Back In Hot Water
Trip Start
May 08, 2006
1
53
59
Trip End
Oct 2006
Livingston, Montana, United States
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Paradise Valley, Montana
Our goal was hot water at Chico. Thinking that late September would be quiet at the historic hot springs resort, we called on Tuesday morning expecting to be able to find a room at the inn. No such luck - but the fact that they didn't have rooms turned out to be a lucky break for us. We left our in-town Livingston RV Park, got some provisions at the grocery store, fueled up (again!) and stopped at the Forest Service Ranger Station for some camping information. While we found some good information about their campsites, one of the staff let us know of a fishing access point at the Yellowstone River "that some people use as a campsite". After a short drive up the river valley surrounded by 12,000 foot peaks, we came to the access point and found there were actually three designated campsites - and the best one was empty
1 Little Missouri River at TR Natl. Park
. We learned from the folks who were cleaning the facility that the "rainbow" people who had been in the site for a month had left it the day before. So we carefully moved the trailer into the tight spot by the river, feeling pretty lucky. We felt even luckier when we took the five-minute drive down paved roads to Chico and spent three hours swimming and sitting in hot water. Chico Hot Springs has been a hot springs resort - or restorative facility - for about 150 years, and, unlike many of these places through the west, is now a four-star resort, with lodge rooms, cabins of all shapes and sizes, one of the best restaurants in Montana and now a separate Day Spa. When we got back to the campsite we learned that the "rainbow" people who had been in the campsite, had really just been the working homeless people camped in the next site. The thirty-something man of the couple approached us, wondering what had happened to His Shit, most specifically the tires he had left at the site, after cleaning up. We let him know the cleaning crew had removed them, and, though upset, seemed okay with that. So the three sites were now occupied by a working homeless couple, a fisherman with a trailer and a generator, and us. All in a splendid setting on the river, surrounded by ranchlands and high peaks.
We had a nice dinner on the river as we sipped some of Ron Roth's wonderful wine from grapes grown on the farm along Bear Creek
2 Prarie Dog at TR Park
. Unlike many of Ron's wine, which carry one of our favorite labels, masking tape identifying the vintage and grape, this gift from Ron was label-less. We guessed it was a "Hillside Red", but no matter, it was exceptional!We woke up to a low overcast and a few sprinkles of rain. Our plan for the day was to go back to Chico for more hot water, then a meal at the fine restaurant. But a brainstorm changed our minds. It occurred to Jeff that we were really not far from Yellowstone National Park and the Boiling River Hot Springs near the northern border. We had been near those springs twice before, but both times were in the spring and the sitting pools were washed out. We finally were here at the right time of the year! So we headed off to sit under the hot waterfalls.
The Boiling River Hot Springs are along the Gardiner River, and actually is the highest volume hot spring in Yellowstone. The hot "river" flows into the Gardiner and people have created a series of pools with river rock. It's about a half-mile walk from a small parking lot inside the Park. The pools are large enough for many people to soak. The experience is amazing. The hot water cascades into the pools, and the cold water from the river mixes in....... so there is always a swirling mix of water to enjoy. As we sat, for hours, a few others came and went, and the atmosphere was quite global, with tourists from Europe and the Orient "taking the waters". But, all in all, it was mostly us, in the natural Jacuzzi, surrounded by the canyon walls.
Totally relaxed, rejuvenated "noodles" we cancelled the dinner reservations, headed back to camp, for a cribbage game and dinner along the Yellowstone, and a sunset in clear skies.
