Exploring The Eastern Sierras, California: Travertine Hot Springs
Not long ago I wrote about my first experience navigating to a hot spring via paperback library book. It was the day my fascination with hot springs began, and I've continued to try to find one anywhere I travel.
That very same day, high off the thrill of finding something totally unknown and new to us, we attempted navigation to a second. Unfortunately those photos are buried deep in the hard drives, but I have some to share from more recent adventures.
As the dog-eared page instructed, we turned off the safety of the pavement, and guided the old Jeep Cherokee up a washboard road. Road noise and dust filled the car. Behind us, the majestic white-capped Eastern Sierras. Ahead of us, sandy yellow road, endless sage brush, bright blue sky, and not one identifying marker.
We passed an unmarked fork in the road, and then an unofficial shooting range, and climbed one final ascent to deliver us to the scene of three bronzed and leathery, beer-bellied men, sun-bathing in the nude. They lounged completely uninhibited, every bit of their naked bodies brown and tough from the sun. My mind flashed to lazy lounging sea lions I'd seen on a field trip. They gave us the head nod as us girls parked the Jeep.
Not wanting to share a pool with the sea lion men 40 years our senior, we put on a confident air and walked past with eyes straight ahead.
Our sights now faced the Sierras again, such a contrast to the surrounding desert. We breathed the sulphur, still new to us, and wandered down a dusty trail at the bottom of a 12 foot travertine ridge. The chalky ridge was sharp to our side, each dusty step sent a lizard darting from it's sunny spot.
Not knowing if we'd find anything at the end of the trail, we were surprised to find 3 natural pools at the end of the tall ridge. Boulders and mud contained the slightly grey and teal water, and soft sulphuric silt lined the bottom. We climbed in and realized the tall ridge we followed actually transported the molten water to our pools. The water dripped slowly down the travertine facade, changing the face of it into a natural and living sculpture.
We dipped in slowly, the water scorched our skin red at first and then felt good. We sank our bottoms into silty grey earth. The constant drip of the water, the steam on the surface, the view of mountains lulled our peaceful and uninterrupted soak into evening, not once disturbed by a single person. We watched with arms propped up on the rocky ledge as little rabbits darted about at sunset.
There was no name "Travertine" to mark the spot then, and thanks to only one library book and some locals, the spot seemed mostly unknown except by whisper and rumor. Today it is quite popular, but I can't blame anyone for wanting to experience it for themselves. Since returning several times now 15 years past that first visit, we've actually found 3 dispersed hidden pools at the Travertine site! As an amateur hot spring hunter I've learned if there's one, there's usually one more.
