Kirkham Hot Springs

**Disclaimer: I started this post 2 weeks ago. Before everyone got the swine flu and life as we know it ceased to exist. But I didn't feel like changing it, so I didn't. **

Flyboy came home Thursday night. He'll be here for the next 2 weeks. I took Friday off from work and the kids were out of school for teacher workshop so we headed up to the mountains to Kirkham Hot Springs. We haven't been there for several years. It's about an hour and a half drive so it's an easy day trip. We were bummed to find out that you now have to pay a $5 fee to park there. Times sure have changed. It seems like you can't go anywhere in Idaho anymore without paying a fee. But, fee and all, it is worth it. And as usual, I posted a lot of pictures. 'Cause I like to see lots of pictures, so I like to post lots of pictures too.

The drive up Hwy 21. You can tell Fall is on the way. It's still green, but really dry. Still pretty tho.

The family sitting in the "shower spot", as they named it. The hot springs showered down upon them.

But we wanted deeper water, so Flyboy and I ventured further to find a deeper spot.

You have to climb down the rocks to get to the hot springs. It's a pretty easy climb down.

Emily maneuvering the rocks.

Flyboy was standing above me. There were HOT pools higher up. They were too hot to sit in tho.

There are awesome photo ops for those interested.

I ventured out and took a bunch of scenery shots while the fam played in the water.

Flyboy trying to get a bit of the cold river water to mix with the hot spring water. Believe me, it helped!

I thought this was beautiful. Jessica thought it was slimy and gross.

I told her she had to look at it as natures natural beauty. It was green and gold. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Lots of waterfalls around. Small ones, but pretty.

A view of the river. There are several hot pools in the rocks that people have formed up.

Another photo of some beautiful slimy goo.

This pool was the best to sit in. The water was hot, but you'd get swirls of cold river water that would coil around you like a snake and the mixture felt really good.

Flyboy

Sarabeth

Emily

Jessica

Mama

Emily walking thru a hot pool next to the river.

A view of the hot springs coming down the rocks

A shot of the river (hot pools are behind me)

A good swimming hole with a hot waterfall running into it. If it was hotter outside, the girls would have swam in it.

Taste the Rainbow

A view of the river right before the hot pools.

Pretty descent sized hot waterfall.

One of the girls footprint. On our way out.

A view of the river from the top of the hill.

A view of the hot springs from the top of the hill. It is a really nice place to visit. There is a campground, but we've never stayed the night. It's a great spot for a day trip. It's a pretty poplular place. You can't tell from the pictures, but there were several people up there. But there are enough pools that everyone was able to spread out and have their own area.