San Antonio Hot Springs, New Mexico: August 2007

Of all the hot springs in the Jemez Mountains we were told that the San Antonio Hot Springs were the most beautiful. Julie and I piled into Ann and Lyn's big honking 350 Ford diesel 4x4 truck and headed out to find the hot springs. The entrance to the San Antonia Hot Springs is on Forest Road 376 off of Rt. 4 high up in the Jemez Mountains. The road in to the hot springs is listed as rough.

The four of us have agreed that this is the roughest neck snapping road we have ever been on. Ever. Once we had entered the road we soon knew that backing up was not an option. Even if we could have backed up the fearless explorers among us -- Julie and Ann -- would have convinced us that forging ahead was worth it. And it was worth it despite a five mile one lane rock strewn road hanging off the edge of the mountain with no guard rails at about two miles an hour rattling our bones and spiking the anxieties of those of us fearing a plunge over the side of a mountain. That would be Lyn and me.

The bone jarring ride ends in an open meadow in a canyon. The road here had pot holes the size of small houses. Once parked there is a short walk to a narrow stream. We chose to avoid the rotting logs and rusty spikes called a bridge and waded the shallow water to the other side. This is followed by a steep hike up the side of the mountain to the hot springs while skirting curious cows. There we found three pools of clear steaming water each cascading into the one below and one person in the largest pool, a man who had passed us 30 minutes earlier on his mountain bike.

The setting at about 8300 feet was spectacular and once we dipped in the steaming water and sat on the rocks eating our lunch we knew we were in a very special place. Ann and Julie want to reurn next year to commenorate the trip. Lyn and Paula will sit that one out at the camp. Sometimes it is sweeter to savor a singular memory rather than repeat the experience again. It is never as good the second time around.