You have to love an environmentalist who can swim the 315 mile length of the Hudson River and live to tell about it, even if it just reinforces the stereotype that environmentalists are "crazy" - and Gothamist means "crazy" in the best sense of the word (like "Crazy for You" or "Krazee Eyez Killa"). Christopher Swain became the first person to swim the Hudson last week, from Lake Tear of the Clouds all the way down to the Verrazano Bridge, in an effort to inspire people to clean up the river in the Swim For Clean Water. Swain swam over the course of two months, with a snack-bearing friend in a canoe alongside him. You can see early parts of his swim journal here, but the NYC leg of the trip hasn't been posted. Luckily, the local tabloids have had fun with his quest, with the Daily News headline being Stink or Swim last week and the Post having Love That Dirty Water. The Post also notes that Swain has collected 500 pounds of garbage, while spotting washing machines, snowmobiles, and bicycles in the river; and for those wondering, Swain does pee into his wetsuit while swimming. Also, some of what he's swallowed: raw sewage, gasoline, soapy detergent, and paint chips. BLECH! Understandably, he had to take a sick day once.

Wikipedia on the Hudson River. Tomorrow morning, the NYC-born but current Vermont-residing 36 year-old accupuncturist Swain will be on Today in NY on Channel 4 (between 5-7AM). And last year, Swain swam the Columbia River.