Trailgal,
There you go letting the naysayers pull you dam. The hike from the end of Hwy,173 is NOT for the weak and damned. It is for the strong who want to maintain their strength. If you live right, think right, and depend upon an outer strength. Then everything will be all right. Wish I were out there to show you how true that is,,,,.
The only time I had trouble there was when I went with some friends and drank too much alcohol and some how or some one stole our clothes while at the springs. We had to hike out naked ! And drunk - a little. It was OK till a bunch of teenagers were hiking in. All we had were some towels to wrap ourselves in. One of the ladies with us was not used to hiking with out her bra and got boobitish I suppose. See, we were not living right. One guy, his name was Gilligan, all he had was a bunch of condoms. So he kept saying he wasn't completely naked. He wore condoms all the way out. And kept saying GILLIGAN ! till it was annoying ;- {
I learned a lesson in there some where, and I have been stronger ever since. SEE, you just NEVER know what life lessons you will learn going to D.C.H.S.