HOT...WARM...COLD Springs

Yesterday Riley and I went on an afternoon adventure to check out the local hot springs scene in Ketchum, Idaho. It was a fun 8 mile long mountain bike ride out to the springs on mostly dirt road. Compared to the springs of Thermopolis, WY or other such destinations that boast of geothermal heat sources, The Frenchman Hot Springs out warm springs road is primitive, relaxed, and relatively secluded.

 

A few moments after our arrival an SUV pulled up. A lady opened the car door (car parked in the middle of the road) and, with a cigarette glued to her lips, reached down to touch the water exclaiming, "It's not even a little bit warm!" So there it was...a cold springs. Nice for us, that meant that after snapping a quick picture the couple in the SUV went on there way. Riley and I then worked to figure out how to make that bath hot! We spent a while building up and reinforcing the rock barrier that is supposed to separate the rest of the river's (cold) current from where the hot water is bubbling in. It was a task that we could not complete with the resources we had and the cold weather, though I do think that we made a dent. The water seemed much warmer to me as I heated my chilled hands, but that could have been the relative temperature difference. Who knows? All I know is that it felt good.

 

After a faster ride back on the downhill, Riley and I enjoyed the warmth of a different type of hot springs. Ahhh...where there isn't a natural hot springs, may a human's hand install a hot tub!



It has been a treat to be here in Ketchum where we can run, walk, bike, swim, climb, and study everyday.
Cait