Making Movies at Crescent Lake.

I'm back out on the Olympic Peninsula for work. A beautiful place that I am so lucky to get the State of Washington to pay for me to visit.  For some reason I totally miscalculated the amount of time it would take me to do the drive, so I arrived a good 2.5 hours before my meeting.  Luckily, I'd stashed my swimsuit in the car.  So I took off for Crescent Lake.

The area was quiet, but I parked and walked over to the lodge to change.  Oblivious as I am, I passed a sign that said "C1osed Set" [sic].  I didn't know what it meant, so I just walked on.  The front porch of the lodge looked like a rest stop on some long hiking trip. Tons of packs and food and a few rugged looking people.  The weather was wet, so most people were wearing fleece and rain jackets (this is the Pacific Northwest, so people wear that in the city too).

I didn't think much of it, figuring it was a place that backpackers used when needing to come into civilization or something. The Lodge clearly was closed as a restaurant and shop, unlike in the high season.

I walked in and changed into my suit.  I put my gear out on the porch among all the disarray, and went to get into the water.

As I approached, this was the scene on the dock.

A woman approached me and said "we are filming a movie and really can't have anyone on the dock."  I was unfazed, and went to enter the water from the rocky shore. Another person approached to say something similar, and I assured him that I wouldn't interfere with the shot.

He said their actor was a little wary of the temperature of the water, and he asked if I was going to wear a wetsuit.  I said no, but that I knew my body was acclimatized to cold water. I said I thought it was about 46, which is the same as Puget Sound, so I was fine.  Then I joked that if they needed a stunt double for the actor, I could fill in.

And off I sawm.  Boy was it glorious.

The first two minutes were the hardest. I just wanted to turn back. But the film crew watching me kept me going.  And I'm glad I did.  I warmed up. And I loved it.  The water was so still that I was the only creature making ripples, and I could watch them go across the whole lake.

I stayed in about 22 min, which was perfect.  I got a bit cold after getting dressed, but since I had no shower and the Lodge was not heated, I'd say that wasn't too big of a deal.

I talked to the movie staff again on my way out.  They said that technically this was a closed set, so no one not affiliated with the movie was supposed to be there.  OH, that's what that sign had meant!! I guess I don't have movie set cultural competence to know what it meant. However, they also welcomed me to watch from a distance. But I needed to get warm.  So I changed and left.

I'm really glad I made the trip out for a swim in my favorite Olympic National Park lake! And I'll look for the swim scene in "Light Me Up" if it ever comes to Seattle!