State House, Lava Tubes and Meadow Hot Pools

September 4, 2013 -- Millard County. After another high school it was off to the territorial state house in Fillmore, the lava tubes and Meadows Hot Pools.

Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful turquoise blue pool of water reminiscent of a Caribbean oasis... now envision that same small pool of water in the middle of a cow pasture in the middle of Utah nowhere and you have the Meadows Hot Springs/pools.

Okay, so we aren't necessarily talking about a Caribbean oasis but the Meadow hot springs/pools are pretty cool.

Located about 6 miles west of Kanosh at the end of a dirt road you find three impressive pools. They are on private land, and the landowner has been generous enough to let people soak but a few reckless individuals and I'm sure they won't be open for future generations.

As mentioned there are three pools with #1 being my favorite. It has a rope across and I never made it to the bottom to see how deep it really is. Some reports say it's about 30 feet deep but I probably only got to about 12-15ft before I had to come back for air. Some say it's also about 100 degrees but I thought it was high 80's at the most... incredibly relaxing with no sulfur smells.

Pool #2 is wide and shallow with overhangs around the whole pool. I didn't get in it but they say it's around 80 degrees.

Pool #3 is air temperature around 70 degrees. Someone built a wooden dock and I'm sure it's a riot to jump into on a hot day but it also looks a bit sketchy. There are thousands of little fish that look like some type of aquarium fish that have multiplied like crazy. We would stick out hands in the water and the fish would suck at our fingers.

All in all, great find and fun adventure in the middle of a cow field by Kanosh, Utah. 

Indian Trail & Cowboys (Part Two)

July 9, 2011 -- After trekking the Indian trail we had the ambition to visit Ogden Hot Springs. We probably should have simply followed the Bonneville Shoreline trail back to Rainbow Gardens but we had to make it to the Ogden Canyon overlook and bushwhack our way down the mountain -- it has to be an adventure.

We found a hidden hot spring that gently ran down the mountain and paved a way to Rainbow Gardens. The spring was incredibly hot and smelled of sulphate. Because of the heat from the spring there was fascinating fauna everywhere.

We soon started back up Ogden Canyon to the hot pools adjacent to the man made waterfall

The hot springs are on the south side of the mouth of the canyon just after you go under the large overhead water pipe and we were lucky to have them all to ourselves despite being literally yards from the busy motorists traveling unknowingly up and down the canyon. 

There are three "pools" and they are all hot!  When I got out I was a lobster but of course I really love hot showers, pools, baths...hot water in general. 

After our relaxing in the pools we met my dad and our kids and headed to the Ogden's Farmers Market for Cowboys!

This year to usher in Pioneer Days festivities outlaws, the stage coach and a mounted posse flooded 25th Street during the Farmer's Market! We rode the stage coach after witnessing the shootout in the streets.  Nothing like a great day trekking through Indian paths and ending with a shoot out and stagecoach ride to appreciate the legacy of the west!

Indian Trail & Cowboys (Part One)

July 9, 2011 -- I've been lucky, summer has been cooperative and I've been able to keep up a pace that has allowed me to accomplish quite a bit of the adventures my ambitions have imagined. Today's adventure – a tale of Indians and Cowboys.

First a tale of the Indian Trail.  The trail has long been a favorite for many in Ogden and provides fantastic views and a rigorous challenge which was just what I was looking for to rehab my knee. We started from the restored lime kiln just up Ogden canyon and quickly ascended into the canopy of the well traveled forest trail.

The trail actually follows the footsteps of the Shosone Indians who traversed the mountain above the Ogden river to get to Ogden's Hole (Ogden Valley).

Following a creek coming down the Warmwater Canyon, the cascading water was peaceful and serene.

Along the trail there is faint evidence of various groups who played a roll in the human history of the of the canyon; the the bridges and cement work of the Civil Conservation Corp in the 1930s, the embedded artifacts of settlers and miners- the trail is a walk through history.

The first major view of the valley is the halfway point of the trail, “Nevada Viewpoint”.

The resting spot marks the highest point of the trail at 6100 feet and there is a storm shelter structure which was someones labor of love to build.

I loved that we started from within Ogden Canyon because with the sun on our backs on the second half of the trail we enjoyed the spectacular vistas facing west.  

Finally descending the Indian Trail our second adventure started- getting the hot springs/pools at the mouth of the canyon.  (Part Two)