Kawkawa Lake/Hope/Harrison – It’s not the cold temperatures that has frozen the 2022 annual jump into Kawkawa Lake for New Years Day.
It’s the gathering restrictions.
Hope Organizer Brian McKinney posted to Facebook on Tuesday:
Back in the good ‘ole days when there was no such thing as cancellations > ugh. Some folks have been asking about this year’s Polar Bear Swim and although it would have made for perfect conditions! Sorry gang. Lets turn the page on this year and get things back on track – lets make 2022 the year we get back to celebrating here, there and everywhere!
…”it would have made for the most ideal swimming conditions”…
Now McKinney is still hopeful that the 40th anniversary of the release of the Hope shot First Blood, the first of the Rambo movies, will still go ahead later in the year.
In Harrison, usually Harrison’s Fire Department organizes a New Years plunge but that has been cancelled as well. Also in Harrison Lake, a few sailboats had drifted away from their moorings during the recent storm and are in various stages of sinking. SAR will not go to those boats and no one is in danger. Owners have to rely on salvage companies to do the cold wet work.
From 2017 on YouTube:
