Visiting hot springs in the middle of a forest on a cool sunny day is like
living in a dream.
We'd heard there were hot springs near Los Alamos. We'd had a full morning at Puye Cliffs, another hour of a tailgating lunch, and discovered then that the hot springs were within an hour's drive. We counted: 15 minutes in the other direction to get a change of clothes, another 15 minutes back, an hour through the woods & up the mountain -- we'd get there just in time for the last hour or so of sunlight.
We decided to go for it.
The hot springs were in the Valles Caldera Preserve. There were hot springs in a resort and hot springs au'naturel. We opted for the one in the forest without fees or signs or concessions to lure us away from the wonder of the experience.
We've been traveling across so much wide open space that traveling in the mountains caught us by surprise. Horseshoe turns with posted speed limits of 10 mph make for careful and deliberate driving. And for the first time in a few months, we found ourselves in a forest.
The Valles Caldera is the collapsed crater of massive volcanic eruptions in the area a million plus years ago.
It was closed when we drove by, but when the weather is right there are hikes, snowshoeing, and other activities available. We took some time at the overlook.
The Valles Caldera is an astonishing 12 miles wide and encompasses 175 square miles. The eruptions more than a million years ago shot 3-5 miles in the air dispersing more than 100 times the amount of ash from Mount Saint Helen. These volcanoes laid down 150 cubic miles of ash, some of it as far away as Iowa.
And the caldera still gives off heat. Thus the hot springs.
We went to Spence Hot Springs. It was an easy walk, .25 miles from Route 4.
Down some stairs, over a bridge and a babbling brook --
along a dirt path, across a few remaining patches of ice and snow, and we were there.
Hot springs ensconced in a two-tiered stone bath overlooking a wooded canyon. Could life get any better? We didn't think so.
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Wow, it looks beautiful. Did you have it all to yourselves? So envious! Looks like a wonderful place for a return visit. Love, Eileen and Chuck
ReplyDeleteWe had it to ourselves for the most part. Although I can't say the changing room behind the boulder was always private -- seems we chose a thruway. :) You would have loved it. And though I would love to return, I don't think we will. Finding new hot springs has just bumped higher on our list of things to do though! xo
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