Valley View Hot Springs is a a rustic clothing-optional resort worth every mile the 185-mile journey from my home in Boulder. I have now visited it for the third time, but never before in winter.
For mid-January the weather was surprisingly good. During the day the thermometer didn’t dip below freezing. Visiting the pools and ponds on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, only once did it snow on my friend and me. But then the sun showed through the snow, prompting us to name the experience, “Snowfall Through Sunlight.” That phrase, of course, owns something to one of the greatest book titles ever, Snow Falling on Cedars.
On Sunday morning we walked up the steep quarter-mile trail to Top Pond, where I jumped right in to get warm.
Alone in Top Pond
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Coming back down from Top Pond we could see some of the Valley View structures as well as the scene across the valley.
Valley View from Top Pond Trail
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We stayed at Sunset House, which has four rooms, a communal kitchen, and half bath.
Sunset House at Sunset, December 31, 2010 (Photo by John Lorenz)
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Sunset from the Porch at Sunset House, January 15, 2011
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Now I know how Sunset House got its name.
1 response so far ↓
1 Sophie // Jan 26, 2011 at 4:32 am
Oh, these are lovely photos especially the sunset!
Hot Springs are a good way for relaxation spot. It will give your body to get warm and get relaxed after a stressful weekdays. I believe that having a time for relaxation helps us to be healthy. Aside from eating nutritious foods and keeping a regular exercise routine.
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