Taking the Plunge
03/31/2025 12:50PM ● By Suzi Mitchell
Caroline Tylenius, Suzi Mitchell and Emmanuelle Vital take an icy dip in the Yampa River. Photo by Gavin Liddell.
The jolt I feel as my bare feet step onto snowy ground is enough to make me question my decision to jump into the ice-cold Yampa River. I’m standing on the bank with one of my closest friends, long-time local Caroline Tylenius, and our wide eyes connect. We laugh, then take a deep breath...and in we go.
We are subscribers to the benefits of the cold plunge concept and are often joined by a handful of others who equally buy into its benefits. Maybe it’s our heritage – I’m a Scot and she’s a Swede. We’ve grown up on windswept beaches, willingly submerging in chilly seas.
“There is something about the way your body and mind feels after jumping into that cold water,” Caroline says. “The energy that rushes through you, the feeling of your brain resetting and your blood pumping. I have not yet found anything quite like it. It makes you feel alive and is very addicting."
We are three-season dippers and take a break when ice forms on the surface. During runoff we opt for lakes and ponds and return when the current dictates our safety.
Post-pandemic, the craze for wild swimming and cold dipping exploded, and the benefits are said to be wide ranging. Research touts everything from reduced inflammation and blood pressure to promoting mental wellbeing.
“Each dip requires a moment of courage and surrender,” says Emmanuelle Vital, another cold-plunging friend of mine. "Whether I’m diving solo or alongside a fellow cold-water seeker, these plunges evoke a sense of unity that runs deep, long after the shivers subside."
Caroline Tylenius, Suzi Mitchell and Emmanuelle Vital take an icy dip in the Yampa River. Photo by Gavin Liddell.
The time we spend in the water extends as the temperature rises. In summer months, it can be hard to climb out. Depending on the season, we venture out with a flask of hot tea or happy hour provisions. It’s not just about the intense union with nature that inspires us outside in any weather, clad in swimsuits, but the connection with one another.
In the water we can be vulnerable. “The currents of connection ripple far beyond the water’s edge, reminding us of our bond with nature and with one another,” Emmanuelle says. Most of us are transplants and grew up on coasts throughout Europe. Steamboat Springs is home, but each of us craves the sea and our wild water dips fulfill a longing.
“For me, it’s the magic of Mother Nature,” Caroline says. "The sound of birds, the wind in the trees and on your body, the stillness, maybe the beginnings of a storm picking up, or snow falling and melting on your warm skin. I always feel more grounded afterwards.”
Passersby sometimes question what we are doing, especially on colder days. We are just a few of the many people around the world who are happily addicted to a sensation none of us can fully explain.
“These rivers, lakes and streams around us are more than recreational spots,” Emmanuelle says. “They are life itself and connect us to something far greater than ourselves."
The jolt I feel as my bare feet step onto snowy ground is enough to make me question my decision to jump into the ice-cold Yampa River. I’m standing on the bank with one of my closest friends, long-time local Caroline Tylenius, and our wide eyes connect. We laugh, then take a deep breath...and in we go.
We are subscribers to the benefits of the cold plunge concept and are often joined by a handful of others who equally buy into its benefits. Maybe it’s our heritage – I’m a Scot and she’s a Swede. We’ve grown up on windswept beaches, willingly submerging in chilly seas.
“There is something about the way your body and mind feels after jumping into that cold water,” Caroline says. “The energy that rushes through you, the feeling of your brain resetting and your blood pumping. I have not yet found anything quite like it. It makes you feel alive and is very addicting."
We are three-season dippers and take a break when ice forms on the surface. During runoff we opt for lakes and ponds and return when the current dictates our safety.
Post-pandemic, the craze for wild swimming and cold dipping exploded, and the benefits are said to be wide ranging. Research touts everything from reduced inflammation and blood pressure to promoting mental wellbeing.
“Each dip requires a moment of courage and surrender,” says Emmanuelle Vital, another cold-plunging friend of mine. "Whether I’m diving solo or alongside a fellow cold-water seeker, these plunges evoke a sense of unity that runs deep, long after the shivers subside."
Caroline Tylenius, Suzi Mitchell and Emmanuelle Vital take an icy dip in the Yampa River. Photo by Gavin Liddell.
The time we spend in the water extends as the temperature rises. In summer months, it can be hard to climb out. Depending on the season, we venture out with a flask of hot tea or happy hour provisions. It’s not just about the intense union with nature that inspires us outside in any weather, clad in swimsuits, but the connection with one another.
In the water we can be vulnerable. “The currents of connection ripple far beyond the water’s edge, reminding us of our bond with nature and with one another,” Emmanuelle says. Most of us are transplants and grew up on coasts throughout Europe. Steamboat Springs is home, but each of us craves the sea and our wild water dips fulfill a longing.
“For me, it’s the magic of Mother Nature,” Caroline says. "The sound of birds, the wind in the trees and on your body, the stillness, maybe the beginnings of a storm picking up, or snow falling and melting on your warm skin. I always feel more grounded afterwards.”
Passersby sometimes question what we are doing, especially on colder days. We are just a few of the many people around the world who are happily addicted to a sensation none of us can fully explain.
“These rivers, lakes and streams around us are more than recreational spots,” Emmanuelle says. “They are life itself and connect us to something far greater than ourselves."