The weekend so far has been a windy one. 15 MPH winds out of the east and for Lake Monona, that is a poor direction for this lake. The far east shorline along the city of Monona’s shoreline isn’t very well sheltered like the north shorline and the Isthmus and it is also very shallow in spots. Over in the bay, the east shoreline corresponds to the John Nolen Drive and railrode track shoreline, neither of which do much blocking of the wind since they sit maybe 8 feet above the water level.

Yesterday evening we had planned to do some skiing, but with the strong winds and the threat of scattered showers and it just not being very warm, we called it and decided to head out another day. Without an evening of skiing, we decided to head out latter that night. The group started off small at the Dane in Fitchburg before migrating to the Essen Haus and Come Back Inn where reinforcements showed up. Here’s a picture of the survivors of the night of revelry.

It’s nearly 230am we are are all doing fine!!!

After getting home much too late, Saturday morning came early. I hooked up the boat, loaded stuff up and proceeded to head down to the ski team work day. That’s when I figured out my brakes were not quiet right in the truck. Coming down a hill, not even going fast, I finally get the truck to stop after pushing my foot through the floor practically and then I saw puffs of smoke come from both my right and left front tires. I decided to head back home and started making some calls. About 2 hours latter with a different vehicle I headed to the work day.

When the work day finished up, Sandy and I talked 7 in to acting as our third. I had my rope setup for the barefoot race next weekend and wanted to try it out before hand. After braving the white caps and making it to the bay, we were set to try it out. Well the rope worked and that is when the fun started…

7 was driving the boat and comes back to pick me up. He’s comes over, a little hot, then leaves it in gear as I try to swim to the back off the boat through the prop wash. I climb into the boat and as I’m checking to see if the rope is clear before Sandy hops in and the boat drifts over the prop and you can guess what happens next.

“Stop the boat!!!”

I see rope coming from the distinct location of the prop area. Not good. Pull on the rope. No dice. I get back into the water and dive under the boat and try to untangle it. Still no dice. I’m out breath from the barefoot runs still so Sandy joins me the water.

Now you need to remember that Sandy lived in Florida for three years before moving back last fall. She’s use to nice warm water and bright sunny days. today there was some sun, but not much. There was also some warmth, if you call 65 degrees warm. Just not great weather for our Florida girl’s first runs of the year… if we can get the rope off the prop.

10 minutes later were still playing with the rope. Then I get the idea of lets take the ski platform off the back of the boat, then we don’t need to dive under the water to play with the rope. Platforms off and work on the rope resumes.

20 minutes or so later, we are officially frustrated, laughing about it and slowly making progress. 7 is high and dry in the boat. He hadn’t planned on skiing and didn’t have any ski equipment with him. I tell 7 to grab the camera out of my bag so he can capture our feelings about him at this point in time…

No, we’re not giving you the reader the finger, these are for 7 who
is standing on the other side of the camera and is nice and dry.

We finally get the rope off the prop, apparently undamaged. Both Sandy and I are very cold after spending 30+ minutes in the 60 degree water. 60 degree water is fine for ski sets, but spend some significant time and the toes go a little numb and legs get cold. Sandy was cold enough we she even called it a day without even taking a set. Can’t blame her.

We make our way back to the landing and head home.

Can’t say it was a great day on the lake, but the rope I made up for the barefoot race worked and we have a great story to tell about 7 for the rest of eternity.

Up north here in Madison we had some very good weather this past weekend… considering it is still April, 70s on Saturday and pushing 80 on Sunday.

On Friday night, it was just a little tortuous to not hit the lake with the good weather, but I had planned on attending a concert that night. Plus everyone that would’ve been skiing with me was going to the concert too. Caught the Wisconsin Singers and UW MadHatters at the Wisconsin Union Theater doing a fund raiser for the UW Children’s Hospital. The Wisconsin Singers were good, they combine unique arrangements of popular music with dance and they pulled off both pretty good. The MadHatters were wow… Definitely recommend catching them at some point in their own show. Very glad I went to the show. After the show we (Bugs, Ronée, Imhoff and myself) hit up the Great Dane and then a piano bar.) Made for a late night but it was a lot of fun.

After working on the our ski team’s doc most of the morning and mowing my lawn that afternoon, I hit the lake on Saturday afternoon with 7, John and Beau. The forecast called for a calm 5 MPH wind out of the northwest. In reality, we had 15 MPH winds gusting to 20. Not ideal ski conditions, but actually a pretty good direction for the wind to come from for Lake Monona. Skied along the John Nolen Drive shore in relatively calm water. Had a couple nice foot runs. The main lake is now a balmy 49 degrees. I braved it with just a wetsuit, but it was cold.

49 Degree Water and I Still Have a Smile on My Face

For those that don’t know, this is how you get up barefooting…

Beautiful day for a barefoot walk around the lake…

7 Displaying is mad wakeboarding skills… can’t give him too much crap… he did make a wake 180

7 can legitimately slalom… nice cut, tight rope, good tail [nice photo by John too!]

John posing for the camera before his run

John on the slalom ski

John on the slalom ski again

Then Beau shows up and back foots

That night I hit the Weary Traveler and ran into T-Bell. Ate some dinner, drank some German Pilsner and then headed across the street to celebrate Bug’s 30th birthday.

The next day I hit the lake with T-Bell and Lisa D. Once again the wind was strong, this time out of the southwest and still pushing 20 MPH with even stronger gusts. We hit the bay in search of calm water. Monona Bay, just off the main lake, had a water temp of about 59 degrees… much nicer. I was still a bit drained from the previous day (read into that what you want) but once I hit the water, I felt great. Still felt sun burned though. Lisa braved the water in little more than her swim suit and didn’t complain. T-Bell, sporting a barefoot suit claimed we were lying about the water being nice and warm.

One of my runs from Sunday… managed to do a couple brief one foots for the first time this year…

Lisa D on her slalom ski. She braved the water in little more than her swim suit. Hadn’t skied in nearly a year
and still can cut it up on the slalom ski. Managed to maintain her cuts all the way through the wake.

Finished up on Sunday by attending our dry land practice… nothing like centering four highs with sun burned shoulders. Not so fun.

All in all, a very good weekend, even with the wind. Now I just need about another 30 or so of these and I’ll be a happy camper.

Links to full size versions of these pictures:
– Skiing with John, 7 & Beau
– Skiing with T-Bell & Lisa D

BTW, tonight, its pouring rain again. Severe t-storm warning is probably causing my HD recording of 24 to be in SD. That’ll piss me off. Stupid weather.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Hit the water yesterday. Nice weather, but a little breezy. We (7, Beau and myself) tried to avoid the wind by hitting the lake early (10am), but still no luck.

I left the dry suit at home and wore the wet suit to brave the 50 degree water. Just cold enough where when you jump in, you go, damn this is cold, really cold… and then you kinda get use to it.

Still no major accomplishments or feats to document, other than getting my wet suit on over my barefoot shorts and thermal shirt – it fit fine the night before without the barefoot shorts and thermal shirt, I zipped it up myself without any difficulties.

Really, it wasn’t this difficult the night before. It zipped right up.

Managed to do 5 back to back barefoot runs, all fairly short as we cruised the south shore of the bay, the only calm spot of water.

And I wonder why it felt like I had a face full of water on some of the runs?

7 tried out his mad wake boarding skillz, but really didn’t stay up long enough for us to get any good pics. Here he is doing a step off since he didn’t want to ride around on his ass all day trying to do a deep in the cool water. And yes, he is sporting a dry suit.

Beau tested his old school jet ski out in the main lake and braved the 45 degree water. It is with great difficulty I admit to helping a jet skier get out on the water. Can’t believe I let a mosquito loose on the lake.

My antics of making silly little mistakes that are water skiing related in the early spring continue. Last year I left my wet suit and thermal shirt on the sun deck and nearly lost both of them. John and I managed to find the wet suit floating on the shoreline about 2 hours later.

On Tuesday, I was pumped to go skiing. I had just returned from a business trip and while I was on it, my buddy Dale kept messaging me about how nice the weather was back in Wisconsin, commenting about how the lake was glass calm. Needless to say, I was anxious to get on the water, so while flying back on Monday I managed to round up another skier and the game plan was set for skiing on Tuesday.

Although the morning started with glass calm water and a temp near 60, by the time we hit the lake after work, the temp was still about 60, but the wind was now about 15 MPH out of the NE. The water was no longer glass. And to top that off, the docks weren’t in the water yet. That meant I’d have to launch the boat and then swim out to it after parking the truck. Not fun in the cold water. Just as T-Bell and I are ready to head out and launch the boat, Dr. Sandy rolls up on her blades. We manage to talk her into backing the boat in and parking the truck (it wasn’t difficult) and that saved me a swim in the lake. Needless to say, this made the trip just a little bit better. So we quickly rush and put the boat in the water.

After cruising for a couple minutes to let the engine run up to temperature, we headed to the bay looking for calmer water (this requires a slow idle through a no wake zone). We then cruise around the bay, checking to see where all the crew teams were and where the UW-Ski Team was. We stop and chat with them a bit and then head back to the bridge to set up for the first run. All the while in the bay, I had noticed the boat was taking off just a bit sluggishly.

Then T-Bell chimed in… “Why is there water coming up through the floor?”

I glance down to where I keep the plug and it is sitting there and not where it should be, which is in the bottom of the boat. I turn off the engine, turn on the bilge pump, open the engine cover, and there is water up to the level of the floor. After a little twisting and turning, I manage to get the plug in and then we wait. Wait for the water to get pumped out of the boat…

A few minutes later, the water is just about gone so I grab the handle and hop into the water, ready to go. A couple quick runs later I’m ready to let Teri take her turn.

Now Teri is notorious for talking the talk about going skiing in cold weather and cold water, but on a night like tonight, with the wind thrown in, I thought she might wuss out. But she went. She takes a few runs, trying some tumbles and then calls it a night. She even commented that the water wasn’t that cold. I then take one more run until I to finally fall when we get to the rough water. Tired, and now cold, we call it a night.

And yes, back at the dock I had to jump back into the water, swim to shore to get the truck.

Here are some pics from the evening of cold weather skiing…

Nothing special, just me footing…

Nothing special, just me footing… again…

I’m the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

T-Bell in the Driver’s Seat

A Blurry T-Bell

One of T-Bell’s Runs

First set, T-Bell tries a tumble… didn’t quite make it all the way around.

T-Bell and Me – Dry Suits don’t do much for my figure

The Keg has been Tapped. The Water Ski Season has Begun…

Game On!!!

After scouting the Madison lakes late last week, it became evident that they weren’t going to open by this weekend. They are close, but not there yet. They weren’t going to cooperate with me breaking when I begin my ski season. My deadline was Monday the 26 and the lakes weren’t going to be open by then.

I did find out that Beaver Dam was at least a little bit open. Their show site was open, and that was about it. Just past the show site the ice was looming out there. We launched the boat and suited up. Weather was in the 60’s, sun was shining, wind was calm, but wasn’t sure on the water temp. It did still contain ice, so it wasn’t warm. Although the weather was good, fog still loomed over the ice.

Mike took the first run, braving it in a barefoot suit over a long wetsuit. Had to be cold. I took the next. I eased into the water, grabbed the rope and away we went. Here are some pictures.

Here I’m doing my best “Stay Puff Marshmellow Man” impression.

See the ice float just behind me? I’m pretending to be an ice cube right now.

Surprisingly, being in the water isn’t the really cold portion of skiing in the spring. The coldest part is when you’re up, face is wet, and you’re moving 40+ MPH. The wind chill is horrible.

Still hanging on…

Next up was John. He provided some spectacular falls that everyone wishes we had on video.

Finally, Erich from Beaver Dam took a leisurely slalom run.

And one final comment… None of us were sure what the brown stuff floating in the water was. We saw the stuff clinging to bottom and floating up from the bottom, but no idea what was. It did turn the normally white spray from the boat brown.

Mike and I took a second run each. I should have some video footage of that soon.

Here are some final shots of the lake and ice…

The water was glass calm.

For all of the pictures from the ski set, you can get them here:

2007-03-24 – Skiing – First Time on the Water in 2007