May 6, 2003
Day 4: Hot spring, swimming holes, and gravel roads
The temperature was 53F in the tent at 6 AM. Not bad. I got up at 6:30, filtered water, ate breakfast, and walked to the hot spring again. Another guy was there first but he left shortly after I arrived. I soaked for a long time in the outdoor pool which was probably 98F. While sitting in the outdoor pool you can enjoy a fantastic view of the river valley both upstream and downstream.
I soaked in the smaller pool surrounded by stone walls. It was probably 102F. It can be too hot in the afternoon but it was nice early in the morning. Then I walked around to take pictures and had still another soak in the outdoor pool. Verde Hot Springs was once a resort but now all that remains is a large concrete patio around the hot pools. 3 other soakers showed up at about 11 AM. One of them told me about the 'falls' at the campground. It's 50 feet down a muddy trail from one campsite. It's where the water from the Childs power plant makes its final cascade to the Verde River. I left the hot springs at 11:30 and hiked back to the campground. I found the falls and waded around there and took pictures of the waterfalls while standing in the pool.
Update: These waterfalls no longer exist because the Childs power plant has been dismantled. The campground was relocated to the north of the power plant site, avoiding the boulder-strewn lowest section of the road.
At about 12:30 I got back to my campsite, ate lunch, and packed up. I got on the road at 1:30 PM with the temperature in the mid 70's. The climb out was really tough. The road is very rocky and steep. I had to walk the bike 3 times. At the top of the hill I observed that I had climbed 1300 feet in 2.9 miles. That's an average grade of 8%, but long sections were steeper than that. I was tired and looking for a good place to take a break. After a slow rocky 1000 foot descent back to Fossil Creek I stopped at a small parking area and found an excellent swimming hole with a large pool 50 feet across and 10 feet deep, with very clear emerald water. Upstream from the swimming hole is a rocky cascade that has numerous 3 foot deep pools. I swam, waded, and walked around for an hour. The air was 80F and the water was about 75F. Delightful.
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I still have many miles and much climbing to go today. The junction with Forest Road 708 is half a mile past the swimming hole. I turned north and began climbing again. The grade isn't nearly as steep and the gravel is much smoother. But it's steady uphill for several miles, climbing 1400 feet to 4700 feet elevation where the landscape is more green.
Finally the road begins a long gradual descent to the junction with highway 260. I turned west on highway 260 and it was less than 2 miles to the turnoff for Clear Creek campground in Coconino National Forest (3100 feet elevation). I set up camp, then headed out to buy groceries and ended up doing a 15 mile round trip to Camp Verde. I rode all the way through town on the main highway and never found a supermarket. So I made do with whatever I could find at convenience stores. To add insult to injury, I got a flat tire from a large bent nail. It embedded so deeply that the tube got a second puncture on the 'inside' when the tire went flat before I could stop. It was long past sunset when I finally got back to the campground. Despite the name, there was no creek at the campground. I ate dinner and went to bed early. The temperature was in the upper 50's with clear skies. The end of the day was frustrating but it was a good day overall, with half the day spent relaxing at hot springs and swimming holes.
Distance: 38.2 miles (61.1 km) 21 miles on gravel
Climbing: 3300 feet (1006 m)
Average speed: 10.4 mph (16.6 km)
Maximum speed: 36 mph (57.6 km/h)
Hiking: 3 miles (4.8 km)
Today's ride: 38 miles (61 km)
Total: 164 miles (264 km)
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1 day ago