I go to nature to be soothed and healed,
and to have my senses put in order.
~John Burroughs
The mountains have been calling me,
actually they've been calling our family!
When trying to decide what to do for Spring Break, we knew that we wanted to head to the mountains, that we wanted to be together as a family with NO interruptions, no technology, of any sort,
When trying to decide what to do for Spring Break, we knew that we wanted to head to the mountains, that we wanted to be together as a family with NO interruptions, no technology, of any sort,
just us and nature and TIME
to enjoy the simple things of life!
Sunday after church we loaded our car with camping/hiking gear and a cooler of goodies and piled in our car and headed towards Salmon, Idaho.
It was actually serendipity that we kept driving instead of camping at the main campground along the road, because we found a hidden gem up Williams Creek Road, and camped in the high mountains and we were the only people camping in that particular spot.
It was peaceful, no noise of society, just us and the excitement of a 10 year old boy SO excited to run and jump over every rock and climb every hill and pick up every stick in sight as we were setting up camp.
We enjoyed a campfire, dinner and great conversation around the fire and PEACE... the only noise we could hear was an owl "hooting"...no TV's, no generators, just the sounds and smells of nature...(our CELL PHONES didn't even work)
It was solitude!
It was solitude!
The next morning we awoke early,
got our camp taken down, enjoyed a little granola for breakfast and headed to mile marker 282...we parked our car, unloaded our gear, loaded up on water and put on our packs and headed up the trail on a gorgeous hike!
This hike is my favorite hike because there is a reward at the end...
HOT water...
HOT water...
Goldbug Hot Springs has natural pools of ALL different temperatures, mossy rocks, water falls, (HOT water falls that feel like a hot shower), water that pounds through the rocks and gives you a nice back massage.
The serenity up there is something that can't be compared to anything else in life.
Stunning, breathtaking beauty, peace and solitude and warm, hot and cold water abundant to enjoy! We were entertained watching all kinds of butterflies, flying around and landing near us. I could sit and watch them all day long!
We spent the majority of the day there and had the whole place to ourselves...not another soul around...
taking in the water, engaging in wonderful conversation and enjoying lunch while we soaked. HEAVEN on EARTH is what it was.
It was sad to have to come back to reality and pack up hike out and head back home so we could be back to work and school on Tuesday.
The kids promised us to take them back there once a month all through the summer as they LOVED it and so do I!
Here is our perfect day in photos!
Setting up camp... 
For me, a room with a view,
will always be that of looking out the door of my tent,
with some kind of nature beauty to see and enjoy!
FUN
around the campfire...
Little bit of pouting going on in this photo...
Ethan kept getting a little too crazy
with lighting sticks on fire and
"waving them around".
Heading out...
and now the HIKE begins!
Ethan leads the pack...
WOW, quite the ominous views we enjoyed...
UP we go...
We made it!
Crystal Clear, HOT water!
The most amazing view...
Hot Water, gorgeous canyon...
we all took our turn enjoying!!
Getting an awesome
back massage from pounding water!
Just relaxing and enjoying the day...
Feet are NOT pink from sunburn...
the water is SO hot...
it's pure heaven!
Amazing Textures
and Colors...
WOW, amazing waterfall
to take a hot shower....
Jade is enjoying some
Solitude and Peace
I could have sat and watched
the butterflies ALL day long!
Relaxing and enjoying
one last soak before heading out...
Sad to say goodbye to a PERFECT day!!
And down we go...
The End!
I love a beautiful hike like that, and to find such a treasure at the end . . . heavenly way to spend spring break I think.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful day! That is a not too strenuous hike for such a treasure at the end - How wonderful that is!!
ReplyDeleteLove your pictures. I love living in Idaho in "God's Country" as the old folks say :-D There is truly beauty all around.
Thanks for capturing some of it and sharing it with us!
Salmon River Country is BEAUTIFUL country.
ReplyDeleteHow fun to have the hot springs to enjoy this weekend. It looks like you all had such a great time.
Ethan and fire....such a normal boy. I'm a bit of a pyro myself.
Great pictures!
Cherie...the first 1/4 mile of the hike is on private property and then you are finally on BLM ground...the total hike (one way) is just a little over 2 miles. In the last mile you gain 1,000 feet elevation, which makes the last part pretty treacherous to go up, but I think it's much worse going down.
ReplyDeleteIt is really nice that they added the stairs for part of the last mile because it used to be on unstable ground and you practically had to get on your hands and knees and crawl up it and try not to slide down.
Now that really does look like the perfect day. There is something wonderful about hiking and seeing all the splendor that God has created. I am looking forward to doing some hiking with my family during the summer.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and Perfect Day indeed!
ReplyDeleteThose hot pools are calling my name ( and body )
Confession: I am a pyro like Ethan and Tauna too! :)
Oh my gosh! What a wonderful hike!
ReplyDeleteI would love to do some of that this year!!