Warm Springs Bay, Baranoff Island, June 19: Hot Springs in Cold Weather

The hot springs in Warm Springs are the "go to - must see" spot in SE Alaska. So we went, us, Gay and Wyman and about 18 other boats, all at one dock, crammed in, rafted off and generally up close and personal. The mix is pleasure boaters and commercial fishing boats – this being a Wednesday and salmon fishing is permitted on only Thursday and Sunday – a perfect way to spend a day off – soaking in the hot springs.  

Warm Springs



Lake Baranoff

Of course there is a roaring waterfall – about 500 yards from our boat - and the spray is so mighty it  soaks our bow.  The dock is connected to a ramp that meets a boardwalk that fronts the “town” - a series of several shacks - one housing a masseuse, but no other commercial enterprise.  And the boardwalk leads everywhere - there are no paths in the woods, just miles of boardwalk across swamps and rugged terrain, leading to Lake Baranoff and the hot springs.

The Sophisticated Boardwalk

Our Friends Enjoying a Soak
with
The Falls Right Behind Them

The Falls in the Evening

We hike to the lake and then to the springs – a feat not for the faint of heart.  We  scale  tree roots, scramble over rocks up a hill and slide through the mud.  You have to work for your moment of Zen.  But so worth it.  The hot springs are like sitting in a really hot bath tub on the edge of Niagara Falls – and really loud.  We meet some guys from a fishing boat and they have lots and lots of beers.  We stay in the natural springs until we turn prunish, hot but all the while being doused by the cold falls. Then it’s out into the chilly evening air,  flushed and  wrinkled, and back to the boat.


We have dinner on board with Gay and Wyman – his shrimp catch from Red Bluff Bay, and then everyone congregates on the docks to socialize.  So different from our days of isolation and solitude when we were anchored.  A nice change.