As I expected, when I arrived at the hot springs at 10:30 a.m., most of my friends were soaking in one of the pools. Grommet and Just Awesome were also there.
I was glad to find that none of my friends were naked. The pool they were in was not one of the unofficially designated clothing-optional pools. Those were on the other side of some large boulders.
They invited me in, but I declined. I felt squeamish about getting in the water because the National Forest Service says these thermal pools can be a breeding spot for a rare and sometimes fatal disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.
"It is advisable not to submerse [sic] your head,” the notification says. I don’t think anyone dipped their head in the water, but I knew the warm water could also contain high counts of fecal coliform.
Probably nothing bad would happen to me, but I just didn’t see the value of getting in the water.