The scenic byway of the Wind River continues a little past Thermopolis, however, I was determined to stop for a soak in the mineral springs. There are three bath house opportunities for soaking, two are mini-theme parks garishly colored and filled with cooky rides and slides, the third middle house is the state park http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/Site/SiteInfo.asp?siteID=9 . I like to say its the one instance where the U.S. government kept its agreement with the Native Americans. The agreement with the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Indian tribes when the U.S. absconded with their land, was that the hot springs remain free to the people in perpetuity. And today it is.
In a theme that has been and will be with us throughout this trip, we got there in the nick of time. The free park closed at 5:30 and we arrived at 4:30. There is a limit on soak time of 15 minutes and we were stymied by the outdoor pool being closed for cleaning but had the backup opportunity for the indoor pool. With such beautiful weather out, it would have been nice to soak it all up outside. Regardless, the healthful benefits of a mineral soak were not to be missed.
The bath spring water is maintained at 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Minerals found in the water include sulfur, calcium sulfate, magnesium, sodium, hydrogen carbonate, and many more. Very considerate of nature to put these ingredients all in a blend that is habitable to humans!
As mentioned, Ken and I arrived in time to relax and enjoy a soak in the bath house. The building has a wonderful picture window view of the nearby mountains seen from the pool. I cannot fault the park service for putting a limit on the spring soak, 15 minutes was just about right. There were a few other folks soaking in the time we were there and everyone was calm and happy! Thank you to the geothermal processes!
After our soak, we took a nice stroll on the boardwalk over the mineral pools to the historic suspension bridge that crosses the Rocky Mountain Big Horn River (the Wind River changes names when leaving the canyon).
The dissolved and deposited limestone in the form of calcium gives the overflow edge along the river the big cascade effect. Just the right temperature and mineral combination also makes the water home to numerous algae which decorate parts of the surface pools with vibrant colors. For a DOE technical analysis of the geographical formation, see this pdf site http://www.osti.gov/bridge/purl.cover.jsp?purl=/6053845-rsRTid/native/
I am not a scientist, but I could not help thinking when looking at old photos, and even my own memory of 10 years ago, that there seemed to be less flow of spring water today than in the past. It could have just been the season, or day, or cycle. I hope these springs continue to flow for generations to enjoy. We did have a pleasant evening.
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