| Campground: | Mountain View RV Park and Restaurant, 705 W Grand Ave, Arco, ID 83213 |
| Total Distance: | 9714 Miles. |
| Traveled Today: | 172 Miles. |
| Key Highlights: | Lily Lake and Bench Lakes Trail, Easley Hot Springs, Frenchman’s Hot Springs, 1080 Warm Springs Rd, Ketchum, ID 83340 |
The morning was as beautiful as a postcard, and it was time for a last big hike before the long travel days back home. So we headed back to Redfish lake and took the shuttle speed boat (one-way) for a scenic ride to the other end. The Sawtooth mountains were above us, and we started to hike below Grand Mogul and Braxon peaks. Lily Pond and the waterfall around us were an uplifting start, and we hiked back to the lodge via the beautiful alpine Bench Lakes. The trail was long (10 miles total) with a fun elevation of ~1500 feet (500 meters), and after the Bench Lakes, the route followed a rim- where the lake was just below us on the right, and the mountains were overlooking us from the left. As we got close to our car, the sound of rolling thunder started to get closer, and the first rain drops began as we hit the road. Great timing, after a very good hike.
Now, after such a good effort, we felt we deserved to refresh in some hot springs. So we drove towards Sunvaley, searching for them. The Closer we got, the worse the weather got – the temperature dropped from 90F to 56F in 20 min, and rain with hail was pouring.
After the boiling experience yesterday at Sunbeam screaming hot springs, we thought it might be a good idea to stop at Easley Hot Spring – that was a commercial establishment. We wanted consistent warmth- and were willing to pay $7 for that. The nice-looking pool tempted us, and the low price, ignoring the warning signs (on the wall saying – you can check the temperature of the water before payment, no refund after). A few minutes later, we sat in nicer weather, with a lovely view and not-so-warm water.
We had no other choice, and despite the long-distance drive ahead, we headed to Frenchman’s Hot Springs. To get to these springs, we took a detour of 10 miles (20 miles out and back), mainly on a dirt road, not knowing what to expect. – The payoff was great! Frenchman’s Hot Springs are another type of free, natural setting springs. Again, we got into what looked like a cold running stream, but this time the hot water was coming up from the ground up, so the warm water from below and the cool running stream were balancing in the natural stone-circled pools. Again, Idaho does not stop to surprise.
We got to Arco at sunset, the first city to be lit by atomic energy, happy and tired.