Swimming holes have a certain nostalgic really feel about them. Long before swimming pools had been common and in areas exactly where there weren’t many beaches, children had to go to some wide spot in a stream, or to an old rock quarry to swim. Perhaps you did this as a child. Well, these spots are still available, and they aren’t just for the children.
Searching For A Swimming Hole
When we recently moved from Arizona to Canon City (pronounced canyon) in Colorado, we had been looking forward to having drinking water around. One of the real estate agents at the closing on our house told us about a swimming hole he had been to. He even drew us a small map, and it wasn’t more than a week prior to we went looking for it.
We took highway 50 west out of town, then went north on highway 9. We came to Road # 11, and consulting our hand-drawn map, took a right. Fifteen minutes later we passed the turnoff to Cripple Creek, along with a couple miles further we came over a hill. There was a parking region on the left, having a sign that had the numerous BLM regulations posted for that region.
Across the road and over a hill, a little trail started straight down a narrow gorge. It was beautiful, with big boulders, cliffs on both sides, and flowers everywhere. The stream was really small, nevertheless, so we wondered if it could really produce any decent swimming holes. About a mile straight down the trail we got our answer.
We saw the children before we saw the drinking water. There had been a dozen young men and women, aged 16 to 22, sitting on rocks and grass and all searching in one direction. Following their gaze we looked in time to see 1 of them jump off a cliff and into a swimming hole that was about 40 feet across.
Needless to say I had to try it, so I climbed the hill above the hole and crossed more than to the rocks. There was a rope to assist me descend the last component, straight down to a low part of the cliff, just fifteen feet above the drinking water. The deepest, and therefore safe, part of the drinking water was probably only seven or eight feet across, so you have to jump with some accuracy. Following leaning over the edge and staring straight down at the drinking water for a minute or more, a young guy decided that I ought to go very first. I jumped quickly, simply because hesitation just makes it worse.
I didn’t hit bottom, and the drinking water was deliciously cold. Afterwards Ana and I sat by the drinking water and watched some of the crazier stunts. Two guys actually jumped off a sixty-five foot cliff about the other side with the swimming hole, fortunately landing in just the correct component of the hole. It had been almost too nerve-wracking to watch, so we walked straight down the stream, where we watched the trout scattering. It was a wonderful hike.
Finding Secret Swimming Holes
To discover these spots, ask the locals. Should you buy county map books for that states you’ll be in, you are able to appear for little ponds and lakes that have only trails heading to them. You are able to also watch for anyplace that cars are parked, on the weekends particularly. If individuals in shorts going off into the woods with a big cooler along with a towel, you could be sure they aren’t just hiking. In any case, it is lots of fun just doing the exploring, even if you don’t find any swimming holes.