Lower Breitenbush Hot Springs offers secluded, little known hot spring

Price of admission is leaving the site better than when you found it



From the Oregon Statesman Journal






12:25 PM, Dec 27, 2012   |  
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All that remains at the Lower Breitenbush site are the bathhouse foundations and their built-in tubs along the river.





Written by

Eric Gjonnes

Trail Time



FILED UNDER


Our Oregon

Stevens Pass Closures

Note: In order to be able to park and be able to hike into Scenic Hot Springs you have to be able to drive to the base of the pass on the west side (around MP 58 - 59).  These current pass closures affect westbound traffic over the pass (Leavenworth, Wenatchee, etc. guests).  Since the pass is presently only accessible from the west side, the only other option is Hwy 97 (Blewett Pass, which is

Snowshoes are a must!

There is a lot of new snow on the way up to the hot springs.  Snowshoes are a must and mandatory for all members of the party before permission will be granted to visit.



To give you an idea of snow conditions, it took one of the stewards 3 1/2 hours to break trail through several feet of snow yesterday.  Please don't ask unless you are prepared for conditions and explicitly let us know you

Miracle Hot Springs

Interesting article on Miracle Hot Springs that also gives insight on the origin of hot springs in the Cascades.
Original URL:  http://magicvalley.com/news/local/curious-mind-geothermal-oasis-in-the-magic-valley-desert/article_54758891-4151-5c0a-94fc-d53d6e65191c.html



Miracle Hot Springs has four outdoor pools
(Times-News file photo)



The original spring for Hagerman’s Miracle Hot Springs

Scenic Hot Springs Conditions

One of our volunteers was up there yesterday and reports "a ton of snow up there!"  Much more is expected today and snowshoes are definitely needed to deal with the snow.  Fortunately, a trail has been packed down . . . unfortunately, with continued snow falling that trail will soon be filled in.  Winter conditions, folks.



As of 3pm yesterday (Saturday) there was a four foot snow berm across

Pool Conditions and Snow

Lobster Pot (the normally hotter pool) is running cooler than normal due the the series of rain events that have been sweeping across the area.  This is fairly normal at this time of year as all that surface ground water mixes with Lobster Pot's shallow sources and dilutes them.  When we get freezing weather those surface waters will lock up and Lobster Pot will return to it's normal 'hot'

Snow Advisory & Conditions

As of today (November 18th) there is 3-4 inches of snow on the trail to the hot springs.  There are a series of active storm fronts due to move through the area in the next two weeks with predicted snow levels floating between 3,000 and 5,000 feet (check the advisories in the calendar to the right).  Because of the terrain near Scenic we always drop predicted snow levels another 500 ft so we

Season's First Snow is Here

2-4" forecast for this weekend so be prepared for cold weather.  Snowshoes are not needed just yet.  Warm, water-repellent clothing is needed.



Some good advice from Matt:




We
could have anywhere from no snow at all to 3-5 feet of snow [in the next month]. It's just very hard to say at this time. I have seen both (no snow
and lots of snow) types of weather at that time of year. Most

What if Scenic Hot Springs was like this?

A comment posted today to the Hunt and Kosh Hot Springs entry on my Clothing Optional map here:


"I just went here for the first time, directions are great, the road is now paved to bridge. I found the newly made soaking pool with a nice little deck and bench nearby, as I arrived a small group was leaving so it was perfect timing, but as soon as I got comfy in the pool, which was a perfect

Clean Up Party Update

Looks like we will have a good turn-out for this clean up event so Matt and myself are going to pack in the grill and feed ya.  Burgers, chicken burgers, veggie burgers, salad (any other ideas?).  If you haven't signed up for this event, time a'wasting.  Remember, only those who have RSVP'd will be allowed on the property . . . no late-joiners looking for a free soak.

Want to camp overnight,

Trespassers n Con Artists

The other day while checking up on Scenic I got taken into believing a sob story of an otherwise nice couple who, when challenged, said that they had emailed earlier in the morning and when they didn't hear back decided to head on in . . . assuming it would be okay.



Well, okay . . . they knew my name . . . they knew my email nickname.  Sounded plausible so I believed that they did in fact ask

Scenic Clean Up Event Oct 6th, 2012

Update:  A volunteer has made a generous offer to carpool volunteers:

I
am happy to take 3-5 people (in addition to me) in my car (3 would be
in  a sedan, 5 would be in a Suburban) to the springs on Oct 6.  I live
in Sammamish, but could meet a 8 AM that day in any convenient place
(Bellevue Park and Ride?).

If you are interested in carpooling, send an email to us and we will attempt to get

Hunt & Kosh Hot Springs (Northern California) Updated Directions

GPS GeoCoords: 41.033722, -121.931484

A spectacular valley near
scenic Mount Shasta is the setting for a relaxing little getaway spot
called Hunt Hot Springs. To make your visit a great one, bring along a
bucket to carry water from a nearby creek, in case you want to cool down
the very warm pools here.

There are several 105F hot spring-fed rock and cement pools, including one that holds

A Bench for the Soakers

This past Saturday's clean up party went very well with five volunteers responding to enjoy the fresh air, great views and sun on the slopes of Scenic Hot Springs.



Vandals had done a great deal of damage earlier in the week, and while the rest went up to the main springs with ideas on what we might accomplish, I set to work removing the destroyed Honor Box down near the trailhead. 



Vandals

Flowers of Scenic - Pinedrops

Photo by Kelly








Our distinguished horticulturists (i.e., Matt, not me) say that this asparagus-looking plant seen growing on the Scenic property is  called 'Pinedrops'. 
It's Latin botanical name is 'Pterospora Andromeda'. In a few weeks it
will grow some very odd looking flowers that resemble drops of sap. It
is also the largest saprophyte (i'e., lacking chlorophyll to produce their

Clean Up Party this Coming Saturday

This coming Saturday we will be getting together on site to do some clean up of the area.  In mind:

Removal of debris from the upper area to lower down on the trail


We will also be looking at providing a few small amenities for visitors . . . depending on the skill-levels of participants and the materials we can use on-site.  Some ideas that have been floated:



A bench or sitting area near

A Flurry of Last Minute Requests

We've noticed an increase in last minute requests to visit Scenic without obviously going through the steps that we ask of visitors . . . primarily that you do read the Conditions of Access PRIOR TO ASKING.  Most of these requests are simply "I want to go up there this afternoon.  Give me a call," type requests.  We are seldom going to approve these requests if you don't make the effort to at

Lost & Found: Tactical Folding Knife

Found on the Scenic property recently;  a very nice CRKT Folding Tactical Knife.  There is one thing about the functionality of this fine blade that is unusual and, if you can tell me what it is and the date you think you lost it, then it is yours.  I know how attached we can get to a good blade that does so much in the wilderness.

Lobster Pot is now hotter than Bear Den

Lobster:          108F in the pool
                        111F at the inlet

Bear Den:         106F in the pool
                           109.5 at the inlet
(temperatures as of July 6)


 . . . so Lobster is almost completely recovered from the annual snowmelt and we can increase the daily maximum users to normal.

The feed to Bear Den has also been repaired and back to normal.

Hot Springs Vandalized Once Again

You know . . . whenever I post onto the blog I'm always hoping to be posting positive things, like good trip reports, some thoughtful action by a visitor, good things about the hot springs, themselves.  But it seems that we have problems with late night visitors and trespassers once again.



Sometime Saturday night, the feeds and piping feeding the Bear Den pool were damaged.  The main piping

Scenic Conditions and an Update

The repairs to the Bear Den sources are holding and the temperatures in the pools (as of Saturday, June 24th are:



Bear Den:

                   as it is coming into the pool . . . 109.2F

                    in the pool on the far side . . . .  103.7F



Lobster is running a comfortable 93F, well on it's way to recovery from the annual snowmelt.



Trash continues to be a problem, with

Private Event this Monday

Scenic Hot Springs is hosting a private event this coming Monday, June 25th, 2012.  Accordingly, the hot springs will be closed to all other access.  Please respect the enjoyment and privacy of this group.

Scenic Hot Springs is Available for Requests once more

Thanks in large part to the efforts of volunteers who lugged hundreds of pounds of fine sand up the steep trail to the springs, repairs to the spring sources appear to be holding and actually working better than we expected.  As of yesterday (Friday), the Bear Den sources are running at 107.9F at the pool inlet, with a slightly increased flow.  Taking the pool temperature on the corner furthest

Coco Goes to Heaven

I lost my beloved puppy, Coco this last Tuesday and it has hit me particularly hard.  In memory . . . and to ease my grief I'd like to share this photo album of Coco's memories and of his last moments in the clinic.  There is meditative music with the full album here.  Or you can view the album less the music here.

Hot Springs Closed

Until further notice, Scenic Hot Springs is closed to all visitors.  We will honor those previously confirmed but anyone caught up at the springs without permission will be asked to leave promptly and if not they will be prosecuted.



This action is required because of intentional damage to the sources of the springs, themselves, that have rendered one of the feeds useless.  This digging around

Scenic Hot Springs Conditions 2012 Annual Snowmelt

Updated May 19th, 2012


Snowmelt is proceeding rapidly.  Lobster is still cold but Bear Den remains toasty warm and a nice soak.



There have been a number of episodes of vandalism at Scenic which we are addressing; mainly the theft of a trail cam and attempted destruction of the Honor Box.  There have been some large, illegal groups destroying decking and setting large fires at the springs.

Annual Snow Melt is in Progress

Currently conditions
are nowhere near what they were last blog post. We are in the midst of
Spring snowmelt runoff and the hotter of the 2 tubs has gone very cold.
Most of the snow on trail has melted but there is still a few feet of
slushy snow to hike through. It will probably be another month before
the springs temps return to normal.



Bear Den pool continues around its' normal

Trip Report and Conditions

 The following is a trip report from the past Sunday.  As noted, the snow is melting though the conditions on the trail are rough.  Snowshoes are still required, as well as traction devices on the upper icy areas.  This last weekend was probably the last couple days that Lobster Pot
won't be diluted until mid to late May to the point of unsoakability by cold snowmelt running
down the

An amazingly long about 6 foot high snowdrift wall has formed at the bottom of our trail at the top of the powerlines. 



Posted by Matt

Scenic, Scenic . . . a pic

A view down the clear-cut from near the Scenic Trail Head(provided by Sam D.)

Scenic Hot Springs 100+ Years Ago

Source:  The Seattle
Sunday Times, August 27th, 1905, pg 14, "Scenic Hot Springs Hotel"



Note:  The author of this piece in the Sunday Seattle Times seems to take a liberal amount of artistic license with his article. When reading this writer's descriptions, keep in mind that no highways or roads yet served the area (only the railroad) and that there weren't, as yet, any clearcuts or power

Who's on First . . .

 . . . well, a famous a vaudeville comedy routine made most famous by Abbott and Costello that kind of sums up the confusion being generated by a few people claiming to be in charge of Scenic Hot Springs.  There are a number of diehard denizens of the old, free-wheeling Scenic days who still consider Scenic Hot Springs to be theirs and will continue to trespass and break all the rules that have

What better way to celebrate a wedding anniversary

Ryan and Rosie celebrated their one year wedding anniversary as guests at Scenic Hot Springs and they had a great time.  They have graciously given permission to share a video of the trip up.  I enjoyed it immensely.  It gives a good idea of the conditions you can expect at this time of year . . . and of just how much fun and rewarding the total experience can be.

Scenic Hot Springs, Washington

"Snowshoes needed" means exactly that!

We have been advising allowed visitors to Scenic Hot springs to carry snowshoes because of the large amounts of snow that have been falling (and continue to fall) in the area.  That is not just idle advice . . . we mean it.  You are entering backcountry under winter conditions and a series of winter storm fronts.  You cannot rely on a beaten-down path at any time during winter.  Please carry

Conditions this last Saturday

Update:  There is a new weather system coming through this Wednesday that is expected to dump more snow in the mountains.  Please carefully review weather reports before heading in.  Rick

From Saturday, graciously shared by Joe and his group of 5 allowed visitors . . .



We had a great hike to the springs today. It
was snowing heavily on the way up Hwy 2. We had a 4 WD so no problem. Did
not

Scenic, Snow, and the Safety of Your Visit

UPDATE:  Highway 2 and Stevens Pass will be closed Tuesday night through Wednesday at MP 58 through MP 65.5 for avalanche control.
  

With the unfortunate deaths of three skiers on Cowboy Mountain (Stevens Pass) and a snowboarder at Alpental this past Sunday, I feel the need to caution while also reassuring permitted visitors to Scenic Hot Springs.  "Avalanche" is an emotional word and I hate

Thursday onsite updates

Thursday, this is what snow at the springs looked like.

Snowshoes are not required

Snowshoes are not required. But by afternoon

when the snow thaws a bit, expect a few steps 

to posthole here and there.

Snow at the gate

Thursday, this is how much snow was at the gate

Conditions

As of Thursday afternoon there was little evidence of snowmelt affecting the springs to any significant degree.



Lobster Pot sources were a degree or two off with just a little bit more flow.  Bear Den remains unchanged.



The snow in the area is best characterized as wet and slushy . . . packed where deep.  Snowshoes and/or crampons were not necessary.



There have been significantly higher

Recent Images from Scenic

A couple of soakers with permission to visit Scenic Hot Springs, have graciously provided photos of their visit with permission to post to the Scenic Blog.  Here are three from this past weekend:



On the bench above the pools.
Copyright 2012 Gloria Cropper, used with permission





Reflections on Bear Den Pool
Copyright 2012 Gloria Cropper, used with permission






Snowbound Slopes . . . Hot

Rising Snow Levels

Freezing levels in the Cascades are predicted to go up to 7-8,000 feet this coming weekend.  If these levels are sustained for a time, we can expect increasing snow-melt into the groundwater near the spring sources, thereby diluting and bringing the temperatures of the hottest feed (Lobster) way down.  We would appreciate it if those who have permission to visit Scenic in the near term would

Winter Weather Advisory Tues thru Wed

The National Weather service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Cascades from 2pm Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 through 10am Wednesday, February 1st, 2012:



Winter Weather Advisory

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA

912 PM PST MON JAN 30 2012 



...ADDITIONAL SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS THE CASCADES LATE TUESDAY... 



.A FAST MOVING WEATHER SYSTEM WILL

Hot Spring Temperatures are Back to Normal

A little bit of freezing weather and snow and the Lobster Feeds are back to their toasty 110F temperatures.


Still a lot of new snow in the mountains (with more due tonight and Saturday).  Snowshoes are highly advised.

More Snow is coming .... UPDATED AGAIN :-)

UPDATE to the UPDATE!!!!  :-)
Well, we're getting the snow and it looks like we are going to get a whole lot more over Tuesday and Wednesday.  So far the passes have remained open but with the amount of snow they are forecasting with the Winter Weather Warning & Watch . . . followed by heavy rain and/or warming conditions by Thursday, there is a chance avalanche conditions in the area could

What is Happening with the Spring Temperatures ...

The spring sources that feed the two pools at Scenic Hot Springs typically run hot throughout the winter months.  However, in the springtime as the melting snow-pack accelerates, ground-waters mix with the source of the Lobster Pot feed, dropping it's temperature radically and increasing the water flow several times.  Normally this happens much later in the season, however, the recent higher

Hot Springs Running Cold

Due to the rising freezing levels over the past few days there has been increasing snowmelt above the sources to Scenic Hot Springs.  As a result, the Lobster feed sources (normally 105-115F) have gone cold (30-40F) earlier than normal in the yearly winter-spring cycle.  The freezing levels are expected to remain high over the next few days (6,000 feet to 4,000 feet) that melting snow will

Sunrise/Sunset Chart for the Scenic Area

January 2012Skykomish, Washington



SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday
1Twi A: 6:01amTwi N: 6:39amTwi: 7:18amSunrise: 7:54amSunset: 4:23pmTwi: 4:59pmTwi N: 5:38pmTwi A: 6:16pmMoonrise: 11:31amMoonset: 12:38am2Twi A: 6:02amTwi N: 6:39amTwi: 7:18amSunrise: 7:54amSunset: 4:24pmTwi: 5:00pmTwi N: 5:39pmTwi A: 6:16pmMoonrise: 11:55amMoonset: 1:41am3Twi A: 6:02amTwi N: 6:39amTwi: 7:

Need Snowshoes?

A place I've stopped at a number of times on my way up to either the springs . . . or my days Skiing at Stevens . . . is the Stevens Pass Snowboard Shop.  For three years running now, Stevens Pass Snowboard Shop has been voted the Best Ski and Snowboard shop by voters on King 5 Evening Magazine "The Best of Western Washington".  It is a reputation well deserved.



Besides skis and snowboards

Olympic Hot Springs Inaccessible

Olympic Hot Springs Road (Elwha) is closed to all public access above Altair Campground due to the Glines Canyon dam removal.

Sol Duc Road is closed at Highway 101 due to repairs. It is scheduled for reopening in March 2012.



Olympic Hot Springs will be inaccessible from the Elwha Valley.Hikers interested in visiting the Olympic Hot Springs during the three-year dam removal project may reach