a hike and a soak

Dave has had a little bit of time off the past couple of days, so we have been relaxing. Yesterday we headed into the Pioneer mountains to do some exploring. We wanted to hike to Sawtooth Lake, which is at the base of Sawtooth Mountain, named because it has a jaggedy top that is now covered with snow and looks so amazing. But as we were driving up to the trailhead, we ran into a guy who had jack-knifed his trailer across the road. We gave him a ride to a telephone and he was able to get some help, but it was going to be quite a while before the trailer was moved, so we had to find somewhere else to hike. Dave knew of a shorter trail a couple of miles up the road, so we headed up there instead.

Jed in this little suit reminds me of the little brother on A Christmas Story. Indeed, getting Jed ready IS like preparing for deep-sea diving. :)

At least he can put his arms down!

He seems to be thinking "This had better be worth it."

Ready to hit the trail!

We had a great walk through the snowy woods and saw a ton of different little tracks--magpie, squirrel, chipmunk, mice, rabbit and lots of deer. It was snowing lightly and was so peaceful. Truly, I cannot wait for Christmas!

We stopped at a little point that overlooks the Grashopper valley. There is a small ski hill just down from where we were and it was fun to check out the different runs and guess when they'd be open for business.

I love how tickled Jed looks here. He has such fun in that backpack. He jumps up and down and flaps his arms and was really pleased with the noise he can make by rubbing his arms on Dave's jacket. His nose ran the whole time and I was really afraid he was going to get a snotcicle. But, thanks to my diligent wiping, he didn't.

This is the sign to the overlook, which is called Solarium Point. Anyway, I think the snow in the letters looks so cool!

There is nothing I like better than snow on evergreen trees. So beautiful!

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After we stopped for a little snack of apples, crackers, water and granola bars, Jed got pretty cold, so we booked our way down the hill. Funny how it never seems to take as long to get down as it did to get up. Anyway, once we got down the hill and back to the truck, Jed got un-bundled and nursed while Dave made us the most delectable sandwiches.

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(Sidenote: I somehow got to Dillon with only two breadpans. But we go through bread so fast that I usually try to make three loaves at a time. So one loaf is what Dave calls "Artesian" and it is all big and lumpy. That lumpy loaf fills us with delight and seems to taste a little better than its shapely sisters, so when we use it to make sandwiches, we don't make them at home and put them in bags to be eaten later. We just wash lettuce, slice tomatoes, cheese and meat and bring all the fixin's with us and make sandwiches wherever we are. It is more stuff to keep in the truck but nothing beats those "artesian" sandwiches.)

After we ate, we headed to the Elkhorn hot springs to get warm and toasty. Dave has been doing surveys here every so often, and last Sunday was one of the days. It was also the day we'd been asked to speak in the Big Hole branch, which was where we'd gone when we were first married and living/working at the Battlefield. So, it took some fancy maneuvering, but we spoke and Dave worked and everything worked out, mostly because we got up at 6:00. On a Sunday. And drove an hour out of our way to drop off the work truck. But we drove by the hot springs, and I've been itching to go back ever since. Mostly because I like the way the steam rises and the pools look so inviting against the snow.

See? Gorgeous. It was $6 a pop for Dave and I but Jed was free and since it was 3:00 on a Wednesday afternoon, no one else was there. They aren't real regimented at the desk and we all got dressed together--gasp--in the men's bathroom. It was much easier than trying to shuttle Jed back and forth.

They have three pools at the Elkhorn. A "sauna" inside the building that is this little 10x10 room lined with cedar, with a rock waterfall on one side and waist-deep water. I really wanted a picture of it, but all I got was a gray blob. A flash doesn't work too well in a room full of steam. Anyway, it was so cozy and warm, with the water about 102 degrees. They also have two pools outside--the kiddie pool (101 degrees) and the big pool (an even 100). After we were roasting from being in the sauna, we headed outside to the big pools.

Checking out the water coming into the kiddie pool.

Jed liked the feel of the water rushing down, but the kiddie pool wasn't that great. So we decided to get in the big pool instead.

Ahh, much better!

Jed only tried to eat the water and got choked about fifteen times. He would gasp and sputter and we'd pound him on the back until he felt better. He was pretty tired and he was scared of too much splashing and of this big ball that was floating around in the big pool. But he stayed warm and practiced floating. He really can't do it unless you hold his head--we think he's got his daddy's and grandpa's sinker genes--but he loved the warm water.

After we'd had our fill of the big pools, we went back inside to warm up in the sauna again. Jed leaned on the waterfall and splashed in it for about 15 minutes. It was totally the highlight of his day. We had such fun. It was so beautiful! I seriously felt like we could have been in Switzerland, or somewhere fancy like that. You know, cold snowy wonderfulness while hiking and then soaking up the warmth in the lovely hot springs. If you want a good time for fairly cheap, definitely you should head to the Elkhorn hot springs. Dave has learned while doing surveys that they also have a restaurant down the road that offers such fare as a deep-fryed hamburger. We weren't brave enough to try it--or anything else--but who knows? Maybe next time!