You do not have to be registered as a guest at the nearby resort to visit the hot springs. For a free alternative and a rather rustic experience without the admission fee charged at the resort, soak in one of three small tubs housed in separate rooms in the undeveloped Historical Baths. The old stone bath house is on a knoll directly above the resort's main parking lot. A little farther up the hill from the bathhouse, also known as "The Indian Baths", a small two-person pool has been created where a spring emerges from the ground. The coordinates will take you to nearby place to park. Also you can visit the nearby "Hot Springs Cache" a traditional geocache.
An analysis of the water from this hot springs showed the following mineral content:
Radium - 105 units (measure of radioactivity) Sodium Chloride - 63.2 parts per million (ppm) Potassium Chloride - 10.4 ppm Sodium Sulphate - 38.3 ppm Magnesium Sulphate - 494 ppm Calcium Sulphate - 782 ppm Calcium Bicarbonate - 1024 ppm
These levels of dissolved solids are fairly typical for a hot spring. It's these dissolved solids that precipitate out when the water cools leaving deposits behind that build up around the hot springs. The composition of the deposit will depend on the minerals that have been brought up to the surface by the heated water. Typically it is composed of silica or calcium carbonate and is white or greyish in colour.
As of November 18, 2006 to log this Earthcache:
You must post some unique bit of information regarding the site that you learn while there. Taking a water temperature measurement of the hot spring or pool is acceptable. Other possible information could be the size of the hotspring or the water flow rate. I'll leave it up to each cacher to decide what to post to show that they have learned something. I will monitor logs for appropriate information. Posting a photo is not required but appreciated.Unfortunately, any log that does not meet the requirements will be deleted. Thanks for visiting an Earthcache!