Ride to the hot springs

Sharon and I in the hot springs.

A ride that I’d not been on before was down to the hot springs down river from the Reservoir.  It was a very nice ride that (of course) ends at a hot spring!  The ride is a level, gentle one.  I didn’t have to shut my eyes once! 

  We started the ride by trailering the horses to the trail head, 

and crossing a wooden bridge on horseback.  

Due to winter tree fall it did require getting off the horses and leading them over some boulders and under a fallen tree. 

At the end of the trail (for the horses) we tied the horses up to trees, pulled our lunch, bathing suit and towel out of our saddle bags and continued a short way on foot (our own).  There were two ways to get to the hot springs; one was across some slippery rocks the other was up and over those rocks. 

We ate a bag lunch and went to the “ladies changing room” which, of course, was walking up and around some boulders and changing behind them.  

Tom didn't wait to put on a bathing suit - he went in wearing his Wranglers!

The hot springs have been modified a bit to allow for some nice soaking.  Some unknown person mortared some rocks to help form two pools and they also funneled the water into the pools by stuffing flexible tubing into crevasses where hot water came out and directing those tubes to the specific pool.

There were three temperatures.  Warm, hot, and scalding.  By having the scalding water drain down the rocks it allowed it to cool a bit so you don’t burn yourself.  The other two temperature waters combined to fill the pool with a perfectly comfortable temperature water.  I’d guess it was about 90 degrees – I stayed in the pool for about 30 minutes before I got too warm. 

We played around some - setting Edward to work with the scrub brush 

But eventually it was time to hit the trail.

It was the only trail ride I can remember where we rode alongside the river almost the whole way. 

It was very beautiful and the water was crystal clear and rushing hard.  

Don't you just love the sound of hooves on a wooden bridge?!

I'm already looking forward to doing that ride again!