Trip Report: 2-12 & 2-13

As I drove down Bowen Ranch rd. I had an erie and unusual feeling. Why, donno? The rain apparrently had stopped only a few hours earlyer. There were only a few car tracks on the road, it appeared clean of any human presence. I saw no one on the road. When I arrived at the village none of my friends I usually visit were home. I drove up power line road to the springs, wondering? As I rounded a curve, a treat. A large vulture that had a wing span of about 3 feet. I stoped and grabbed my camera. As I took pictures of this magnificent predator, I realized why he was there. Another large vulture of the oppisite sex. I snapped off @ 12 shots. These birds caught the thermals up, and up, then turned toward the Bowen ranch. I wondered why. Camera shy, I suppose. As I crested a hill admireing the sky I noticed fire. I quikly drove to were I knew I could use my cell phone. After dialing 911 I realized, the controled burn.
Makeing my way to the springs and still no signs of any humans, except the smoke. Arriveing at the springs with camera in hand, I asked the friendly man in the pools if I could take pictures. He gave me the thumbs up, and said, COOL. The creek was up to the pipe in the rocks above the crab cooker, the tempurture was 44 degrees. The gray raft was @ eight feet out in the creek. Unreachable with out wadeing in. So instead, I went upstream as far as possible and jumped in and swam as fast as I could.After I was @ halve way across the strong current stopped and an eddie pulled me to the crab cooker. It took a little less than one minuet to make the swim.
The nice guy in the pools said he had walked up from the spillway.
I arrived at the pools at @ 1:00am, and left at @ 5:30 in the dark. The creek was about 5 inches below the pipe in the rocks when I left.
Sunday I arrived at the springs At 11:00am. The creek was much lower, about 5 inches above the level of the lower pool. Another nice guy was in the pools, he said he had jogged up from the spillway. It was his second time at the pools. He found the springs accidentaly, while jogging. He had lived in Victorville for many years. He was very interesting and intelligent. I enjoyed his company for @ one hour, then the pretty women started arriveing.
In the two days I spent a total of 6 hours hoseing the sand from the pools. They are about 2 feet deeper than when I arrived. While hoseing them out a lot of bubbles releasing methane floated to the top.
My job is threatening to make me work a lot of overtime. I will not be able to hose the pools for several months. I hope the sand height is OK for everyone. I will worry a little about the stink that will accumilate as time goes by. Maybe some vollenteer can hose out the smelly stuff.
As I left the pools at 4:40 Sunday the creek height did not seem to change.
I hope this information helps all who dream about being at the hot springs.
Happy Soaking !