Another great day at DCHS. Drove up from LA, arrived at the springs from Bowen between 9:30 and 10 am. There were about 4 cars in the parking lot. Saw no one on my hike down, it was crystal clear skies and warming up already. Saw no snakes but the critters were everywhere. (What are those critters that look like small squirrels? They were out in force and later in the day they were showing up at the hot springs, on the beach, getting into people's food and partaking of the feast.) Saw no one, that is, until I reached the part of the hike where you can look down into the Deep Creek basin. Looking upstream from the springs, I could see two guys climbing about the rocks nude, jumping in the water here and there, like something from that scene in Planet of the Apes where they go skinny dipping. I could see a person or two near the springs in the woods, presumably campers. But not too much apparent activity or human presence. What is up with the 420 rock formation on the beach upstream from the springs? A towel has been laid out by it. Another thing I noticed: someone has been covering up the graffiti on the rocks, either totally or just painting out the word "SHIT" in the phrase "PACK OUT YOUR SHIT." I arrived at the creek, stripped down, jumped in the water to cool off for a bit. It was glorious. Not a person around: I could see no one when I arrived. I took my pack and things over to the springs and climbed into the Womb pool. It was still partly shaded and I had it all to myself at 10 am for at least an hour. The campers that were there must have been sleeping. The guys I saw from above on the ridge were still hiking--they showed up around 11 am back at the springs. I had the entire place to myself. It was really wonderful. Brought my stuff eventually over to the shade of the trees near the Arizona pool. People started arriving or emerging. Around 11 am, a helicopter flew over the springs low and circled back around twice; another (different) copter did the same late in the afternoon. Otherwise it was a very quiet day down there, I would say by the late afternoon, at the height of things, maybe 15 people. Most everyone was nude, those guys I saw earlier, myself, two beautiful young couples from Long Beach, a bunch of other folks. I laid out in the shade often, reading Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. Recommended reading for the springs, it felt like he was there describing the glory of the place to me. Only disruption was as Jobe described the day before: around midday a small group of teens came down to smoke pot. They hardly used the springs nor swam in the water too much, they were nice enough, mostly guys and one girl, but they seemed really uncomfortable with all the skinny dipping. It does put a damper on things, as they insisted on sitting out on the main rocks and then in the shade by the Arizona pool. Some people put on shorts and such while they were there. They didn't stay long though. In the afternoon some kind of interesting group of young model types showed up with a young "photographer" perhaps, they swam topless or nude to the delight of many. They seemed a little ditzy or drunk, perhaps (Overheard: "Why are those hot springs hot?" "Oh, I don't know, I think it is the minerals that make them hot, the sulphur in the water makes the water heat up..."
Everyone, myself included, seemed attracted yesterday to the rapids that flow just north of the springs. The model girls pranced and danced their way up the rapids, posing and laying out on the rocks. As the sun turned that way in the late afternoon, others followed and explored the immediate upstream. Something kept happening though: anyone who went in the water in those rapids strangely complained of being assaulted by small worm-like things--one girl said her legs got covered by "baby leeches" another jokingly said "anal worms"! I don't know what they were or why they would only be in the rapids upstream. The water was cold yesterday, I don't see how it could have seemed colder than previous visits, but it did perhaps it was because things didn't get too hot during the day and there was quite a breeze. A mother duck came by in the afternoon with around 9 babies in tow. I hiked out around 5:30, most of the trail was in shade by then, two young women and one young couple passed me hiking down to the springs by around 6 pm. Wish I were still there. Wish I had stayed and camped at the Ranch. Wish I could stay forever! Glorious day.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2010 10:54AM by neogeo.
