Day 19- 22 miles to the hot springs

Little Bear Springs at 285 to Deep Creek Hot Springs at 308

Woke up with frost on my pack.  I spent the night with my head inside my bag-a little uncomfortable, but warm enough.  One hiker said it was 24 degrees when he got up.  It wasn't a morning to linger around camp after emerging from the sleeping bag.  It was just as well-everybody was planning on 22 miles to the hot springs.

The morning hike was nice.  The trail has been so nice lately.   It crossed the little creek I was camped next to multiple times in the morning.  I think I like any section of trail with pine trees or creek crossings.

Lunch time at Deep Creek

At the last crossing of the creek I grabbed more water and a candy bar to get me the four miles to the first crossing of Deep Creek and lunch.  Lots of hikers were hanging out at the Deep Creek bridge-it's a new thing for me, hanging out under a bridge.  This was at least a hiker foot traffic bridge and not a car bridge.  I had lunch, then snack sitting on a log with my feet in the water.  It was chilly, but felt so good.

Crossing the Deep Creek Bridge

From lunch it was 8 miles to the hot springs.  Eight long, hot, exposed, miles.  Deep Creek was down in a canyon and the trail was up on the canyon wall.  It was almost a little unnerving, especially when the trail was crumbly and a step would send rocks sliding down the hill.

The miles to the hot springs felt a lot longer than the miles I hiked in the morning.  It was so hot and again there was no midday break.  Around 3:30 my body started looking for its break, but it wasn't happening.  The longer I had to soak in the hot spring the happier I was going to be.

After listening to the creek for hours and thinking about the hot springs for days I finally made it there around five.  It was better than what the guide book said.  The area seemed cleaned, the locals seemed nice, and there was a surprising amount of young people there soaking in the sun and in the hot pools.

Hot springs and cold creek

I went in the cold water first and it was take your breath away cold.  But it felt really good to be in the water after listening to it for so long.  It was great.  Then it was into the hot pools.  Someone said the first one I was in 107 degrees.  As hot as the day was, the hot water felt great.  My feet loved it, my legs loved it, my shoulders loved it.  There was nothing that wasn't awesome about that spot.

I stayed in the hot pool until dinner.  Ate, drink lots of water, and then back into the cold water and then hot.  Nine hikers in a hot spring pool taking in the night and the hot water.  I think every camp should have hot and cold pools.