Side Trips Are the Best Part of the Journey

I adore the long drive home from the Sierras.  When people think about California they think of beaches and LA and San Francisco.  Most of California is lovely, undeveloped space.  As we started the drive, I saw a beautiful river and pulled off the road so we could dip our feet in it.  Where I managed to pull off the highway, we had a climb down to the river.  As we started the descent we noticed someone quickly pulling on his pants from a skinny dip. He was a nice guy from Argentina and he mentioned that he'd spent the last few days visiting some nearby hot springs.

Hot Springs?  That would be perfect since Steve was recovering from his big ride. We had a cooler full of munchies, swimsuits and beach towels - we were perfectly prepared for this serendipitous side trip.  Our new Argentinian friend gave us some directions and we were off to find Buckeye Hot Springs.

After a few minutes lost on an unpaved fire road, we found the trail head.  I use the term "trail" loosely.  Mostly it's down a steep hill of granite and loose gravel.  Steve and I made the climb to the Springs and they were awesome.  The hot springs are tucked into a crevasse of rock. and they are hot at about 110 degrees.  The springs are right next to the Buckeye Creek which is icy cold with run off from the snow caps. You see the white rushing water in the photos? Cold creek.  The small calm circles? Hot, hot springs.

We spent a lovely afternoon soaking, relaxing and listening to the rushing water. It was a perfect gem of an afternoon. This photo is Stevie lounging in deliciousness of the hot side.