Re: O.K., Merchants Penalty, fine

I have to aggree with Celtfire about the sacred space at Deep Creek Hot Springs. It has been such a place for thousands of years and the religious use of it's waters pre dates Christianity. Personaly, I visit there when there are very few people so I can meditate and heal my spirit. I always feel spiritualy better after a soak and a hike up the hill.

When people use it for drunken parties, it really destroys the peacefull energy there and I feel it is a spiritual violation of a very sacred space. The fact that Scott was engaging in liquor sales there especially bothered me. Well, he did get cited and I believe he paid his fines. Hopefully he is a little wiser from the whole experience. Others who abuse the place by trashing it with their beer bottles and cigarette butts I find equally offensive. To my wife and I, the natural earth is our church.

I can only hope that visitors to Deep Creek Hot Springs respect this unique and sacred place when soaking in it's waters and catching some sunshine on the beach. Fines or not, camping and fires are not permitted by the stewards of this place, the USFS. As a longtime local soaker, I follow these simple guidelines set by the USFS and do not ignore them just because I own land close by. For those who access through Bowen Ranch, please utilize the camping area provided by Mike Castro. Free camping is permitted on BLM lands also but NO FIRES are permitted. You can't see the stars while looking at a campfire anyway. The public access to Deep Creek Hot Springs depends on the public behavior. The USFS can close the springs and dynamite the pools if problems become unmanageable. Please respect this space and help preserve access for all.