Renova Hot Springs

Friday we made the bi-weekly drive to Whitehall to drop Anna off with her dad.  The original plan was to head to Norris, soak in the pool, and listen to tunes.  But, as they tend to do, the plan changed and we ended up at Renova, which is a little "undeveloped" pot that sits on the Jefferson River along Point of Rocks Road at the base of the Tobacco Roots.  It was a perfect night to sit out on the river.  The water was hot, the air was crisp, the sky was clear, and the company was great.   

The first time I came to this place was on Anna's 1st birthday, after she had passed out from her sugar high and most of the guests had headed home.  A few stragglers and I decided to grab a few cold ones and go for a soak.  The hotspring sits about 10 yards off the road, backed up to an embankment on one side and surrounded by the Jefferson on the other three.  Across the river is a grassy little nook, and if you time it right (early June, as we found out that night - June 3rd) as evening settles and the sun starts to set, the grass and the space around it will dance with little specks of light.  It was the first time I had ever seen fireflies.  Turns out, this tucked away little spot is one of the few places in Montana where you can experience the little critters.  I felt it appropriate to bring a bottle of wine in remembrance.    

I also remember from my first visit, that at that time the water in the pot was crystal clear.  Not the case this time around, unfortunately.  Someone, at some point, had decided to put their fire out in the water and it left the pot sooty and dark.  Too bad.  I'm sure I made some comment about "punk kids ruining it for the next guy" just so we could all be sure that I am getting old.  Mike drained the pot when we left, in hopes that it would clear out some of the grey water and soot.  Hopefully whoever visits there after us will recognize his good intentions and not think we were "punk kids ruining it for the next guy."  

All in all, a great evening.  Topped off with a little mood lighting courtesy of the 7 headlamps we had in the car.  

Headlamps:  always handy to have around.