Goldmyer Hot Springs

[Jeff Allen]

Along with it the mid-west is headed to the gulf.

My inner tubes are ready. Beer cooler on the 2nd tow tube..

Nice board Kim! I see the wife had you on the long leash that day...

[Kim_S]

Not to bore you with surf talk Jeff, but that board is my classic 1987 vintage 9'0" Yater Spoon. Custom ordered it back in 1987 and I still surf it. This particular pic is roughly 2 years old -I only wear the leash when the waves get big- it prevents a long swim to the beach!!

[Jeff Allen]

That is something I've always wanted to do but never was able to.

And I did know what the leash is for, suprised that nobody ran with that one..

Any photos of you riding the classic board???

[jrbarber]

Kim, Is that board a descendant of the famous one in Apocalypse Now?

[Kim_S]

Jim, I was wondering if anyone would make that connection, and of course you did...

I won't go into the long, interesting history. But in a nutshell, Reynolds Yater, who made the board used in the movie, never authorized Francis Ford Coppola use of the surfboard. In fact, the actual surfboard was bought right off of the rack at Yater's shop. Yater decided not to pursue legal action, and he doesn't know specifically who bought it. However, the movie makes a mistake when Col Kilgore says something like "Give me my 8'6" Yater Spoon". The reality is that the actual board shown in the movie was not a Spoon model, but another Yater model.

No one knows for certain what happened to the original Apocalypse Now surfboard. Robert Duvall supposedly kept it but has never fessed up. A collector is currently trying to sell what he claims is the actual board for, get this, $250,000!!!!

[MtnRoamer]

Damn you Guys are Good had to pull out my DVD

[Jeff Allen]

So why would there be a law suit if it was purchased off the rack then used in a movie?

I don't see that?

If anything it sholud be a big plug for his boards...

[WWaterDude]

I don't understand why there would be a lawsuit either. Generally companies fall all over themselves to get their product in a film and pay money to do it. Think about this. Every movie you ever saw where there are cars in it, the filmmaker didn't ask Ford or Dodge or Chevy if they could put their cars in the film. Same with clothes or food etc.

Don't get me wrong, if there's a chance to sue someone there's plenty of lawyers who'll be happy to do it!

[Kim_S]

Jeff and WWaterdude! I don't have an answer for that and only Yater knows for sure. I can't speculate what actually happened because I wasn't there! In hindsight, I'm sure he's happy his board received the publicity.

In fact, Yater has made several limited edition models of the original board. The proceeds from the last one he sold have gone to a wilderness retreat program that helps war veterans battle posttraumatic stress disorder.

I bought my first Spoon from him in 1967 and have owned several of them since. They are fantastic boards that work in all kinds of surf.

[WWaterDude]

I guess Soaky showed who the better lawyer is....

[Kim_S]

Although a small point, the article has some incorrect information- the Yater Spoon is not a pintail, every Spoon made has a squaretail. My 1987 Spoon has a beautiful high-density blue foam tailblock! In addition to the article Soaky found, there is a lot more information and history regarding this issue.
"Charlie don't surf"

[Tim_Messing]

Yes, I realize that there are four more recent topics covering access to Goldmyer Hot Springs but I've always been one for continuing to post in the same hot springs topic thread so that come fifthteen years from now I'll be better able to keep track of my posts (its hard to locate and edit links and stuff when the posts are scatted all over the place, even if I still have less than one hundred of them,. . uh scratch that, I just noticed that this was my one hundredth posting on Soakers Forum). That said...

January 23, I was organizing a trip up to Goldmyer Hot Springs and after talking to the Goldmyer office over the phone know that the Middle Fork road is currently gated at the Taylor River making it a ten mile bike ride into the hot springs. The lady also said that while she didn't think there were any blown down snags over the road she didn't know 100% for sure. If Chuck or one of the other posters on the board could share any up to date access information on the upper Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River road that would helpful? What I want to determine is its worth the effort to haul in mountain bikes or just start really really early and make a day hike out of the trip?

As alway I'll be taking pictures with plans to post them, perhaps sooner than three years after the trip this time.

Thanks

-- Tim.M

[Kim_S]

Tim, here is some info from their Facebook page. I'm sure Chuck will see your post and provide you with the latest. Keep a close eye on upcoming weather- there are a series of very major storms expected to hit the West Coast next week. 20 inches of rain and lots of snow in mountain locations, so it may not be the best time for your trip to Goldmyer.

"We are seeing visitors now that the road is open to Taylor (10 miles from GM). No parking pass is required if you park by the gate at the base of the hill, as this isn't an official trailhead.
Do get an early start so that you can arrive at Goldmyer before it gets dark. The journey will take you longer than you might think.... about 1 hour driving time from Seattle, and about 4-5 hours hiking time. Plan to camp over unless you're one of those Olympic athletes that can do 20 miles in a day!
The route from the gate is mountain bike-able for experienced bikers. Inexperienced bikers will find the ride very difficult. Because the route gains elevation, bikers should be prepared to hike the final distance (what ever that might be) should there be snow.
So far, this winter has been fairly mild without snow pack accumulating at Goldmyer (yet). We have had a few snowfalls , but it has melted off fairly quickly. Temperatures drop below freezing at night, and also often during the day. Be prepared. Goldmyer is at 2000 ft. elevation.
Call the office a head of time for directions as there are no directions online or signs along the route. Office hours are tuesdays 1 till 6, and fridays 3 till 8... 206-789-5631. We'll be back to normal office hours now that the holidays are past. Find our website at: http://www.goldmyer.org. We do not have email, and please don't count on a quick response via this facebook page..... call us please!"

[soaksdata]

I would use the bikes if the road is clear, it will save you a lot of time.
If it is snow packed use skis...anything to help speed up 10 miles.
Also I would camp at the springs since it is so far in and such a nice soak.
Leave nothing in your vehicle, and email the caretakers to get current information.
The office has the address,and had email the last time I visited.
They used to email the caretakers the reservations so they knew who to expect.
Enjoy

[Chuck]

Generally good advice by Soaksdata. The weather is not predicted to be as bad as it is further south, with little snow even at Snoqualmie Pass. However this time of year snow can come in unexpectedly. Generally bikes have had no problem getting in now.
Email is not an option. The internet is down now, due to a change in the satellite and the inability to access the new satellite. We are working on the issue, but none yet. Also the internet is not available to the general public even if is working. Best information is through the office (206-789-5631) which is in contact by radio with the caretakers.

[Tim_Messing]

My friend Hans and I made it up to Goldmyer Hot Springs this last weekend. My recomendation to those wishing to visit is to wait till the USFS repairs the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River Road up to the Dingford Creek bridge. Mountain biking in all the way from the Taylor River Bridge was way to rough in my opinion. Could be also that I was just out of shape when it comes to riding a bike and that the shock of that many bumpy miles of road just did me in.

Goldmyer Hot Springs itself was as always a great soak and Hans and me had the place to ourselves till we left. Just before leaving another guy showed up having biked in also. He even managed to soak and beat us back to where the cars were parked. Saw another man and woman hiking in at the turn off down to the new foot bridge. They were not aware that the Taylor River bridge had been repaired and had hiked in from the Middle Fork Trail parking area at Camp Brown.

On a side not it did rain the entire day and only started to clear up towards sunset. We made back to the truck just as the sun was setting behind Mount Si to the west.

Now the pictures....



Setting out from the truck at sunrise. "Looks like it might rain a little, you remember your rain gear Hans?"



Five miles later at the Dinford Creek bridge.





Trouble on the road. While attempting to cross a muddy patch Han's front tire sank in. Hoping to keep his ballance he put his foot down only to come out shoeless. The reason for not wearing boots he said was that they would not fit in the toe holds on the front of the bike peddles.





The new bridge over the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River. Its good to see that the USFS has taken into consideration that the "100 year" flood happen more frequently than at 100 year intervals. There was a good twentyfive feet of space between the the river and the metal stringers. Good solid construction made to last.



Just had to sneak in the trail sign at the bridge. It was not as weather beaten as I'd like but give it a decade or two.

Part II in a a bit...

-- Tim.M

[Jeff Allen]

Nice!

I've lost more than a few shoes to the muck monster...

[Tim_Messing]

Considering forgetting the his rain jacket, getting his shoe stuck in the mud, accendently sticking his foot in a small trail side creek after crossing the bridge it defenitly was an interesting day with Hans. Really he's a better back country hiker than myself! What do that say on the evening news casts when a hiker goes missing? "An experenced outdoorsman and familier with wilderness travel"?

Anyway on to the pictures of Goldmyer itself.



The changing shelter has stood up good through the years since my last visit.



The pools don't seem to have changed at all. On this visit the water in the lowest pool wasn't hot enough for my tastes so I spent most of my time in the middle pool or the cave.



Closer look at the pools.



Closer look at the falls between the middle pool and the lowest pool.



Looking down out of the cave.



Snow\frost on the side of Mount Garfield on the way out.



Sunset over the Lower Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River Valley. Boy was I sore by this point. If the road even had the slightest bit of incline I'd would have to get off and push the bike. In the future I'll have to look into geting a lighter mountain bike.

-- Tim.M

[Jeff Allen]

Thanks Tim, great report as always!!!