This morning I got a call from friends who were headed out to get sand for their garden and wondered if I would like to come. It’s nice to get out on the boat, so I accepted the invitation. Joined by another friend and someone else I hadn’t met until the trip, there ended up being five us piled into the boat Hewescraft along with a kayak and buckets.
My understanding was that the plan was to be out for 4-5 hours, and if ocean conditions were decent, we would try to go down by Goddard, but otherwise would get sand from someplace closer to home. Their boat is covered but unheated, so I prepared for the outing by donning several layers in anticipation of multiple hours in chilly temperatures, possibly with rain. What I did not realize until we were on our way was that ‘down by Goddard’ actually meant a stop at the hot springs.
Ocean conditions were not exceptionally calm, but they did not prevent us from getting down to Goddard. Although I’ve been in the vicinity of Goddard on a boat several times over the years, today was the first time I actually got on shore. There are couple of nicely built bath houses overlooking the bay. On this occasion a couple with two small children occupied the upper one, and we went to the lower one.
While the others in my party got ready to climb in the stainless steel tub, I removed my shoes (not wearing socks), and rolled up my pants so I could test how warm the water was by soaking my feet. Adding another chapter to my history of strange hot spring behavior, I did not feel inclined to go through the hassle of shedding the various layers I had on in order to soak in the warm water. Instead I sat on the side and just dangled my feet in the water for the hour or so we spent there.
I understand that some plants grow near the hot springs that aren’t found along the road system, and I was curious to look around. However, enjoying the company of friends and the comfort of the warm water on my feet, my investigations were limited to the view from the bath house. Hopefully I’ll make it back there again sometime in the not too distant future (perhaps this summer) to get a better soak, and a better look around. One thing I am especially curious about is whether a species of dragonfly that is associated with hot springs might be found there.
After a minor adventure with the boat getting hung up on a rock at the beach as we loaded up, we headed back towards town. We made a stop in Three Entrance Bay and saw a flock of perhaps 10 geese fly off. Looking at the most popular beach with a grassy-meadow (that is probably maintained by human use), it appeared they had been using that spot at least on and off for a while.