Hot Springs Excursions in Idaho, Utah, California, et. al.
And, the 2002 Hot Springs Quest, and the 2001 Hot Springs Challenge!
Photos without details
by Rob Jones
(Text and Photos © copyright by Rob)
This page contains HS photos from many different trips. I have consolidated them here for your enjoyment...

First, here are the winning photos of the 2002 (1st place) & 2003 (2nd place) IDHotSprings Photo Contests:

Winner, 2002 IDHotSprings Photo Contest 2nd place Winner, 2003 IDHotSprings Photo Contest
The Sawtooth Mountains of Central Idaho, where we hunted the wily hot springs
Panorama of The Sawtooth Mountains of Central Idaho
one place where we hunted the wily hot springs
scroll L & R to see all of it
(Click the image for a full-size view; 52 K)


Other specialty pages on the Wilderness Vagabond site:
Pictographs and Petroglyphs
Flowers, Trees, and Shrubberies
Signs of the times?
Pleasant Panoply of Panoramas

The HS Challenge was enjoyed in July of 2001, the HS Quest in July of 2002

We will next recount the 2001 HS Challenge, then the 2002 HS Quest.
Other photos follow. Happy soaking to all, rob
Many of these photos are at full resolution - for a limited time,
because I am running out of server space, argh!

    George issued the HS (Hot Springs) Challenge! after a group wrote to him, claiming to have visited 20-odd HSs in a weekend.
    A group of us set out to provide a benchmark for the 1st Challenge! The enjoyment continued in the Quest, albeit with emphasis on enjoyment rather than sheer number of HSs. Here are some of the results of our wanderings.
    The Challenge guidelines direct participants to catalog their soaking exploits with photos, and limit their entries to a 48-hour period. We visited 14 HSs in the time period. This is a low number, because we took a large amount of time searching for these reclusive HSs.
    See the text that pops up when you place your browser arrow on each thumbnail below for a brief note about the HS. And, don't even ask for specifics or directions, that's as much detail as you will get from me. How come? Read the caveat if you wish to know how come (go to the caveat via the button at the bottom of the report). Hint, we are thundering toward 7 billion people, when the earth can sustainably support 2 billion. Yikes!!

the 2001 HS Challenge Group
the 2001 HS Challenge Group
(Click the image for a full-size view (27k)

    2001 HS Challenge! participants (photo above) were (L to R): John and Lori, Barbara and David, George (organizer and HS guru), Bruce, and me.
    Be sure to view the HS Mascot! - the last photo in the group immediately below.

Place your cursor on each thumbnail for a brief description of the photo.

Click on the thumbnail photos to see a full-size view.

GEORGE, HS GURU AND CHALLENGE! ORGANIZER, IN WILD ROSE HS (57869 bytes) BRIDGE HS (99491 bytes) DAVID, GEORGE, AND BRUCE CONSTRUCT BRONCO BILLY BEFORE IT CAN BE USED (97833 bytes) BRONCO BILLY AND THE S FK PAYETTE (86711 bytes) CAMP GROUND HS (61834 bytes) DARLING CABIN (63936 bytes) FIRE CREW HS (65070 bytes) 16 MILE (63991 bytes) KIRKHAM HS (55180 bytes) GEORGE AT KIRKHAM HS (61039 bytes) GEORGE AND BRUCE AT MAGIC VALLEY HS (64351 bytes) MOLLY HS (59879 bytes) MOLLYS TUBS HS (57901 bytes) PENNY HS (64414 bytes) PINE FLAT HS (64354 bytes) BARBARA AND DAVID ENJOY A DEEP SOAK AT PINE FLAT HS (64697 bytes) THE GROUP FORDS THE MF PAYETTE RIVER TO REACH ROCKY CANYON HS (98172 bytes) ROCKY CANYON HS (61179 bytes) BRUCE AND GEORGE COOL TEAPOT HS BEFORE USE (64976 bytes) TRAIL CR HS (65006 bytes) VULCAN HS (64434 bytes) HS Mascot!

More... Hotsprings Excursions from Around the West
More photos without details
First, we return to Idaho, the Wilderness State, to continue our HS tour.
Click on the thumbnail photos to see a full-size view.
by Rob Jones

    Idaho has more natural hotsprings than the rest of the U.S. combined, excluding California. Imagine that. If you wish to see more photos related to these HSs, see the Wilderness Vagabond trip reports (there is a trip report button at the bottom of this page). And, be sure to look at the True Natural Soaker in the last photo of this group....
    The next photos are from the 2002 HS Quest, and other ramblings in Idaho. The first photo in the group shows the Quest participants, L to R: Rob, Barbara, David, Kathleen, & Adele.

The 2002 HS Quest Group at Sacajawea HS Skinnydipper pools, looking down to the S. Fk. Payette Skinnydipper HS Skinnydipper HS, showing the plumbing designed to cool the HS David prepares Boat Box (Elkhorn) for soaking while Kathleen enjoys Boat Box (Elkhorn) HS Bonneville HS, spring and soak shack Waiting for the tub to fill in the Bonneville HS soak shack Fire Crew HS Mormon Bend HS A rare solitary soak at Sunbeam HS The stream-side pool at Boiling Springs HS, the old FS patrol cabin is in background Boiling Springs HS KATHLEEN AT WILD ROSE HS (56901 bytes) RUSSIAN JOHN WARM (NOT HOT) SPRINGS (83099 bytes) SACAJAWEA HS (56341 bytes) KATHLEEN AT KEM HS ALONG THE MAIN SALMON RIVER (65186 bytes) BASIN CREEK (62361 bytes) Rob on a frosty afternoon, in GoldBug HS HS Froggy SACAJAWEA HS Kirkham from across the river Hospital Bar HS Somewhere Selway Serenade Weir HS Sharky HS True Natural Soaker; Somewhere Selway Serenade

Next, we go South to Utah, land of slickrock, where the doltish state motto is
"Industrial Propagation, NOW!"
A wondrous, pretty great state, Utah is graced with mountains of wilderness and a dessert of deserts.
There are even a few hotsprings.

Indian Springs Indian Springs Yikes, sign at Indian Springs Lehi HS Meadow HS Fifth Water HS Fifth Water HS Fifth Water HS

Then, to overcrowded California, where the state flag shows a Grizzly Bear,
yet - sadly, they only exist in books
If you wish to see more photos related to these California HSs, see the Death Valley Dreaming report.
There is a trip report index button at the bottom of this page.

Secret HS1 Secret HS2 Secret HS3 Secret HS5 Miraculous HS PYRAMHS4.jpg Dirty Socks warm and icky pond

Finally, to unknown places.
See if you can guess where these photos were taken.
Hint - they were not taken in the states covered above....

Spence HS SanAntonio HS Ash Springs HS Ash Springs HS

Wild Vagabond Main   Trip Report Index   Caveat  
And - Other specialty pages on the Wilderness Vagabond site:
Pictographs and Petroglyphs
Flowers, Trees, and Shrubberies
Pleasant Panoply of Panoramas
Signs of the times?