Hot springs eau natural

Hiking in this country is a trip. The mountains are not gradual. The trails don't wind back and forth like they do in the rockies. There is no gentle warm up as there is in the Adirondacks. You get on the path and whoosh. Straight up, or down, as the case was this time.
We went on the Cross Island highway (see Joplin's earlier post for photos) and drove a couple of hours. We were refreshed en-route by pineapples - it's the season, stop by the road and get a couple pineapples peeled and sprinkled with sour plum powder. Yum. Then on up into the mountains.
The pull-off to the trail head is a steep concrete road that is access to a farmer's terraced land. It's about 8' wide, no room for mistakes, and quite steep down. We found a slightly wider place to park, then continued on foot to the trail head.
Earlier hikers have aided by putting up ropes for much of the trail. In some places, the ropes are nice because the way is steep and slippery with fallen leaves. In other places, the ropes are essential, because the trail is not steep, it's a cliff, and the ropes are there to rappel down. We were hiking with our friends Flora and Martha, with Jeff and his baby Calila in a pack, and with two other friends. Martha, who is McKinley's best friend here, has never been hiking, and this trail was terrifying for her. But she rallied, with step-by-step coaching. McKinley scampered, cheering up the baby, then cheering up Martha.
Three hours later, we were down at the river, a rushing, clear turquoise ice water, with sandy beaches on both sides. We ate lunch, then bouldered upriver to the crossing to the hot springs.
There we could see it, eerie green and white formations, with steam floating up like clouds. We just had to cross the river again to get there. Here a great log lay down in the rapids, with a rope to assist. But the water was icy and so fiercely strong that we nearly had second thoughts. We made it.
Then we sat in rock pools, with showers of sulpher steamy water spraying our backs, with honeycomb stalagtites forming before our eyes, covered with brilliant green algae and powdery soft calcium. If it hadn't been truly natural, it would have seemed horribly fake. As it was, we just starred amazed, and steamed in the pools.
I don't know how anyone can limit the wonders of the world to any number - there are so many places that stun the senses just around the edge of our reasonable experience.