Hot springs Soakers seek soothing pools
	Check it out: A list of Washington hot springs

By Greg Johnston
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

To many of their fanciers, the springs that bubble up hot from deep inside the Earth are like Mother Nature's tonic for the body and soul, best experienced in a natural state.

Some swear the mineral-rich water is beneficial to the health, and even drink it. Others simply enjoy soaking, au naturel or otherwise, while surrounded by scenic settings.

But to others, particularly those charged with managing hot springs on public lands, they can be scummy holes of questionable water quality where naked partyers prevent visits by the more modest.

Hot springs are formed when rain and other surface waters drain through faults or cracks in the Earth's surface and reach hot rocks -- those found at the bottom of deep chambers, or volcanically heated material closer to the surface. When the water is heated to boiling, it rises, and if it can find a crack or fault to the surface, it will emerge as a hot spring. En route, the water often picks up a host of minerals, such as sulfur, silica, calcium, potassium, ammonia and phosphate.

Washington has few hot springs compared to other western states and British Columbia, especially considering the powerful volcanism that boils below. But those that do exist and are accessible to the public are exceedingly popular.

"Hot springs -- those two words attract people," says Gary Gissell, the U.S. Park Service district ranger whose jurisdiction includes Olympic Hot Springs, seven natural pools in Olympic National Park. "People come from all over. Most who go there have a pretty good experience.

However, problems can arise at the bubbling springs.

"They're not common, but we have had cases occasionally of what we would call disorderly conduct," Gissell says. "Most of the time it's pretty mellow."

The U.S. Forest Service has struggled for years with Baker Hot Springs, claiming it fails to meet water-quality standards for fecal coliform levels.

"It's kind of a social problem we don't know what to do about," says Leif Hazlett, trails coordinator at the Sedro Woolley ranger station. "Because of the easy access, there's been a lot of partying, beer drinking, broken glass, vandalism to cars at the trailhead. It has been a nightmare to manage over the years."

The Forest Service's current policy is to allow but not promote or encourage the use of hot springs.

Gissell says Olympic Hot Springs also do not conform to federal water-quality standards but he has never heard of anyone suffering ill effects. However, rangers must sometimes go in and clean up the springs, which can get messy during periods of high use.

"People often put carpeting in them to sit on (the bottom is gravel) and it gets pretty scummy," he says. "The pools do get algae in them, too. But most people who like hot springs, they go up and go in them anyway."

Some springs aficionados -- often aging hippies and other free spirits -- say the water-quality issue is a ruse used by authorities to discourage use. If the springs have a steady flow, the users maintain, they're usually fine.

A recent visit to Scenic Hot Springs near Stevens Pass found "Rainy Day" James Ahola, a street musician and artist, enjoying a soak.

"This is heaven, or as close to it as you can get on Earth," he says. "I've been to every hot springs from Mexico to Canada. They help your electrolytes. It sort of recharges your batteries. I have to come up every two or three weeks to recharge my batteries."

Molly Richardson, an employee at Doe Bay Hot Springs on Orcas Island -- the tub area is "clothing optional" -- believes the hot water is purifying.

"The water is really good for your skin, the high mineral content," she says. "It's real cleansing and it feels really refreshing. I just sit and soak. It takes a lot of weight off your spine and joints."

At undeveloped, natural springs, many soakers follow a certain etiquette. If others in the pools are wearing suits, they will, too, or ask if anyone would be offended by nudity.

Historically, hot springs were revered as spiritual sites by Native Americans and to most enthusiasts they remain valuable natural resources that should be protected. It is considered poor etiquette to leave litter or to use soap or shampoo in the springs, and visitors should be gentle on vegetation around springs, where soils can be wet, soft and erodible.

Do not expect solitude at any springs on a summer weekend. Because they are so popular and so few in Washington, regular visitors can be protective and secretive. Northwest Wilderness Programs, the nonprofit group that operates Goldmyer Hot Springs outside North Bend, asked that it not even be mentioned. Friends of Scenic Hot Springs also expressed concern. The P-I agreed not to provide directions to those springs, instead listing an address or phone number for the groups.

The periods of lowest use are in spring, winter or fall, on weekdays.

A word of warning: Soaking in hot water for long periods of time can be dangerous to one's health, and even short soaks pose risks for pregnant women and people with heart conditions.

But by exercising caution and a little courtesy, you should find one of Western Washington's springs a prime spot to soak your soul.