Hello Sunshine Girl, I was the one that you talked too, I was there Thursday and used my pool hose as you saw to divert the hot flow from the source around the hot pool to cool it down. When I first diverted the hot flow the pool was 108, later on it cooled down to a range I enjoy 100-102, and I can keep the temp there by putting the end of the hose in or out of the pool, like having a water temp thermostat About the bacteria I mentioned that lives in the warm pools, it does not make you sick. A common name for what it cause is Hot Tub Folicitis. If someone soaks for a long period 4-6 hours or more, the pores at your hair follicles open up and the bacteria irritate the pores. After soaking some time later you can experience varying degrees of itchy red bumps, which will gradually go away in a day or two, depending on various factors, like time and the amount of algae in the pools which it appears increases the bacteria levels. I have never got the itchy bumps in the pool you were soaking in, which was called the Arizona Pool but now is being called by some folks the Phoenix Pool since a hot spring regular did a lot of new cement and stone work on it, sealing the leaks, and its like the pool was reborn, better that ever, hence the new name Some people appear to be immune to this bacteria and are not affected by it.
To answer your questions, I always drink the water from the three main hot sources, either at the Phoenix Pool source, the main large hot source up by the PCT, or at the Crab Cooker source. It is really great water, you don't have to filter it at all, and I take three water bottles of it home with me to drink since I love it so much And your second question, you were in the Phoenix Pool. Other hot pool names are Anniversary, Womb, Serenity, Crab Cooker, and Contemplation. I am trying to remember which visitor you were, maybe I will see you again sometime since I see you will be coming back, hard place to stay away from, I know, started going there, my first time, in 1984