December 2007
As my truck skittered along Forest Road 708 towards Verde Hot Springs, the pungency of earth and its abundance drifted through my window. People often speak of the journey versus the destination, but this trip held adventure on both accounts – a desert trek and a contemplative soak.
The dirt road’s occasional ribcage of ruts kept my speed to a law-abiding 20 mph – an irony as its distance also measured 20 miles. It rose to butte views and plunged to cross a dry Fossil Creek. Hairpin bends hugged cliffs, looming like weathered faces, and after five miles, a Sharp Curve sign belatedly appeared. It teetered, the result of someone barely negotiating its particular concern. Continue reading “Hot Springs Eternal”