Hot Springs Guide Book Review
Soon after I received my first taste of geothermal back in the late 90s/early 2000s at Scenic, Bear Valley and Pine Flats, I discovered the 2nd edition of Evie Littion’s hot springs guide book while working at Hastings. That little book helped me track down droves of hot springs after moving to Boise to attend BSU. I still have that book, albeit a touch worse for the wear, but it was… IS well used.
On a side note, those first few years of adventuring to hot springs throughout the northwest provided me with a deep appreciation for wild places; thick forests and crisp deserts. Through this appreciation I developed a relationship with nature that continues to enlighten me to this day. I am forever thankful for this.
Flash forward to 2014… after almost 10 years since the release of the 4th edition in 2005, Evie (and co-author Sally Jackson) released the 5th edition. Sadly, despite many near misses, most notably at Bear Valley, I have yet to share a soak with Evie.
Although, I haven’t digested the 5th edition word-for-word just yet, I have effectively scanned the majority of the new book and am fairly pleased.
5th Edition First Thoughts
Cons
- Only a handful of new hot springs in each state – this is to be expected as new hot soaks are hard to come by
- Some outdated information – a few listings contain out of date information anywhere from 2-5 years old that could have been easily obtained from a quick Google search or from researching other sources accessible online
- A few outdated photos – some hot springs pictures are from the 1st through 3rd editions
Pros
- COLOR photos and maps – woo hoo!
- Author bio updated
- 19 new hot springs
Even though some of the information and stories contained in the 5th edition were the same as subsequent editions, it was enjoyable re-reading and coming across new information. Irregardless of if you buy the new guide book or not (which you should), I hope summer has been treating you well with plenty of geothermal in your schedule. 
A heartfelt thank you to Evie and Sally for helping connect people with hot springs and in-turn nature.
It had nothing to do with gear or footwear or the backpacking fads or philosophies of any particular era or even with getting from point A to point B.
It had to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles with no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets. The experience was powerful and fundamental. It seemed to me that it had always felt like this to be a human in the wild, and as long as the wild existed it would always feel this way.
– Cheryl Strayed