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From Amazon.com: Whether you're a practicing balneologist (one who seeks the healing properties of natural hot springs) or just an occasional dipper, this book steers you toward the natural baths from Surprise Valley in Northern California to the Mexico/California border. By the looks of the overview map, there may be more hot springs than casinos in Nevada, with warm waters to suit both your style and desire for adventure. Steamboat Hot Springs, 11 miles south of Reno, provides visiting gamblers with a resort-style respite, in contrast to the primitive Gold Strike Hot Spring, found in a narrow valley near the Colorado River. This spring requires a 4-mile round-trip hike and some boulder scrambling "with substantial drop-offs"; the hot waterfalls and canyon views are reportedly worth the effort. Names such as "Crab Cooker," "Dirty Socks," and "Terminal Geyser," combined with tempting black-and-white photos, make you want to grab a towel and head west.
great fun but at least one hotspring was missing: book was perfect for drive across California and Nevada. It opened a new world of adventure. Unfortunately, though, one (of the two) hotsprings we drove to (outside of Unionville) appears to have been bulldozed over. We found this out after an hour or so of driving and another hour walking around looking for the hotspring. But we wouldn't have missed this adventure anyway.
Not So Hot: Very bland and writing without soul or true appreciation for the environment. Directions poor. Not worth your money. Prefer Gersh's Hot Springs book.
Good Resource: Bought this book and actually used it in California hitting 10 spots in 3 days. One spring was a large pond which we felt was unsafe, even though the author points out the dangers, hot water creeping in from various holes in the ground can be very dangerous. I would have left this one out of the book as it did not warrant a visit. Others were right on the money. The book provides enough instructions to get you there but leaves in the exploration factor of actually having to find it. Otherwise some of these areas might be overrun by "casual" users unwilling to do some searching. The roads were as described, passable yet "requires the skill of a country boy" like myself who knows how to drive a 2 wheel drive car where they should not go. Slow and patient, we managed to get the luxury rental car to all the springs without getting stuck and no damage. When the author says the road is impossible after a rain storm, I'd believe it without a doubt. Everchanging conditions such as public access are impossible to keep current, yet the book does "point you in the right direction". If you love the hot pools this is a good resource.
| Author: | Matt C. Bischoff | | Binding: | Paperback | | Dewey Decimal Number: | 613.122025794 | | EAN: | 9780762736416 | | Edition: | Second | | ISBN: | 0762736410 | | Number Of Pages: | 272 | | Publication Date: | 2006-01-01 |
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