Challis Hot Springs: Tourists and Tent poles

We had ridden 80 miles to Challis, ID and decided to check out a hot springs camp ground in Challis that someone had told us about. It was getting dark, and the hot camp ground was nearly 5 miles off the main road--10 miles from the town.

We arrived to a bed and breakfast/RV park/Camp ground. Not what we had expected. Women were walking around in dresses and a others were coming out of the hot springs with their shirts off--guys, of course. The hot springs had just closed. And one of the women in a dress came over.

"did you guys ride down here to get in the hot springs? or to camp?"

Andy: "Well we were thinking about going in the hot springs--are there not any others around?"

"No we own them all. They close at ten so we just locked them up for the night. Are you planning on camping here--we'll open the hot springs up at 8 am tomorrow morning--you can get in them after you wake up in the morning before you start riding again."

"how much are the campsites? just to tent"

"well it's $21 for the first two people and $8 for each person after that."

"No we definitely won't be camping here then."

At that point a long silence ensued. Matt started looking around for people who were leaving the small parking lot, hoping to hitch a ride into town. The lady just stood there. It was dark at this point and most people seem to think that once it gets dark we shouldn't be riding on the road. People also tend to look at a distance like ten miles as a great distance to ride a bike because they don't pedal bikes around often. The silence went on for close to a minute.

"ah. well I'll let you sleep in an empty spot then. I'll get in my car and show you. (laughs nervously) I don't like to walk really, even if its only a few hundred feet."

we showered her with thanks, hoping to get that slightly disgusted look off of her face. She walked 50 feet to her car and drove us 200 yards through a gate and pointed to a campsite.

"This isn't like New Jersey boys, you have to be careful about where you end up in Idaho!"

"Yep. Real sorry about that. We'll be more careful next time for sure."

The campsite was nice. The grass was mowed and it promised not to wake us up to sprinklers spraying our things (like it did earlier that morning in Arco, ID).

Matt propped his bike against the table and began pulling this off, getting ready to sleep.

"Andy, remind me not ever to listen to anyone who reccomends going to anything that has to do with tourists again."

"Ya I know, right."

5 minutes later Andy was talking on the phone to his girlfriend. Matt had set up his tent and was starting to eat when Morgan came back and said he couldn't find the tent poles.

"Andy come get the tent poles. We can't find them." Matt yelled.

Andy just sat there and kept talking. Matt went over.

"Andy you need to get off the phone and come find the tent poles!"

"I know. I think I left them in Arco." Andy whispered, still on the phone.

Matt turned around and went back to eating. It was the same sort of reaction he would have the next night when his sleeping bag got bumped into a waterfall at the top of a mountain. No visible reaction. These things are sort of funny, if not maddening, and they always happen. Getting visibly upset is only worth it when the social consequences are few (i.e. when its just you and your brother and no one else is around it's usually ok to hit him. he'll heal. no one else will think you're very violent, provided you don't leave any bruises, and your anger is instantly purged.)

Sure enough, Andy left the poles in Arco. (At this point it might help to explain that both the tents we're carrying are split up to distribute the weight properly. Andy was given the poles of his tent, Morgan carried the poles to the tent Matt sleeps in.)

"Do you mind if I sleep with you in that tent," Morgan asked.

"ya I don't mind," Matt laughed.

He then finished his food, completed his pre-sleeping rituals, legitimately tried to console Andy while brainstorming a solution (Morgan suggested calling the owner of the gas station in the morning--earlier that day we found out he was from Reading, PA and gave us free sandwiches, etc) and headed toward the tent (with poles in it).

The problem was solved. they went to bed anticipating bathing in a hot spring full of other tourists in the morning. Andy slept in the tent without poles, and life was fine. sort of.