Bagby Hot Springs was described to me by Joe Guzzi as a magical place that we would be absolutely mad to pass up. Well, Guzzi, today was the day.
We had a quick breakfast of yogurt and cereal with some Rainier cherries, then packed up our stuff and drove southeast through the Mt. Hood National Forest, along the Clackamas River, about an hour’s drive from our campsite at Metzler, although it took us much longer since we stopped about five times along the road to check out the river carving through the rocky landscape. We saw many more “falling rock” signs along this stretch, but our Kia made it to the Bagby trailhead without being pummeled from above.
It took us about an hour to hike to the springs, although I suppose it wasn’t so much a hike as a leisurely stroll, since the trail was so well-maintained and packed down as to be virtually paved. Again, we stopped numerous times along the trail for some photo ops.
I think I’d have to agree with Guzzi’s assessment of the place as magical. The forest itself could have been taken right out of Middle Earth. I swore I caught a band of sure-footed elves dart through the brush out of the corner of my eye as we approached. And at points, surrounded by fir trees bearded in green moss, I felt like I was in the middle of an Entmoot, awaiting Treebeard’s drawn-out, booming voice scolding me for being such a hasty human.
There are cabins at the top of the trail, and wooden railings block off the trail from the point just a few yards away where the clear, almost sweet-smelling, mineral-laden water gurgles out of the rocks at a temperature of 120 degrees or so. From there the water cuts through a little rock channel where it is diverted into an ingenious set of troughs, cut and carved from the surrounding trees. This wooden aqueduct then delivers the steaming water to a series of outdoor rooms, where it can be emptied into wooden tubs, each carved from a tree trunk maybe three feet in diameter.
By the time the spring water reaches the tub, it still hot enough that you have to dump in a couple buckets of cold river water so as not to make yourself into a poached egg. So we filled our tub, and took a soothing (and well-needed, in my case at least) bath. I don’t know who thought of this crazy idea (Mr. Bagby perhaps?) but it was pretty incredible to see and experience. After a good half-hour soak, our stomachs were urging us back to the car for some food, so we got out, pulled the fist-sized wooden cork from the bottom of our log and watched the water swirl down the drain.
On our way back to the trailhead, as we crossed the river over the wooden bridge, I looked over the edge into the rapids, waiting for the waters to rise and the white faces of horses to appear under Gandalf’s spell, washing the black-cowled Ringwraiths into a watery oblivion and dispatching them back to their dark lord in Mordor, their shrieks echoing between the sheer rock scarps. Alas, no such luck. Instead, I was brought back to reality by a hippie dude in a skirt:
Back on the road, heading out of Bagby, we had our first tiff with Cate Blanchett when she tried to lead us out the south side of the park by way of a 15-mile gravel “road” at which we could probably safely top out at 20 mph without sliding into the ditch. This road was just about wide enough for one car of average width (well, two if you swerve sharply enough to miss the pickup truck that happens to be barreling towards you as you round the corner – which we did). After less than a mile of driving in this manner, we told Cate Blanchett to go screw herself. We found a patch of gravel wide enough to pull about an 8-point turn and hightailed it back through our own cloud of dust. Now, back to the coast.
Musical interlude: It’s exactly three years since this Ryan Adams show from Somerville, Massachusetts, one of my favorite bootlegs ever. In this 2007 acoustic gig, Ryan’s band, the Cardinals, were totally coming into their own, and the instrumentation, the jams, and especially the vocal harmonies from this show are mind-blowing to me. In short, they were on. I don’t think Sarah agrees, but I’m wearing her down. You can grab the whole show here (Actually, soundboard recordings of virtually all of R.A.’s shows are available at the site if you search around a little. This is really one of the absolute best, though.) Here are a few of the highlights. “Peaceful Valley” and “Magnolia Mountain” seem especially appropriate for the last day or so of driving.
Peaceful Valley.mp3
Dear John.mp3
Goodnight Rose.mp3
Games.mp3
Tears of Gold.mp3
Magnolia Mountain.mp3
-Josh
Funny you should mention Treebeard, as I just got to the Entmoot in the Two Towers audiobook! :)
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