Scenic Conditions, aTrashed Pool and some Nude Time
In a nutshell, the snow is fast melting, the springs have gone cold and SOMEONE has taken it upon themselves to modify the good ole' Monster tub into a smaller pool and a total, ugly mess. Scenic Hot Springs is UNSOAKABLE for the near-term future until the owner decides on a new course of action.
Water flows are triple (if not more) from the Lobster sources . . . but at a frigid 50F.
Bear Den is tepid body temperature at 95F, but is a mere trickle compared to the flow from Lobster.
Water flows are triple (if not more) from the Lobster sources . . . but at a frigid 50F.
Bear Den is tepid body temperature at 95F, but is a mere trickle compared to the flow from Lobster.
The snow berm across FS859 is almost goneand in the lower reaches barren
On the upper, shaded stretch of the forest service roadone to a foot and a half of snow still remains, compacted hard.
Approaching the clearcut and exposed areas, there is little snow
Hey, what good is a nudist blog if something doesn'tpertain to nudity. Scenic is one of my favorite places to hike nude.
In the shade of the Upper BPA there are patches of snow
The historic camping area down below(this view from the upper BPA)
Boulders laying on the BPA road (the large one is 3x3x3 ft)
Most culverts are flowing but filled withlarge rocks that need to be removed
The trail entrance, still snow covered
Honeymoon Creek across the trail
Rock Alley above the main springs creek; snowfree except near the top, and flowing with snowmelt
Snow lingers above the headwall of Rock Alley . . . 1-2 feet deepLooking Forward to a Soak but WTF!!!!!!!!!
Someone has cut up the liner and folded it over to make one small pool. The wood to shore up the inner wall seems to have come from several sources nearby . . . including a walkway above the pool.
Both springs feeding the jury-rigged pool . . . too cold
The wooden platform/walkway beneaththe large boulder is gone . . . for wood ...
Erosion/slide? Certainly some of the wood helping toshore up the area has been ripped out!
Like the upper trail, the path to the old latrine has suffered
Took me several hours to siphon muck and cold water out of the remaining pool. Started a refill using the slow (but warm) Bear Den Springs but that will take several more hours and I need to get home . . . minus a soak.
Scenic Creek Waterfalls (the creek and falls having nothing to do with the hot springs except their proximity near the original Scenic Hot Springs Hotel). These waterfalls rival anything the Deception Creek Falls have to add . . . and they are relatively unknown.
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