| | -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
-
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 1.64 Miles |
957 AEG |
| | Hiking | 1.64 Miles | 1 Hour 13 Mns | | 1.39 mph |
| 957 ft AEG | 2 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | I settled in to where I figured I would camp for the night and with daylight waning I decided to walk up the adjacent drainage to see what was there. It was dry and sandy and I wouldn't go far, so I didn't bring anything with me. After a few hundred yards a trickle of water appeared and I continued upstream where the sandy and rocky dry creekbed transformed more into bedrock and running water.
Up ahead I saw a small cascade, and as I approached I noticed what appeared to be a manmade dam of small rocks and dirt that created a little pool. It was odd to see here in this remote spot, but I've seen structures like this before, and know that there's a reason they've been constructed. So I dipped my hand into the water and nearly took my skin off it was so scalding hot.  What an unexpected surprise!
I was surprised there was no steam, but I guess the air temperature was too warm yet. Now, excited by the find and interested in the other water flowing from this canyon, I pressed on upstream from this hot pool, regularly dipping my hand in the creek as I went along, checking the temperature. Suddenly I happened upon a trickling waterfall about 40 feet high. Is there such a thing as a hot fall? Nah, it was cold. But I found a way to climb up. The rock was sketchy and I had no desire to descend where I had gone up. It looked like I could flank out on the left and descend a nearby drainage, so I continued upstream following this little creek until I found the spring source. It was in a gross little swampy seep area. Certainly not the beautiful spring I had hoped for. Then again, if it was, perhaps this would have been a much more popular spot! Even the most remote hot springs tend to make their way into the public consciousness after all.
I checked the water at the seep and most of it was typically cold, but one area just a foot away was flowing hot. How odd that right next to each other some water from the ground could be hot and other water surfacing just a few inches away could be cold. I know nothing about geothermal activity. I just found it to be interesting.
So then I figured I should make my way back to camp and decided to look for a safer way down. This brought me across a mountainside traverse that increasingly appeared to offer no way down. I pushed farther upstream until I would eventually reach the adjacent creek bottom and hoped I could follow it back down to the original hot pool location.
This went well for a short time before reaching a beautiful little fall into a deep grotto filled with columbine and moss. With some effort I knew I could climb down into this grotto and continue downstream but I wouldn't be able to get back up. And not knowing what I would find downstream, I couldn't commit to getting into this canyon and had to climb up the hillside looking for another alternative.
Eventually I found a steep scree slope that I could descend at least part of the way. It was along this route that I would find another wonderful hot pool of water, tucked partially into a little cave in the hillside. Next was the low-flung natural bridge followed by what was obviously an old mine shaft. The mine was filled with water that was a little bit warm but not as hot as the other pools. Probably a mix due to it's size and depth.
Of course by now it was getting dark. My camp walk suddenly became a little bit treacherous as it took me into difficult terrain with cliffs and mountain traverses and downclimbs. I had no headlamp with me. So I pushed to get back down to the canyon bottom. When I finally found a safe route and slid down, I landed at the bottom of a picturesque 25 foot waterfall. I was glad to have not dropped into the grotto farther upstream as this would have left me trapped with no easy way out.
The scramble from here down to the first hot pool was not too tough and when I got there I figured I could make it back to camp in the dark, so I took the time to set up a diversion of cold creek water into the hot pool until it became bearable enough to enjoy a few minutes of soaking. I had earned it. |
| _____________________
| I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies. |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
