and continuing through October or November.
My friend Leanne joined me today for a morning swim. We started around 9am when the water was calm, but over the next two hours the wind picked up and there was a bit of chop. My goal was to swim about three miles, which I accomplished. That made me feel more confident about being ready for The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim in June. Swimming in open water is significantly more difficult than in a pool, particularly if there’s wind, chop, current or debris in the water. Thankfully, the lake surface today was quite clear!
