Notebooks for Hot Springing

Rite in the Rain Notebooks - waterproof notebooks that are perfect for your hot springing adventures. More...

Horse Creek Hot Springs Pic

Found this on Photobucket:

ID Senator Larry Craig Arrested for Lewd Conduct

Craig went fishing for some lovin in a public airport restroom, but instead found an undercover cop. Read on...

Ogden Hot Springs Video

Found this one on YouTube...

Gold Fork Hot Springs in Central Idaho

Nestled in a mountain forest near Donnelly, Cascade and McCall Idaho lies the holy grail of all commercial or privately owned hot springs in Idaho. The water at Gold Fork Hot Springs is top-quality; meaning it is 100% natural, has an incredible alkaline rating and contains other minerals that are great for the skin and body. Even the wooden decking is all-natural and has a 50yr life span - untreated. It's the same wood used on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. I've been to many hot springs, and Gold Fork by far, is my favorite commercial soak.

There are 6 incredibly designed pools to soak in, and if you enjoy natural backcountry hot springs you will feel right at home here. The water is smooth and slick, featuring an Alkaline Ph of +9. Not to mention that all 6 pools flow-through in 4 hours! Lithium is the most prominent mineral in the water followed by potassium, calcium, sodium, fluoride, chloride, arsenic and boron. Gold Fork has many repeat visitors that come for the healing properties of the water. Stories of folks traveling up to the hot springs once a week to soak and fill up a couple jugs of water are common here, as are stories of ailments and illness - gone, after soaking in Gold Fork's healing waters.

The owners strive to keep the hot springs and surrounding area as natural as possible. The hot springs are well monitored, and disruptive soakers are politely asked to leave. Although there are no overnight/camping accommodations on-site, the owners do have plans for a few rooms in the future. There is however, plenty of great National Forest camping nearby, along with an assortment of hotels and motels in Donnelly, Cascade and McCall.

Gold Fork Hot Springs is located in Central Idaho, near the quaint mountain town of Donnelly. Gold Fork is a 90 minute drive from Boise and a mere 15 minutes from Cascade. It's open and accessible year-round, including all holidays.

Gold Fork also utilizes geothermal energy; the boardwalk and many places around the hot springs and in other areas are heated by geothermal power.

Sorry RVers, no hook-ups or overnight parking is available. However, there are future plans for overnight accommodations.

Gold Fork feature 6 pools, with temperatures from hot to cool, with hydromassage. One of the pools features a soft, white sand bottom with sand from Emmett, Idaho. Changing rooms, towel and swimsuit rentals, restrooms, handicap parking and restrooms are also available.

Directions
Getting to Gold Fork is easy. From either Donnelly (north) or Cascade (south) head toward mile marker 128 on Highway 55, you are looking for Plant Road and a sign for Gold Fork. Head east on Plant road and follow the blue Gold Fork signs for 6.6 miles. The first 2.6 miles are paved, the rest is on a graded dirt road. The entire length of the road is maintained and plowed the entire year.

08.11.07 Trip Report

I will from now on refer to Gold Fork as the holy grail of all commercial hot springs. The agenda of the owners is beyond noble, water mineral quality is incredible and soak entirely stellar. I was lucky enough to receive a personal invite to the hot springs, and meet with one of the owners and a volunteer.

Gold Fork Hot Springs has a colorful history. And, in hot springing circles has been a well-know soak since time began. Back in the 80s, Boise Cascade (now known as just Boise) owned the land. This was when Boise Cascade was dynamiting hot springs because they didn't want to deal with the liability of people getting hurt at them. They left Gold Fork alone though, it was too large.... too dangerous to even blow up. So they sold it. The next 15 years it changed hands many times until finally ending up with the current owners/caretakers. Mother and daughter, Brenda and Kelly are now taking great care of an incredible hot springs, and have no plans to sell it. They just want to keep it as natural as possible.

Paula, a volunteer at Gold Fork on Friday and Saturday, has been visiting the hot springs since 1963. She helped clue me in on some of Gold Fork's history, and showed me a Gold Fork photograph of hers from that time. Paula and Brenda were both excellent. I unfortunately, was not able to meet with Kelly, but have talked with her via e-mail a few times. It's so great to see a hot springs in such good hands.

According to Brenda, "we only want people here who respect the water". What more else could anyone want? Gold Fork is clean, well cared for, has incredibly soft water and is in a natural setting. RVers, partiers, unruly children and adults - head on down the road to Zims. If you respect the water, then Gold Fork is a must soak.

Rating A+

Take a 1 Minute Gold Fork Tour!



View the complete listing for Gold Fork Hot Springs on IdahoHotSprings.com

Maple Grove and Burgdorf Closed

I heard from the owner of Gold Fork yesterday that Burgdorf had been evacuated due to a wildfire and just heard from the owner of Maple Grove that their access road is now closed due to wildfire. When I was at Gold Fork yesterday, I discovered the road is closed just past the hot springs because of a large firefighter encampment just down the road. It's all clear to Gold Fork though.

What Up

I'm fresh back from an incredible trip to Gold Fork and Bernard and will have the previous month's updates up soon. I've got a real geothermal treat coming up for all of you water quality buffs as well.

Pretty much the same news regarding wildfires here in Idaho. Highway 22 to Warm Lake is closed at hwy 55.

HSG

My Letter to Mike Simpson

Subject: Support The Bear Protection Act, H.R. 3029

This one is a no-brainer! Support The Bear Protection Act, H.R. 3029! In the U.S. there is no national legislation governing bear parts trade. Rather, a complicated patchwork of state laws is in place, which makes law enforcement and successful prosecution of offenders difficult.

From Alaska to Maine and in numerous states in between, American black bear carcasses have been found with their abdomens sliced open and their gallbladders removed. Bear viscera are used in traditional Asian medicines in the United States and in other countries across the globe. The trade not only affects bears here at home, but also highly endangered bear species such as the Asiatic black bear in China and other countries in Southeast Asia.

The Bear Protection Act would facilitate state wildlife law enforcement and protect bears both here and abroad without infringing on a state’s ability to manage its bear populations or manage bear hunting. This bill is simply about deterring the poaching of bears for their parts, and ensuring the apprehension and prosecution of offenders.

In addition to the widespread support this legislation has already received in Congress, dozens of representatives of state wildlife agencies have also stated their support for additional enforcement assistance in managing their resident bear populations.

As long as bear gallbladders can be legally traded to and from the U.S., smugglers have a loophole to use while trading in parts and products from endangered Asian bears. Currently, if offenders are caught, they merely claim that the product for sale is a legal American bear part or product. This claim will no longer work if the United States prohibits the export of bear viscera.

Bears should not be slaughtered for their internal organs and I urge you to do everything you can to help ensure that the Bear Protection Act is enacted this year.

Thank you.

SEND YOUR OWN LETTER!

Ahh Politics

Preforming for the President



Special thanks to Liz for the video, it's rare that we can glimpse into the private life of the man.

Warm Springs Creek Hot Springs in Idaho

A difficult hike in rugged wilderness is rewarded with a barley used hot springs complete with excellent primitive camping. You'll want to at least do this one as an overnighter, at least. However, you will have to work for your soak aside from the challenging hike in; spring runoff destroys the lower pools and the upper pool is overtaken with horse fly larva, algae and silt due to low usage.



Main access roads only open July-October (sometimes November) or August-September depending on which way you are coming.

Camping Notes
Excellent large primitive site near the hot springs with a nice fire pit, log ties and level ground.



Trip Report

07.17.07
Warm Springs Creek Hot Springs aka Sitz Bath was pretty cool. The primitive camping was great, but due to other stellar soaks in the area we opted to leave it be. However, on our way out, we witnessed a small army of horse people setting up camp. There was a man with buckets galore going to town on the upper pool while at least 6 large tents were being erected nearby. There was even a naked little boy running through camp, screaming and with poo all over himself. Nice. If this little soak wasn't in wilderness, I would have rated it lower.
Rating: C

View the Warm Springs Creek 07.17.07 Video

View the complete listing for Warm Springs Creek Hot Springs in Idaho

A Week of Backpacking to Remote Hot Springs in the Frank (video)

Backpacking to remote hot springs in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in Central Idaho; the largest block of protected wilderness in the lower 48.

Idaho Hot Springs Wildfire Update

At first, I started to compile a list of hot springs not accessible due to wildfires, but then I realized that almost all of the hot springs in Idaho, especially backcountry (ones you have to backpack to reach) hot springs are blocked by wildfire. My best advise to you; check the Interagency Fire Center Incident page. Don't just check out the active fires, but call before you go. If you plan on backpacking, the chances are slim that you'll get to a hot springs. Have a few backup plans handy.

Every Hour 1 or More Species Becomes Extinct

Stop the Latest Assault on Our Wolves

The Bush/Cheney Administration has announced two proposals to jumpstart the killing of hundreds of wolves in the Yellowstone area and elsewhere in the Northern Rockies - including Idaho.

Officials in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are now seeking public comment on the agency’s proposal to accept Wyoming’s disastrous wolf management plan and to give Idaho and Wyoming vast new powers to kill wolves -- even while these magnificent animals remain listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The deadline for comments on these two flawed proposals is Monday, August 6th. Please fill out the form below to send your message to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service right now.