Ketchum, Idaho

There was quite a difference in temperature from the middle of the day to this morning, which was surprizingly chilly on the back side of Bald Mountain. 

I drove another couple of miles further down this dirt road, to reach Frenchmen's Hot Springs. It's part of this national forest. There were two men sitting in the hot spring, as I navigated my way down to the creek. And, as always, as a woman alone, thinking, if I even need to consider or reconsider this option?  Damn it. Sometimes I wish I were a 300 pound football player. And don't mess with me. They were really nice, from Oregon, and owned a 100 year old cabin nearby. They had been sitting in these springs for 2 hours! They left. For about 5 minutes I was totally alone, stretched out, floating in occationally super hot, to chilly waters that ebbed and flowed. I smelled sulpher. It was pretty nice.

My "moment" though, was quickly transformed. Little by little young men, and women, then their children, toddlers, and everyone up to about age 10 came trickling in. And yes, at least 12 kids, and 3 or 4 couples, and before you know it... it was crowded. Yes, one big group. I lasted for about 15 minutes more, refusing to move from my place, before I left. They too, were nice, and I think they felt bad to send me "packing." They offered to help me out, with one young guy assisting me, as a gesture, but I managed, as always with my hiking poles, ever so carefully, to crawl out. Whew.

I headed into the town of Ketchum, about 20 minutes out of the forest, where I was hoping to do a little urban hiking. I found a coffee shop, had an iced coffee, and a raspberry muffin, where Jo Jo got some stranger love, and did a little window shopping in an antique store. It was already over 90°, and I decided to go back to the forest, for more dips in Warm Springs Creek. I found a new shaded campsite. 

One of the campers nearby returned to take down his tent, and on his way out, wouldn't you know it, he drove straight over a huge flat boulder, and got stuck on his suspension springs! As he spun his tires, and burned rubber, he became a teeter-tawter! As he was spinning, I tried to figure out how I could help. Helping a stranded motorist is not my specialty, or my comfort zone. But he said he had a tow strap, and I know how to hook it onto my front tow ring. So we tried for a bit to move this boulder, and it worked for a moment, however, alas, the strap broke, and sent the hook flying into my hood, where it bounced off, as I heard it land on top of my roof! My heart sank....I was afraid....of a mishap....

There is about a 3 inch dent in my hood, and I guess I am lucky that it did not crash into the windshield. Matt felt terrible, and climbed up my ladder to the roof, to retrieve the broken strap, with the attatched hook. There doesn't appear to be any damage to my roof.

Matt said he would pay for the damage, as I took him into town to an auto service station. There is no cell phone reception where we are camping, so the only option was to take him into town. I guess in the end, I'm glad I could be a Good Samaritan, to help him out. There would be no way he would be able to drive out of there, and without phone service, he would be walking a long way. I only hope that somebody out there would be as helpful to me, in the same situation. Have I paid it forward? Have I pre-paid my dues?  I guess my Sylver Gypsy has been christened, and has this story now, after two and a half years of ownership...with a ding...on the hood. Whew.











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