Trip report; 5-27 & 5-28

It had been a long time since I had visited my favorite hot springs so I was alert to notice changes.
I woke up at 7:00 on Saturday morning, it was colder that I had expected. The first thing I noticed was the trash @ my parking spot at the Freedom trail. I picked up the water bottles and beer cans, but the particle board was too much for my truck which was full of my camping gear. The parking lot seems to be heavily used nowadays. Nine cars and a motorcycle were there. The freedom trail is twice as big as I remember it to be. As I got on the Bowen ranch trail to the springs I noticed that big piece of crap across the canyon (graffiti). That was an omen for the rest of my visit. Because I seemed to get between the screaming drunks and screaming children no matter where I was. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed seeing old and new friends there. But the noise level was out of control. It was 10:30 before I made my way to the springs. When I got there a local informed me that I had just missed the rangers who had just left. He said " they did not ticket anyone but had threatened to." They had put out the campfires and questioned many people.
I was tired enough to sleep a few hours under the new sycamore trees up stream from the Az. pool. When I awoke at least 60 people were all over, all sizes, shapes and colors.
I had many good conversations while soaking. At the end of the day L.V. Fireman and his partner Ricky and I had steaks at a very nice steak house.
On Sunday the rangers did not reappear as promised. And I took it upon myself to hose the trash out of the bottom of the main pool. While doing this I found 2 pair of prescription glasses, a couple of broken whiskey bottles and a dental partial. Never mind the flashlight and various pieces of clothing. There was mostly dead algae and debris that smelled like methane.
The creek temperature was almost perfect @ 65-70. The Az, pool was almost full of sand. So Stephen and another volunteer helped to shovel out some of the sand. We did not get to do more as some drunks took over the area. Some one, anyone needs to do some more shoveling there as the sand will not stop going down hill!
Do not forget our Veterans who are sacrificing so much so we can get naked at Deep Creek !
God bless 'em all.