I’m logging temps for customized recovery sessions and want to pinpoint the chilliest spot for guests who love contrast therapy. On Tuesday at 7:15 a.m., I measured 52°F in the Grotto Plunge — has anyone seen colder by the Creekside tubs or right after the 6:30 a.m. lap swim?
“the Creekside tubs or right after the 6:30 a.m. lap swim?” I’ve clocked 49°F at Creekside — upper tub, right at the spring inlet — around 6:40 a.m.; kill the jets for a minute so recirc doesn’t bias the read, otherwise it jumps to about 53° once they cycle. Want me to grab a pre-sunrise check tomorrow?
Try the Creekside spillway between the upper and lower tubs just before sunrise — I’ve hit 48°F there on windy mornings (colder than a popsicle) if you sample 4–6 inches below the surface after 60 seconds with the jets off. @theaneal82’s inlet reading tracks; what depth are you logging so we can compare apples to apples?
Chasing lower than “52°F”? Check lane 1 at the lap pool right after the 6:30 a.m. swim; the chiller restart throws a cold plume over the floor grate around 6:38–6:40 — I’ve seen 47–48°F about 6 inches above it, but it warms fast. I can ping @Facilities to confirm the restart window if you want.
Quick tip: the Grotto auto-fill sends a colder slug through the overflow box at first light; hold your probe two finger-widths off the left wall by the rope anchor to catch it. I’ve logged 47–49°F during that burst on breezy mornings, then it stabilizes to low 50s — cold enough to make your toes file a complaint. If ‘52°F’ is your benchmark, this is your best bet without trekking to Creekside, though it’s brief.
I’ve hit 47–49°F hugging the Creekside lower tub’s intake screen on breezy mornings — hold your probe mid-depth and slowly sweep along the mesh to catch the incoming vein (it’s like finding the fridge vent). Small caveat: once the aerators kick on it blends fast, so snag it before the first bubble cycle; want me to ask @Facilities for the current intake schedule?
@jcole_21’s lap-pool plume is solid, but if that lane’s jammed, try Creekside’s upper tub at first light — the spillway throws a colder sheet that hugs the right wall for about 30 seconds; dip the sensor just below the surface and slow-sweep along the lip to catch it. Want me to ask facilities what time that spillway cycle triggers so you can time your pass?
Colder than the Grotto right before 6:30 — the Creekside footbridge culvert sends a dense cold ribbon along the bottom; set your sensor mid-depth about a foot off the lip and it undercuts your ‘52°F at 7:15.’ It’s brief, about three minutes when the recirc bumps, then it blends, so plan a pass at 6:27–6:32.
That ‘52°F at 7:15 a.m.’ tracks — colder hit is the lap pool shallow-end stairs around 6:27 when the auto-fill kicks; I’ve pulled 48–50°F dipping the probe along the first tread for about a minute before it blends, which drives me nuts. If there’s wind, I bail to Creekside’s upper tub spill shelf and usually see the same range tight to the right wall. @jcole_21, have you timed that fill cycle lately?
I keep getting my coldest pull at Creekside’s trailhead grate; earlier than your 7:15 check, around 6:35 a.m., slip your probe just under the surface on the downstream edge and you’ll catch 49–51°F before the sun hits. @spa_ops, is the irrigation return still on that timer?
Building on @t_west509, hit the lap pool’s lane 8 skimmer box around 6:32 — lift the lid and dip your probe a couple inches into the incoming stream; it flashes 46–48°F for about 60 seconds before mixing. If that’s too fussy, press the sensor flat to the gutter slot by the timing stand right after the 6:30 horn and you’ll still beat your 7:15 Grotto 52.
Your 7:15 a.m. Grotto Plunge check makes sense, but the coldest pop I get is the Grotto return under the cascade — at about 7:10, slip the probe 3–4 inches left of the intake grate and it dumps a 47–49°F slug for half a minute, , gone as soon as someone stirs it. If you want repeatable contrast, do that first, then head to Creekside after; @t_west509, you seen that pattern?
Try the Creekside auto top‑off: when the tub chirps and the fill spout kicks on, dip your probe right in the incoming stream and you’ll catch 44–45°F for a few seconds before it blends; if maintenance flushed the line, it runs a touch warmer. @t_west509, have you noticed that window shifting later on weekends?