Hike into Bagby Hot Springs and overt nudity begs the question: do you feed those things?

Several years ago, before it was rebuilt, Shifty, Bones and I hiked into Bagby Hot Springs out of curiosity more than anything. The place is named for an old prospector and miner who spent a lot of time in the area. We had heard all the stories – wild parties with naked people running around the woods. It was time we experienced this place for ourselves.

Lakes, mineshaft and cougar highlight excursions to Pansy Lake and BOTW wilderness

 Pansy Lake

Having some unfinished business around the Pansy Lake area of Bull of the Woods Wilderness, I got up early Saturday morning and drove to the trailhead. I wanted to get home before noon so I could watch the Ducks manhandle Tennessee Tech.

It had been around 20 years or so since I last hiked to the lake. Back then, I backpacked through the area, into Pansy Lake and south to Battle Creek shelter. From there, I made my way down Elk Lake Creek and around to Welcome Lakes and up to the Bull of the Woods lookout. I remember beginning the hike in the evening, and when I arrived at the lake, every square foot of Pansy Lake’s water surface was rippled by feeding trout.

Poor directions, spider webs and blisters don't deter from Hawk Mt. hike

Hawk Mt. cabin and views

It was a web-busting morning. Obviously first on the trail that day or perhaps the entire week, I was breaking through countless spider webs spun from tree to tree across my path. Bad directions gleaned from a website brought about an adventure before even getting to the trailhead. Numerous wrong turns and ample guesswork finally delivered me to the Rho Ridge trail. My destination was Hawk Mt. and its views of Mt. Jefferson, Olallie Butte, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington and at least one of the Three Sisters.