The water was always cold at the swimming hole.
It was a really interesting spot. The main summer camp that I worked at college was set in this valley in the catskills, and you had to walk up the trail to where the valley narrowed higher in the cleft of the ridges to find the swimming hole. If I knew geography I would be able to explain using the proper terms. If I knew geology I could explain why the creek ran over a small waterfall before continuing on a deep split in the rocks that widened into a shallower pool.
There was a legend about the swimming hole made up probably by some hippy who worked there in 70s about it being a sacred spot of the local mohawk tribe way back in the day.
I didn’t ever really get to hear the whole story because I worked in the kitchen at the camp. It was an interesting job, a lot of the staff had regular interactions with the campers, going on hikes and doing crafts and archery and all that stuff, but we were in that sweltering kitchen for 3 meals a day, and doing prep and clean up between them as well.