VW ADVENTURES

January 29, 2009
by Julia
0 comments

MAGICAL AND MYSTICAL– WHAT A WAY TO START THE DAY!

MAGICAL AND MYSTICAL– WHAT A WAY TO START THE DAY!
It is chilly in the camper when we wake up. The clock isn’t working (but the thermometer is and it reads 13’C, about 55’ F – chilly enough!) so we don’t know what time it actually is but the sky is light even though the sun isn’t yet shining in the deep valley. The hot springs are steaming and beckoning, so we brave our cold damp suits and head down for an early morning soak. One young man from the big camp is on the trail ahead of us, otherwise the camp is quiet. He disappears on a trail beyond the pools we were in last night. Wonder if there are more pools beyond…we’ll have to investigate that trail NEXT time!
The seepage on the side path is considerably more than the evening before and we have to step carefully to keep from sinking in. As we start down the boulders, Julia’s foot slips on the damp sand and she lands hard, smashing her leg into a rock. Her shin has a bad scrape and deep bruise showing up immediately and where part of a toenail is broken off is starting to bleed. What a way to start the day! She insists on continuing on down to the pools, wanting to experience the misty pools in the early morning light. Not sure of the effect of the hot water, she lays back into the pool, elevating her foot, and finally submersing it once the bleeding subsides. The hot water feels good and seems to help. Despite the injury, we enjoy our soak. The pools are peaceful and steamy in the early morning light and chill.

Kirkham Hot Springs Idaho

Kirkham Hot Springs

Steam and Sun at Kirkham Hot Springs

We enjoy watching the sun getting higher in the sky and filling the valley. A cute little family joins us and we have a fun conversation with one of little boys who is quite friendly and stays to visit with us while his family explores other pools. They are from Moro Bay, California, and have experienced these hot springs on a previous trip.
The hike back to the bus is a challenge but the injuries are minimal. The toe is throbbing and starts bleeding again, but once cleaned, taped and elevated it stops. We are in no hurry to break camp. It is peaceful with the sounds of the river and gurgling of the water seeping out of the hillside. The family from Moro Bay stops by on their way out, curious about the camper. They ‘ooh and aah’ and chat with us while we take down and store the tent, sharing with us about some of their earlier VW connections…everyone loves Volkswagens and almost everyone has a story of some kind!

Morning Camp

January 19, 2009
by Julia
0 comments

KIRKHAM HOT SPRINGS

Nestled between two mountains, with the highway and a rushing river, the layout of campsites is a bit curious as is the evidence of hot springs…..water seeping out of the hillside and running into a small stream barely deep enough to wade in and wisps of steam being the only indication of hot water. We choose a site as close to the water as possible, wondering if wading in the small amount of run-off is all the hot springs soaking we will get to experience. Oh well, it is pleasant enough for one night’s camp. The rushing water of the Payette River is enough to provide ambience and distract from highway sounds. Next to the largest area of water seepage, a large camp is already set up with several tents, some towels strung out to dry, and a campfire. The towels offer some encouragement of more water than what we see! A couple of cars are parked in a day-use area, but not many people are actually around any of this area of water.

We set up the tent, then walk around to investigate what looks like an information board. Here we discover a trail leading down a hillside where more seeping water is cascading off a rocky hillside into numerous naturally formed pools next to the river. YAY!

We hurry back to the bus to change into our swim suits, grab our towels, and head down to soak. The natural pools of hot water are formed by big boulders and vary in temperature from extremely hot and almost unbearable to comfortably hot soaking temps. They are deep enough to get our bodies wet if we recline. The river is COLD especially in contrast to the hot water! Here is also where we find people from the cars and camps. A couple of families with children of varying ages from an infant to young teens are having a great time. It feels good just lie back and relax in the warm waters and enjoy our evening soak. Before it gets dark, we head back to the camper to change, have a bit to eat, and then snuggle in for a peaceful night’s

January 12, 2009
by Julia
0 comments

Hmm.. WHERE TO CAMP TONIGHT?

Looking through the Idaho RV guide that we picked up in Ketchum, we debate about our options for tonight’s campsite. Most of those listed are RV parks and still a bit rustic with limited amenities. We would prefer a State or Federal site, of which there are even fewer choices. We decide to travel on while studying our options a little more. We discover a camp described as being near a hot springs. Now this sounds intriguing! Even though it lists basic amenities and sounds rustic, the idea of soaking in natural hot springs is quite inviting. The directions are vague, giving a county road and mileage from Idaho City. And of course we have no idea where we are in relation to that. Watching for County Road signs is challenging, especially on winding roads in a narrow mountain valley.

Remembering that we neglected to restock our ice while in Stanley (we must have been too focused on the prospect of a refreshing cup of coffee in the great outdoors!) we decide our first priority is ICE! And if this campsite is truly as rustic as it sounds, we better get more ice before we stop for the night for sure! Rounding a curve we enter a small inhabited area with a little general store and stop there hoping for a supply of ice. A few Bikers have also stopped and are having some refreshment. They are friendly and strike up a conversation with Tommy. The bus has a way of inviting conversations! Another father and son, with some friends, are enjoying this gorgeous day with a motorcycle ride from Boise to Stanley. They know of the hot springs but admit they can’t describe it or offer us specific directions, not sure of just where or how far the turn off is. Encouraged that it does exist and might be worth finding, we begin watching carefully for any sign. Our caution isn’t necessary. A large sign for Kirkham Hot Springs is very easy to spot with plenty of time to make the turn.

January 7, 2009
by Julia
0 comments

MOUNTAIN ROADSIDE CYBER CAFÉ

Stanley, Idaho has a little more activity than we expected but otherwise almost unchanged from our wedding day. We fuel the bus and buy a few postcards. We notice an outdoor Espresso stand across the road. We have to try it! Besides, we aren’t quite ready to leave the area just yet…we want to enjoy these memories a bit longer! This fun little Espresso stand is quite the busy gathering place for local summer residents and everyone is friendly. Sitting outside at one of the picnic tables, we write our postcards and download pictures from the camera to the computer, clearing the memory chip so we can take even more pictures! We are entertained, listening to the other patrons’ talk of fishing and mountain biking etc. One young man joins us at our picnic table with his computer inviting himself to the ‘office’– a real cyber café in the mountains!

January 2, 2009
by Julia
0 comments

WEDDING VOWS AT OLD SAWTOOTH CITY

We eagerly watch for the turn off the highway, and go in search of Old Sawtooth City on the banks of Beaver Creek– the site of our wedding vows. There is an historic marker telling about Sawtooth City that seems to be about where we should turn. There isn’t really a road, just a dirt trail through a fence and across a cattle guard, but we take it, feeling more confident as we travel into the woods. The old buildings are long gone, probably dissembled for firewood. The area is well visited and must be a popular camping spot from the number of well worn sites and current visitors. The area has changed over time with trees grown or fallen, or cleared, along with the old buildings, so we aren’t really certain of ‘Our’ spot. Where we think it might be there is a large, rather spread out campsite. We drive on past a short distance but decide it wasn’t that far and go back where we can drive closer to Beaver Creek. We step across a wayward stream and stand by the wider section. It is evident that someone has forged them both to camp on the other side. We glimpse a large camp set up in the woods across the creek. As we walk back to the bus, a man on a 4 wheeler and his son on a dirt ride up. They are friendly and chatty, teasing us about forging the creek with the bus. We enjoy soaking up the sun and fresh mountain air while having a fun chat, and learning about the popularity of this area now. Too soon, it is time to say our farewells and head back out to the highway and on down the road to Stanley.

December 20, 2008
by Julia
0 comments

CLIMBING TO 8701 FEET

CLIMBING TO 8701 FEET
Feeling quite pleased with ourselves and very well fed, we are ready to head over the hill to Stanley. As we drive out of Ketchum, we recognize a few of the former ‘estates’ of various celebrities, now dwarfed by newer mansions, and we are able to glimpse bits and pieces of the old cross-country ski trail we enjoyed along the Wood River. The bus does a great job pulling grade to Galena Summit. That’s 8701’ at the top, and we climb it with ease, not holding up any traffic, of course there isn’t much either, but still – we climbed steadily and relatively easily! When we go 35 mph and that is the speed limit and we are able to maintain that.

Dropping into the Salmon River Valley is always breathtaking. It is what all of the pictures of a Western Valley look like. The Sawtooth Mountain Range is magnificent in its ruggedness and certainly lives up to its name of ‘sawtooth’, looking jagged, especially from a distance. Before continuing downhill, we linger at the overlook, happy memories flooding our thoughts and conversation as we reminisce about driving this road on the way to our wedding 36 years ago.