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Briefings
07.25.06 - 07.27.06
It has been too long... 3 days of soaking at Weir Creek treated me
well. I needed all 3 days to pick up the trash that littered the
primitive sites, trail and hot springs area. My friend and I carted
out sack after sack of trash. Broken glass was everywhere, diapers,
metal cans and glass bottles in fire pits... fish hooks, wire...
etc. The most annoying by far was the little, tiny bits of trash
that carpeted almost all of the primitives. I even had to ford the
creek, follow a fallen tree up to a secluded island on the creek to
find the source of a seemingly metal reflection... more trash.
I met and talked with a
variety of soaker types on this trip. All were travelers save for a
couple semi-locals out of Missoula, MT. I noticed a common thread
among the people I observed; they didn't litter, were polite but yet
did not pick up anyone else's trash except for one couple from
Moscow, Idaho (kudos to you guys)... a sad ordeal indeed. All of us,
whether we like it or not, impact these areas despite how light we
tread. Thank the environment for use of the hot springs by becoming
a steward: pick up others trash, use main trails and set a good
example for others. Please only burn wood in the fire pits, other
materials don't break down and emit harmful gases into the
environment.
I qualified Weir Creek
multiple times on this trip. Early afternoon to late night / early
morning hours lead to consistent temperature readings of 108° (2
degrees higher than that of 2002) while early morning brought about
consistent temperatures of 105° (1 degree higher than that of 2002).
The main pool, and only
pool (aside from the warm, creek-side soaker) suitable for soaking
had been improved since my last visit. Improvements rendered the
pool wider and deeper, growing from 4 person capacity to 8+.
I actually had a great
time meeting and talking with fellow soakers, something that I
rarely get to do around hot springs in southern Idaho. People were
friendly, and to say the least it was refreshing. Weir Creek was a
great place to unwind after a blistering hike to
Stanley Hot Springs and beyond
the prior 3 days. Before heading back home yet one more trip was to
be had in this region, Jerry
Johnson.
Rating A
09.06.02
We arrived to find an empty
pullout on a Friday afternoon. The short hike to WC through the lush
forest was beautiful. It was raining and continued to rain throughout
the duration of our trip. It was the 1st time I got good use out of my
$1.99 plastic bag rain parka, mainly because I actually remembered to
bring it this trip (and boy am I glad I did).
This HS was a total treat. I feel in love... There
was the main pool (pictured above), a two-seater pool to the side of the
main pool that had murky, stagnant waters and a mucky bottom and a small 1 person
pool located below the main pool nestled in the side of the small cliff
that overlooks Weir Creek. The main pool was a toasty soak for sure. If
you get too hot just pull the plug to release some of the hot water into
the 1 person pool below.
We soaked for about 10 minutes in private before we noticed a small group wandering around and peeping in on us. They
wouldn't approach the springs so we enjoyed them by ourselves for
another 45 minutes or so before heading out. The peepers seemed friendly
enough during a brief walk-by chat, and were quite intoxicated but not
via alcohol. On the way back we passed 3 more groups en-route to the
springs and as we left the parking lot another van full of people
arrived. Whew! That's a lot of people and only 1 good pool. Do what you
should always do everywhere you go in the outdoors and LEAVE NO TRACE.
Our next visit won't be on a weekend.
Usage surges at night because of the clamp-down (nighttime closure) put
on Jerry Johnson HS which is only 10 miles away. The primary abusers are
partiers from the college located in Missoula, MT. Unfortunately, cases
of vehicle break-ins are on the rise in this remote area as well.
Rating
A
Average Rating:
A
Traffic Updates
05.15.03 (PM) & 05.16.03 (AM)
The pullout for Weir Creek was packed! I believe this had something to do
with the season; this time of year is the best time to raft or kayak the Lochsa River.
All of the parked vehicles had rafts and kayaks on board, in fact,
there was absolutely no where to park in the huge pullout.
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