Re: 8/23/10 Trip Report

hey was going to post last night when i first read your trip report that you were not giving "too much information"--it is great to read all the details and things that excited you in your first visit. I see that you edited it down. anyway, you shouldn't feel you need to do that, but more to the point i'm just happy to hear that you loved it and that you did find a friend with which to go. and of course myself not being a local, i'm jealous this is your backyard.

I'll add an addendum: i was at the springs on friday, august 20. I didn't post a trip report as it was a very quiet day there, not much to report except peace and relaxation. i was at the springs from early morning, around 8:30 until 6 pm. the most notable thing was a beautiful, beautiful series of rock "sculptures" that a group of local youths had positioned around the area, on logs balancing near the springs, on other rocks in the water, it was truly gorgeous and startling. the youths themselves were very cool and spent the day there, a group of four. only bad thing were a different group of four teens or 20 somethings who i was told had arrived at the springs in the middle of the night, and when i got there were sleeping in a big tent on the beach opposite the pools, with a fire burning right in the middle of the beach as well. They kept the fire burning all day long, and didn't speak much to each other or anyone else, weird, glowering presences, pretty stoned I expect by midday when they all passed out again, one after the other. Beyond that, I would say it was a "locals" day at the spring, the majority of the 15 or so visitors were all from the area and most all knew each other to greater or lesser extents. I was kind of the lone LA "outsider." In the morning, nudes were very much outnumbered unfortunately though some of the local youths were swimming in their underwear. It got more evened out as the day wore on. it was a gorgeous day no matter, if a bit hot. by the time i left, there were only about 10 people at the springs, and instead of the normal Friday evening procedure--you pass tons of people while hiking up to Bowen, on their way down for the weekend--I passed no one, except two older Japanese men, who were sitting on the trail staring in awe at the expanse of the valley and the mountains beyond. We talked for a bit, I'm not even sure they were going to go all the way down to the springs, they were just enjoying the vistas of the area.