Join an enthusiastic crew of swimmers each morning on a trek across the Willamette. Stay for a cup of java after. Photo: Courtesy of Human Access Project
This summer, start your day off with a lap across the Willamette River with a pod of open water enthusiasts known as the River Hugger Swim Team.
State of swim: The team dives in at 7am every Monday through Saturday (until Sept. 15) at the east side of the Hawthorne Bridge — making their way to Tom McCall Park Bowl on the west side and back again in under an hour.
The group is accompanied by kayakers and stand up paddlers to ensure their safety. Swimmers usually dry off and get their caffeine fix at nearby Water Avenue Coffee afterward.
The swim is part of Human Access Project's advocacy efforts to drum up public awareness that the Willamette River is safe to swim in.
What they're saying: "The Huggers are an awesome gumbo of community, activism and exercise," Willie Levenson, founder of HAP, told Axios.
The team is open to all intermediate swimmers and above, which Levenson defines as "being able to swim a mile in a pool in under 45minutes."
If you go: The first swim costs $20 and includes a green River Hugger Swim Team Cap. Each additional swim is $6.
