The ultimate workout...

It was another early morning as we prepared for our first day of hiking…roughly five hours; on the upside we will get to enjoy the mineral pools at our camping spot. The hike was mostly uphill, except for “the pass” which was a long section of steep downhill steps bordered by the mountain face on one side and a steep drop on the other. Mid-day we stopped to eat the bag lunches our cooks had prepared that morning and then resumed our hike until we reached the foot bridge that crossed the river. We made our way single-file across the bridge, being careful to balance out the weight when we wanted to stop for pictures. Once on the other side of the river we walked a while longer before we came to the next crossing point…a basket on a cable pulley.

We made good time and arrived at our campsite about an hour ahead of schedule. It’s been a long time since I’ve been camping, but in my book this was definitely a 5-star location. The grounds were grassy and beautiful and a multitude of warm mineral pools awaited us. While the crew finished setting up camp our small group headed for the pools and a much needed rest. Later that night, we enjoyed dinner under the stars before heading back to the pools for more therapeutic soaking.