Pencil_Pusher Posted March 31, 2006 Posted March 31, 2006 Just thought I'd throw this out there and see if others would pitch in as to the feasibility of this. How about the tides? I'd guess good beta could be had through sea kayakers. Probably an even better idea to go across in a sea kayak to get a feel. I can see boating/shipping/ferry lanes presenting a big timing/visibility problem... I guess swimming in Lake Washington for training. Triathlete's wetsuit and fins. Assuming stuff sacks for gear flotation, how would you swim with tethered gear? Maybe it's a simple answer, but I wonder about getting entangled. I can see the wetsuit being unbearably hot to run/hike in on the peninsula. That said, given the boating issues and hot neoprene, maybe choosing a typical rainy seattle weather day would be more appropriate? Having friends in kayaks for backup/visibility seems like a good idea, as does a nice eurovan waiting at the trailhead for the return. Something like 40 miles from Green Lake to the top? Maybe around six miles of that is swimming? Insomnia sucks. Quote
Norman_Clyde Posted March 31, 2006 Posted March 31, 2006 (edited) Swimming across Puget Sound is a pretty big undertaking if you ask me. Hood Canal would be enough of a challenge. How many miles of water? With big container ships, ferries, who knows what else? If human powered travel is your goal, I'd suggest a good old sea kayak. If you want to carry everything, use a folding boat. I bet your goal is a Goran/Erden style, fully self contained out-and-back but those two bodies of water are going to be a real pain. If I were to train for a swim that ambitious, I'd rather cross the English Channel: the swim equivalent of a classic European climb, like Mont Blanc or the Matterhorn. Wait a minute. I just re-read your post. Swimming while dragging all your mountaineering gear in a bag? You'd be in Tacoma or the Strait of Juan de Fuca before you ever got across. Edited March 31, 2006 by Norman_Clyde Quote
Zach Posted March 31, 2006 Posted March 31, 2006 It's an interesting idea especially sitting in Seattle with the wiew of the eastern Olympics. But I don't think it would be nearly as aesthetic as it appears. You'd definately need support for the swim across the sound from a boat you could actually get into if anything went wrong. And once you get to the penninsula you'd have a loooong hike along highways most of the way there. You don't need much gear for the Brothers though just an axe and boots. I've done it in my underwear. Quote
archenemy Posted March 31, 2006 Posted March 31, 2006 Just thought I'd throw this out there and see if others would pitch in as to the feasibility of this. How about the tides? I'd guess good beta could be had through sea kayakers. Probably an even better idea to go across in a sea kayak to get a feel. I can see boating/shipping/ferry lanes presenting a big timing/visibility problem... I guess swimming in Lake Washington for training. Triathlete's wetsuit and fins. Assuming stuff sacks for gear flotation, how would you swim with tethered gear? Maybe it's a simple answer, but I wonder about getting entangled. I can see the wetsuit being unbearably hot to run/hike in on the peninsula. That said, given the boating issues and hot neoprene, maybe choosing a typical rainy seattle weather day would be more appropriate? Having friends in kayaks for backup/visibility seems like a good idea, as does a nice eurovan waiting at the trailhead for the return. Something like 40 miles from Green Lake to the top? Maybe around six miles of that is swimming? Insomnia sucks. I think it's doable, but like mentioned above, you'll need someone in a boat to watch you and to carry your gear. If you decide to swim in Lake WA, I will swim with you as I am training in that lake as well. It's good prep, the tides just in that lake are much stronger than you would expect. 6 miles of swimming is a long way--it's about 180 pool lengths (and remember that swimming in a pool is WAY easier than open water swimming) BTW: You can't run that far in a wetsuit, you'd have to strip it off when you are on the other side of the water and retrieve it later. Quote
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