NINJAJOY blog

Swimming holes have a particular nostalgic really feel about them. Long prior to swimming pools had been common and in areas where there weren’t numerous beaches, kids 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 out there, and they aren’t just for the kids.

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 water around. 1 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 much 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 correct. Fifteen minutes later we passed the turnoff to Cripple Creek, along with a couple miles further we came more than a hill. There was a parking region on the left, with a sign that had the various BLM regulations posted for the region.

Throughout the road and over a hill, a small trail started straight down a narrow gorge. It was beautiful, with big boulders, cliffs on both sides, and flowers everywhere. The stream was very little, however, so we wondered if it could really create any decent swimming holes. About a mile straight down the trail we got our answer.

We saw the children prior to we saw the water. There had been a dozen young men and women, aged 16 to 22, sitting on rocks and grass and all looking in one direction. Following their gaze we looked in time to see one of them jump off a cliff and into a swimming hole that was about 40 feet across.

Of course 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 help me descend the last component, straight down to some low component with the cliff, just fifteen feet above the water. The deepest, and therefore safe, component of the drinking water was most likely only seven or eight feet across, so you have to jump with some accuracy. After leaning over the edge and staring down at the water for a minute or more, a young guy decided that I ought to go very first. I jumped quickly, because hesitation just makes it worse.

I didn’t hit bottom, and the water was deliciously cold. Afterwards Ana and I sat by the water and watched some with the crazier stunts. Two guys actually jumped off a sixty-five foot cliff on the other side of the swimming hole, fortunately landing in just the right component of the hole. It was almost too nerve-wracking to watch, so we walked down the stream, where we watched the trout scattering. It was a fantastic hike.

Finding Secret Swimming Holes

To find these spots, ask the locals. Should you purchase county map books for the states you’ll be in, you can look for small ponds and lakes that have only trails heading to them. You can also watch for anyplace that cars are parked, about the weekends especially. If individuals in shorts going off into the woods having a large cooler along with a towel, you can be certain they aren’t just hiking. In any case, it is a lot of fun just doing the exploring, even if you don’t discover any swimming holes.