swimmin\’ holes

Hey There World!

Today was an awesome day for visiting your favorite local swimmin’ hole. Today I visited one of my personal favorites, known as “Pipe Bridge”.  Pipe bridge is a short span of 1980’s steel crossing over the American River at the intersection of Northgate Blvd. and Highway 160 near Downtown Sacramento.  Yep, that is right, Downtown Sacramento.  Don’t think that because you live in a highly populated urban area there are no great swimmin’ holes available for your use.  “Pipe Bridge” is your classic old style swimmin’ hole complete with a rope swing. The waters of the American River swing past at a slower current at the bridge base than almost anywhere else on the American River making it the perfect place to soak in the fresh snow melt. A good way to judge if an area might be safe for swimmin’ before taking a dangerous plunge is to look at the speed of the leaves and other floatsam in the water to determine approximate speed, keep your eyes open for unusual ripples in the water that would indicate sunken logs and other items. The presence of sand is usually a good indicator of a reasonably safe place to swim. Nothing feels better on a hot summer day than fresh snow melt. The waters off the shallow beach at the base of “Pipe Bridge” can numb your skin in a matter of moments, so if you venture into snow melt be very careful of over exposure. Today, I kept it simple, no “urban camping” gear, no picnic, not a single piece of gear because it is a weekday and my time at the swimmin’ hole was limited. I keep a bag of essentials in the car at all times.  I keep a small transistor radio, three beach mats, insect repellent, and sun screen all together in a waterproof bag so I also have somewhere to stash my car keys and cell phone.  Never venture into the “uncharted” areas of your community without a cell phone or a larger group of people.  Our government has created a economic situation that, in this writers humble opinion, fosters and facilitates homelessness and not everyone in our undeveloped urban areas is a law abiding citizen.  When you venture out on your own explorations, make sure to keep yourself safe.  Tell someone the general direction of your wondering and how long you are going to be gone. Well back the adventure of the day; I had the essentials of course but no gear. It was an easy hike, keep in mind that the hike to get there is one of the reasons I think urban camping and swimin’ hole hunting is such good exercise. Often when someone is looking for the urban swimmin’ hole or the urban camp site parking is a little dicey.  Speaking from personal experience, I recommend leaving your car in a well populated area that is active 24/7. Avoid areas that are dark and unused at night, otherwise run the risk of an upleasant surprise when you get back to your car. For this particular urban swimmin’ hole there are two parking spots available. There is a parking lot ran by the County of Sacramento to allow bikers access to the bike trail near the North end of the bridge, and a 24 hour card room near the entrance to the bike trail at the South end of the bridge. Well,anyway, the water was sweet! The amazing feeling of freedom as I flew off the swing and smacked into the icy cold water was as exhilirating as always.  Please share with us your favorite swimmin’ holes and urban camp sites.