Dillon Lake Colorado

cthomas · #1 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008

Is anyone from Summit County?

sailhog · #2 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008

I've sailed on Lake Dillon. I'm from Steamboat Springs and now live on Hilton Head Island. The picture that is my avatar was taken on Lake Dillon. Fun tiki bar there.

cthomas · #3 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008

i am interested in the dillon open regatta. it's supposed to be the highest altitude race in the country. 9100 ft or so.

75R20 · #4 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008

I stayed there for a week or two a few years back. The lake is crazy cold. Funny rules there, like motors allowed but no swimming? is that correct? It's also the water supply for somewhere close...Denver? It is a beautiful area though. I enjoyed my time there and would love to go back.

Kary
#49080

sailhog · #5 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by 75R20

I stayed there for a week or two a few years back. The lake is crazy cold. Funny rules there, like motors allowed but no swimming? is that correct? It's also the water supply for somewhere close...Denver? It is a beautiful area though. I enjoyed my time there and would love to go back.

Kary
#49080

I didn't know about the no swimming ordinance, but I'm sure it has to do with the cold water. It's one of Denver's water sources, so when it's dry on the Front Range, they draw the water down by pumping it up and over the Divide. That's why you'll see the big bathtub rings around it during drought summers. Fun lake, though. You're either getting knocked down, or you're totally becalmed.

Coldwater · #6 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008

My brother kept his Cal20 on Dillon for a number of years. He has now moved to Hotchkiss. He has been sailing a long time, but found Dillon very challenging. Our local lake, Blue Mesa, is much the same. Either blasting, or calm, sudden direction changes, cold water, I think all of that is pretty standard with any lake surrounded by mountains.

werebeagle · #7 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008

It's been about 6 years since I was actually on Lake Dillon (although I've been by there many times since then) but I do remember people swimming when I was there. I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone would want to swim in water that cold, and I do realize that just because people are doing it doesn't mean it's legal.

bobmcgov · #8 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailhog

You're either getting knocked down, or you're totally becalmed.

QFT. Never becalmed very long, and you spend most of the respite anxiously craning about to see which direction the next gale-force wind is coming from.... Summer winds in the mountains don't so much blow as slosh up and down the valleys.

There are fabulous, strong, steady winds I call the Winter Trades, but by the time they set in the water is turning solid. It's blowing a perfectly even 25 kts WNW outside right now. Dammit.

Dillion has a sailing 'scene', which is rare in this region. Granby, too, tho their season is very limited. Some people trailer down to Pueblo to extend their summer.

sailhog · #9 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008

Bob,
Ain't that the truth! One of my most vivid memories of sailing on Lake Dillon is my youngest daughter, who was two years old then, screaming in the companionway when we suddenly went from 5 degrees to 40 degrees in about three seconds...

bobmcgov · #10 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008

Thirty five knots and climbing -- my poor wind turbine is prolly visible on infrared satellite right now.... Arrgh, I want to be sailing.

Hey Sailhog -- how's the sailing school at Dillon? That's the closest place to get a Basic Keelboat course.