St. Joseph’s Lake

I’m not sure why I didn’t realize this was a separate lake the first time I visited Notre Dame when I was in high school in 1993. Or maybe I did realize it, but St. Mary’s Lake just held a particular sway for me.
In any case, St. Joseph’s Lake is probably more beautiful than its westerly cousin – er, (unconsummated) spouse? I say «probably» because it depends on what you like. If you’d rather walk around a mostly flat path without trees obstructing your view, then St. Mary’s Lake is your girl. But if you like changing elevations, paths that sometimes take strange turns, and the wonder of a mysterious island with a locked gate, then St. Joseph’s Lake is your boy.
Yes, I know, both lakes have islands; and technically, St. Mary’s Lake has more of them, but one of St. Joseph’s Lake’s islands is connected to the shore by a footpath, and there’s this weird gate that’s usually locked, although if you don’t mind getting wet, it’s pretty easy to get around. (Believe me, I know.)
If the weather’s particularly nice, you can rent a boat and sail around the lake. I never did this, but when my brother was in town for my graduation, he really wanted to. The lake is strange during the winter because it doesn’t freeze. Why not? Well, Notre Dame has its own power plant (coal-​fired, unfortunately), which is cooled by St. Joseph’s Lake. After the water is used, it is pumped back into the lake, which ensures that the water is always too warm to freeze. This causes quite a lot of confusion for the local waterfowl. Normally, ducks and geese fly south for the winter, and this is largely the case for Notre Dame’s ducks and geese. But even in the middle of winter, you’ll find some ducks swimming around St. Joseph’s Lake, and I often wonder whether this ruins their natural instincts.
I’m not very athletic, but if I were, I would be one of those people who run around this lake and then St. Mary’s Lake in what seems like a decently challenging but also relaxing jog. If you’re a woman and you choose to run around St. Joseph’s Lake, you should probably bring some mace along. I’ve never felt unsafe walking around the lake, even in the middle of the night in really cold weather, but it is kind of spooky, and there are a lot of places to hide.