About a month ago Raf and I took a drive up to Bagby Hot Springs. It was awesome, in the truest definition of the word. The drive up there was absolutely beautiful. The road meanders along the Clackamas River and up, deep, into the Mount Hood Wilderness.  Eventually phone service is cut off completely and you are blissfully immersed in nature. The walk up to the hot springs is short and easy, even for someone with a foot injury.

There is a really nice vibe there. As you walk the trail up to the hot springs everyone has a smile on their face. They are radiating happiness and it shows on their faces as they say “hi” passing by.

On the day we were there last we were walking back down to our car and we passed a young man with a beard and long blond hair and very tanned skin. He was wearing a loin cloth. His wild looking child was skipping fearlessly on a felled tree that crossed a deep ravine. I wanted to take his portrait but I didn’t have the guts. I totally regret that.

The hot springs itself is heaven on earth. There are community tubs but there are also private tubs, shown in the photos. You fill the tub with searing hot water that flows directly from Mt Hood. You have to add buckets of cold water otherwise it would be too hot. Then you lay back and relax, looking above you at the Douglas Fir canopy.

The photo above was taken with my Zero 2000 pinhole camera. It was my first experience with cross processed slide film. I am not super thrilled with the result. Hopefully my next try will be better.

I took the photo below with my iPhone at the same time.

http://instagram.com/p/cFr3NqILHu/