Cold Plunge with Friends!

My First Cold Plunge at Lake Crescent

For months, friends had been inviting me to join their weekly early-morning cold plunge at Lake Crescent. And for months, I refused. I didn’t buy into the hype, and I honestly didn’t believe anyone could enjoy that kind of cold.

But I knew this was a unique PNW experience that would be perfect for the blog… so I reluctantly agreed.

The night before, I had trouble sleeping. The idea of a cold plunge was looming over me like a tiny, icy cloud. (Cringe.)

The Morning

My friend Helene, the organizer of the plunge, offered some practical advice that made the whole thing feel doable:

• wear layers

• warm the car for re-entry

• bring a hot drink for the ride home

So I followed her instructions to the letter. I showed up at 7am, ready as I’d ever be.

The drive over was stunning, and I even spotted a herd of elk just a couple miles from the lake. That felt like a good omen.

The Plunge

Helene greeted me wearing a beanie, Crocs, and a big poncho over her swimsuit. She smiled and said the best thing to do is get in immediately — because delay only makes it harder.

She stepped in up to her knees, sat down, and kept her hands out of the water. (No benefit in soaking them, and it just makes you colder.)

I followed suit — but I knelt instead of sitting, because I was certain I’d roll backward underwater if I tried to sit without bracing myself.

Within seconds, the cold turned to numbness. My complaining stopped, and I found myself chatting peacefully about the day ahead and the beauty of the trees leafing out around the lake.

For a moment, it felt like the cold sealed the energy inside me and it began bouncing around, like my body had become a little internal power plant.

The Moment of Truth

The timer went off before we were ready to exit… so we stayed in voluntarily for a couple more minutes.

When we finally got out, we changed into dry clothes, said our goodbyes, and just like that — I think I’m hooked.