The destination for this day was the San Antonio Hot Springs. The road was closed for the winter so it was a 4 mile hike UP to get to the springs. At an elevation of 8,300 feet above sea level, I had some doubts as to my ability since I have been living at Sea Level! At first I could feel my lungs trying to keep up, but keeping a steady pace we made it in an hour and a half! The road followed along the gorgeous San Diego Canyon and river and then turned into a small trail for half the way.
Crossing previous landslides, snow embankments and meadows, we arrived!
Wow what a place!! And the reward after the long wilderness hike.......HOT SPRINGS!!!....Flowing out of a steep hillside the water is about 105 degrees. There are a series of rock pools with a strong water flow of about 300 gallons/minute.
It is a delightful experience to be in a cold environment and be able to undress and be warm whilst under a gorgeous sky with a view of rock cliffs, snowy mountains and tall tall trees.
It is a remote place so we were surprised when a group of 3 people arrived after we did. We were even more surprised when the snakes arrived!! Yes about 2 dozen of them!!!! Slithering all around the springs were these skinny, 2 feet long brown snakes.....they did not look poisonous, more like what I call a gardner snake. However they proceeded to gather into a mating ball as we watched the frenzy. I was in the water mind you when all this was taking place and as soon as the ball got closer to the water and part of it fell into the water is when I abandoned ship. Even knowing they were not venomous, the thought of having snakes slithering around me in the water was a bit unnerving.....the cowgirl yogis said there was probably a transformational message in all this!!
We managed to get the camera at the beginning of the melee for a video but the battery died. After some Googling of the phenomenon, we determined it was probably the female that emerged from "hibernation and brumation" as her sex-specific pheromones attracted the male snakes in droves.
The destination for this day was the San Antonio Hot Springs. The road was closed for the winter so it was a 4 mile hike UP to get to the springs. At an elevation of 8,300 feet above sea level, I had some doubts as to my ability since I have been living at Sea Level! At first I could feel my lungs trying to keep up, but keeping a steady pace we made it in an hour and a half! The road followed along the gorgeous San Diego Canyon and river and then turned into a small trail for half the way. 
Crossing previous landslides, snow embankments and meadows, we arrived!
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