Making It In Missoula

Missoula’s Nearby Hot Springs: How to Meet Naked Montanans

Yep. As they say, Montana is a small town with long roads. Its nice, as long as your not trying to be anonymus;)

Long, windy roads indeed, Roomie. But they lead to good places and good people.

I've definitely given up on most illusions of anonymity...secrets are overrated anyway, right?

BS (an interesting abbreviation, eh?)

Isn't Jerry Johnson actually in Idaho? One point of interest I found online is that Idaho has the most natural hot springs of any state.

Shit burger!

You have just given me the first reason I've ever had to want to visit Montana. One day, I think I will.

Regards from Canuckistan.

JJ is in fact in Idaho, so is Wier. You wouldn't know it by the pools populations most days. Last time I was at Wier, it was packed so full of Missoula kids my buddy and I had to sit around for about two hours for a spot. Though, we did soak all night after everyone else went to bed. In the rain and snow. To the tune of cubensis.

God I miss home.

Article is useless without pics.

Usually, it's a bad thing for writers to write about hot springs, as the springs already have all the soakers they can handle. But JJ and Weir are so far gone that the additional voyeurs joining the thousands of hippies and hunters who pee there will make little difference (and yes, it IS Idaho, but closer to Lolo MT than to any Idaho town). Outside of a rainy weeknight in winter, you're bound to run into crowds of all the types described above (though Big Sis she left out the packs of local high-schoolers with cases of beer.)

Unfortuantely one effect of this story will be the continued attraction of another group not mentioned here -- the run-of-the-mill horny 40- or 50-something man, who like Mark from Canuckistan above, seem too emotionally primitive to be around naked people without getting all flustered. Note to all of you: Most people at hot springs, including and maybe especially naked chicks, come to the springs to avoid people, not to meet people, and especially not to meet old men with beer guts.

I've spent many frustrated minutes trying to explain to friends back East that most of the people in Hot Springs are naked, but not "nudists," that the clothibng-optional environment is not connected with some kind of free-love lifestyle or mentality We're not people who go out of our way to be naked around other people, and we're not there to be exhibitionists. (Besides, a swimsuit would get flithy from all the mud particles floating in most of the JJ and Weir pools.) It's frustrating and threatening when dumb****s start thinking sexually about the naked people they meet at springs. People need to grow up.

This story, excellent thought it is, unfortunately will attract the wrong crowd to NW hot springs, plus horny ambitious forest rangers, plus local moralists. And "Ducks" above with his goddam camera.

Very good point. It is in Idaho. But, for those of you from the Northern Rockies, don't you always know somebody's sister or best friend from Lander or Sheridan WY, or Ketchum ID anyway? I feel like the same "long-roads-small-town" experience applies here as well, at least in my experience.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure JJ has long been discovered, and I don't think this article could possibly attract any more soakers. But for those "wrong-crowd" types referenced above- a little advice. The sisters and I are hiddeous old crones, complete with spider webs and webbed feet. No point in lookin'.

Thanks, Pine and Alaskaho, for pointing out that Weir and JJ hot springs are in Idaho. Though I know there's an imaginary line at Lolo Pass separating the states, I tend to forget about it right after I see the small sign.

I agree with the comments that Weir and JJ are already "too far gone," and I don't think this story will necessarily multiply the visiting hordes. But I do, for the record, struggle with writing about any special place--hot springs, trails, swimming holes, etc. It's a fine line between sharing a place, caring for it, and ruining it with exposure.

I also think Naked Soaker hit the nail on the head above with: "Most people at hot springs, including and maybe especially naked chicks, come to the springs to avoid people, not to meet people..." Exactly!!! I expressed a similar sentiment to Rad Roomie on our walk in, along the lines of: "I don't like Weir because you have to interact with people, and I prefer avoiding them like the plague."

Unfortunately, it's often necessary to share special places. Although I selfishly prefer to have a private soak with a friend or two, I tried to point out in this story that it's not always a bad thing to interact with other human wildlife sharing a hot spring pool. Or is it?

Thanks for the comments,
Big Sis

And, yes, we do have webbed feet, hooked noses, and awful acne...definitely worth avoiding us in our birthday suits.

Thanks for pointing that out, Roomie.

BS

It's good to hear that J.J. hot springs and Weir are still accessiable to the publc. In your article you mention having gone there in the wee hours of the morning. Back in the early 90's the powers that be PROHIBITED the use at night and early morning. Has this changed?

There had been the "young and dumb" partying up there and a rape was reported.

I've never seen any "powers that be" near either hot springs, Oldmissoula. But it could well be prohibited to visit during certain hours...I'm not sure how anyone would enforce this, though. I believe you're not allowed to camp at JJ, however, but can camp at Weir.

BS

Delightful story of the hot springs or shoul I say 'the people of the springs'. We have the same privalege to meet and greet at our favorite springs here in Oregon near the mountain town of Oakridge.

Soak on.

Naked Soaker sounds like someone who should leave their clothes on in, that's right, PUBLIC. Relax you geek, there are no secret spots anymore thanks to the USGS. Want a private hot pool? Buy a spa. Three thousand bucks buys a lot of privacy.

Naked soaker...relax. You must have a hard time in life when mild comments like "ducks" send you into a spit splattering tither about leering men. I thought it was funny.

It would be nice to be able to actually sit in the hotsprings after hiking in 2 miles, but they are full of people who take them over the entire day with families and friends and coolers full of beer to tide them over the entire day!

At the same time, it would be nice to hike in and not feel uncomfortable about nude naked young women stealing my man's gaze. It is hard enough to accept myself as I am in my mid 30's and having had a couple children and a few abdominal surguries. Nature is about nurture, not about strippers who want to steal other women's men. It was not fun when we went a few days ago and a very young girl was constantly flirting with and staring at my man. I guess JJ is now a stripclub/whorehouse now.

At the same time, I realize this man is not worth my time; but still, people who hike into nature for hotsprings should be a lot more respectful than to try and steal a lady's husband and her pride.

I agree, the sacred pool and fall has been taken over by opportunists who strip naked and will not leave unless you ask them to go. The last two times I went the pool was claimed by them and they had brought provisions and let everyone know they had no intention of leaving as a courtesy to others who did not want to be offended by their nakedness in public. I felt they were trying to promote their bodies in some way. They were outnumbered ten to one and would not let any other party have the use of the pool, without them claiming a place in it or beside it at the same time. In times past, for ten years I NEVER experienced an occassion where the ones in the pool did not get out and give a 30-minute turn to whomever had come up the trail. Everyone was courteous and respectful. Most still are, but it takes only a couple of hungry-eyed men or women to spoil the day for many.
I beleive these exhibitionists who have come flocking to the springs in recent times to take over may be breaking the law by offensively and vulgarly shocking others by their appearance. I would like to personally make a difference in the way these people are treating others in public places of retreat who have not done them any harm.
Sincerely,
Phylenne

Here in southern Nevada, we have a few similar-sounding hot springs nearby, perfect for soaking. I have not yet happened to see any naked people other than myself though I sometimes have expected to. I usually go alone, and I usually make the entire 4-mile RT hike naked as well. It would never cross my mind to impose nakedness as a policy upon others nor to "claim" a hot spring pool for ANY period of time, let alone for more than 30 minutes. Even so at times when my intent in the hopeful unencumbered solitude (which is actually fairly available in my own favorite spots) is worship of our Lord (but I progress). As for incidental or "passing" nakedness, I consider it quite non-imposing, at least as compared with chance odor-clouds of distasteful perfume, cigarette smoke, or booze, loud stereos, shouted profanity, litter, overt drug use, publicly lewd or sexualized behavior, sexually accentuating and tempting manners of dress, etc. As such, I feel no particular duty of conscience toward people who would not be "mentally prepared" to observe simple human nakedness at a hot spring. It's my own little odor cloud that could offend anyone who fixes their glance on me. They're probably not welcoming of these other offenses either, but these are various types of things that can be counted on to varying degrees in varying places, and that's life as a member of a social species. Any visitor would be quite just however; in declining to accept any sort of imposition from other visitors, whether clothed or naked, regardless of who "got there first".

My two cents, plus tax!

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Diutssteell

Is that some kind of SPAM that shows up and looks weird??

I was thrilled to find JJ and just missed finding Wier (next time) as I come from the cold northland of Northern Minnesota. We only have the commercial or private hot tubs around here, so a short stroll and a long soak in a beautiful environment was bliss.
I since have found more resources so I have a new mission next time in that part of the world.
No camping at JJ is not enforced (much) as 3 20 somethings were crawling out of the tent for the day as I arrived at 7:00 am.
Also, yes, too bad some folks will never be very considerate. They are everywhere!!!
I, for one, appreciate finding information such as this. I come from the land of 10000 lakes, and I happen to be the only resident on a small lake - so I can really appreciate privacy when I find it - one always has to work harder to get this privacy. What I really can't stand are the crampgrounds where they stack folks on top on one another. So much for a wildeness experience - walk farther in.