We’re becoming quite the hot springs hunters now, but the
first time we went is still one of my favorites. We left Placerville toward
Bodie which is on the eastern border of California, just north of Mono Lake, a
few hours away from home. Bodie is an abandoned mining town from a long time
ago. Apparently the town is virtually untouched, other than tourists who come
by. The houses are pretty well sealed off however, so the insides are pretty
safe from visiting people. The long dirt road leading up to the town is a tool
I think to let anticipation build as you approach. Some of the structures are
weathered and falling apart pretty badly but
are still full of furniture and items that the families probably used to
use (sewing machine, old newspapers, carriage, etc). There are also tools
around that were used for mining like elevators, carts, machine parts and such.
The town has a beautiful eerie feeling to it. When we went it was lightly
snowing and freezing cold so there weren’t many others around and the quiet was
overwhelming.
Perfect for exploring.
After we left the town we were both ready to warm up. Just
down the road is Travertine Hot Springs. Travertine has three adjacent pools
large enough for a whole group of people, each decreasing slightly in temperature.
The water is grey and the bottom is a sort of muddy clay. We were covered in it
and it felt great! If you hike a little ways over the hill that the pools are
on there is another tub that was amazing. Its perfect size for two people, hot
water, and has this epic view. We spent most of our time in this pool alone
taking in our surroundings.
We left Travertine and headed toward Buckeye Hot Springs,
maybe a half an hour away. They are on the other side of 395 outside of
Bridgeport, CA. The road to get to the springs is also long and dirt but was
enjoyable. When we arrived it was already dark, so it was fun trying to find
the spot where the pools actually lie. Unfortunately this also means that we
didn’t get any photos from this spot, but it was great! The hot spring flows
down a hillside into a river, and where you sit in is in separated by the river
with a row of rocks. The water falls down over you while you sit. We met some
people here who were camping at a nearby campground and had also just come from
Travertine. This one also had a few pools, Nate and I laid flat in a shallow
one, the cool air made the warm water feel amazing. We stayed and visited for a
little while and then decided to head home.
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| Us at Buckeye Hot Springs! Just kidding. |
To get home we decided to take Hwy 89 into Meyers near South
Lake Tahoe where we ran into a surprise snowstorm. We had to sneak around chain
control, but we made it home in one piece. ❄ ❆
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