You wade across a side inlet from the river to the tip of the long rocky bar that juts out into the Colorado from about where the Sauna Cave is, then downriver to just before where the Goldstrike Canyon hits the Colorado. That River water is cold since it has just dumped out of the bottom of Boulder Dam. I waded in deeper and deeper and it got up to my neck with my pack held overhead and then thankfully I was across the deepest part. The Colorado River water fluctuates during the day, it seems to be higher in the mornings and lower in the late afternoon. When I got to the tip of the long bar in the river I set three rocks on top of eachother at the waters edge to moniter the river level. If it went up I'd be swimmin back with my pack. I left my pack at the end of this spit of round rocks and made my way a couple hundred yards up to the Sauna cave. It was sunny with a bright blue sky and white wispy clouds and it felt great walking in nothing but skin along that beautiful canyon after emerging from the cold waters. I got to the cave and with my flashlight and camera went in to see what it looked like. Very quickly I found that this Cave had been apropriatly named. Within the first 20 feet your head hits the hot steamy air and very quickly you are enveloped completely. It was hot enough that I wondered if I should really keep going, I was alone and if I fainted for some reason I'd get cooked for sure. I remembered that NN had said it was little more than a hundred feet to the end. So I continued. The shaft goes in then bends off to the right where at the end is a wood bench against the back wall. I was starting to sweat like a Big Dog so I took a picture. I don't think it will come out because of the lens being steamed but I had to give it a try. Feeling sufficiently cooked I made for the entrance. I took some more pictures from within the entrance looking out to the river. When I got back to my pack which was about 25 minutes later I found that the river had gone down happily about a foot and a half. The wade back was going to be easier. I began hiking out and it took me about 35 minutes to make my way back up the canyon to the biggest pool. I took one last dip and then hiked out. Both these springs are completely worth the trip. There is so much beauty to see there. NN, his friends and I were the only people I saw the whole weekend without clothes. The rest were textiles. At the Arizona springs people seemed pretty much at ease with our naturist interest as the came and went near the springs. I hike down to these springs with clothes on not knowing the area and then went without clothes at the springs and on the hike back to our vehicle. I dressed just before I got there. On my hike to Goldstrike I went A La Natural on the hike in and out and in the canyon, just dressing just after leaving and just before getting back to my vehicle. Didn't see any other Naturist on the whole hike. While in the Big hot pool a guide for one of the Canoe trips came up the canyon with a group and when he saw that I was unclothed he asked if I could put something on while they used the pools. I was just getting ready to go down the canyon exploring so I tied a sarong around me and began downstream. After I got out of sight of the pool I went Naturist again. Did run across alot of tourist and I could see that some groups were uncomforatable with nudity. I didn't have any problems with any of them and I just continued on my way. Both springs get alot of tourist, kayak and canoe trippers. I just made my way around most people to lessen thier concern about my nudity. The whole weekend couldn't have worked out any better. I took about 3 and a half rolls of film. My last roll had some trouble rewinding, when I opened it too take it out I saw exposed film and that confused me so I closed it. It then wound like I had put a new roll in it. I pushed a button that makes the roll rewind again. I am hoping the pictures didn't get damaged by this problem. I am taking them in to get developed tomorrow and when I get the good ones installed at the Wizard's pictures link I'll do a post about it. I am excited to see how they turn out. I also want to say thank you very much to Nevada Naturist for all your help in finding these beautiful springs. We had a great time with you and your friends on Saturday and well definitely be looking forward to doing it again!
