Why Am I Swimming The Mohawk River Now?

People ask why I am swimming the Mohawk River now, in the late fall. 

It's a fair question.

Why couldn't I have done this swim in the summer?  The simple answer?  There is not enough water in the Mohawk River during the warmer months of the year.

I  could attempt a swim in the spring when the ice melts--and contend with debris, logs, freezing and water temperatures--or I could wait for the fall storms to raise the water level and deal with the same freezing water temperatures.

Those were my only two real options. 

I chose the fall.