Saturday, July 20, 2024: … On My Walk Back To The Lolo Hot Springs Resort Parking Lot, I Discovered This Lewis & Clark Trail Marker, Which Must Mean They Came This Way, Likely After Being AT Where The Hot Water Came Out Of Rocks!

The WebSite ... Lewis-Clarck.org …. Reports The Following =>
…”These Springs are very beautiful to See, and we think them to be as good to bathe in &c. as any other ever yet found in the United States,” avowed Private Joe Whitehouse. The water was “considerable above blood heat.” In fact, it “nearly boiled where it Issued out of the rocks.” Clark’s reaction was quick. “I put my finger in the water, at first could not bare it in a Second.” [13 September 1805]
…Clark noted that “as Several roads led from these Springs in different derections,” their Lemhi Shoshone guide, Toby, took a wrong turn and led them three miles out of their way over an “intolerable” road. The maze of roads seen in this photo, mostly created for log-hauling trucks, are now used by recreationists who visit the springs for hiking, mountain-biking, horseback riding, and for cross-country skiing in winter. Among them is what remains of the luge run built here in 1965—reportedly the first in North America.
…The company paused here for only a few minutes on their way west, but on their return spent the whole night of 29 June 1806, which provided Lewis with sufficient time to describe the place and the experience.
…These warm springs are situated at the base of a hill of no considerable hight on the N side and near the bank of travellers rest creek which at that place is about 10 yards wide. these spring issue from the bottoms and through the interstices of a gray freestone rock, the rock rises in iregular masy clifts in a circular range arround the springs on their lower side. immediately above the springs on the creek there is a handsome little quamas plain of about 10 acres. the prinsipal spring is about the temperature of the warmest baths used at the hot springs in Virginia.
In this bath which had been prepared by the Indians by stoping the run with stone and gravel, I bathed and remained in 19 minutes, it was with dificulty I could remain thus long and it caused a profuse sweat two other bold springs adjacent to this are much warmer, their heat being so great as to make the hand of a person smart extreemly when immerced. I think the temperature of these springs about the same as the hotest of the hot springs in Virginia.
…Both the men and indians amused themselves with the use of a bath this evening. I observed that the indians after remaining in the hot bath as long as they could bear it ran and plunged themselves into the creek the water of which is now as cold as ice can make it; after remaining here a few minutes they returned again to the warm bath, repeating this transision several times but always ending with the warm bath.
…… Click Here To See Photos & Read More Related To The /\Above/\ Historical Discussion, Of What We Now Call Lolo Hot Springs..

File = DSC 0589 Resize1504x1000 ~154KB