Starting Off The New Year With A Polar Bear Swim in Seattle's Lake Washington

You are looking 100s of New Year's Day Polar Bears running in to Lake Washington in Seattle on January 1, 2011. That photo was in the Seattle P-I, taken by Joshua Trujilo.

The water in Lake Washington was 46 degrees. The air around Lake Washington was heated to 29 degrees.

I have wondered before about how much more of a comfort level does an overweight person, particularly a morbidly obese person, has in extremely cold water.

Most of the people being Polar Bears and running in to Lake Washington did not appear to be benefiting from the insulative properties of having excessive adipose tissue.

I am currently in Texas. I did not take a Polar Bear dip in my pool this year. It was freezing. Last year, however, on January 1, I did dip into the pool. For a very short time.

I don't think I will go swimming in the cold today. I think I will go hiking instead. Polar Bear Hiking.