Traditional Polar Bear Plunge

My grandfather was never the most talkative about things native american, but then I only knew him really in high school.  But on one occasion the group of us (us being whatever collection of grandkids happened to be around that day) got him talking about how our people lived before contact and in particular the sweat lodges and the morning rituals.

How I remember the story from when I was about 14:  All the men and older boys would sleep separately in a sweat lodge.  Each morning, the youngest make members of the family would build the fire and heat the stones, then drop them into the water basket to make the sweat lodge hot and steamy.  You began the day by sweating and clearing away everything from the previous day and night.  After a good sweat, they would go and walk or run into the river adjacent to the village.  In winter, if there was ice, they would keep an area broken free so that they could wade into the water and wash away the sweat.

I do not have a sweat lodge, and sleep on cotton sheets, but I have always liked the thought of the plunging into cold water to start the day fresh.  Instead, I end up doing that once a year on New Year's Day at a Polar Bear Plunge.

Every year at 12 noon on New Years Day, there is a polar bear plunge at Double Bluff park in Freeland, WA. You donate $15 to the local 4-H, get a free t-shirt, and get to jump into the cold ocean!

A great tradition, and one that I will continue to enjoy, maybe next year one of my boys will join me!