Evan A Weitz is a longtime Twin Cities entrepreneur who guides Absolute Sound Laboratories as senior lab technician and provides a host of restoration and repair services focused on vintage hi-fi audio equipment. One of Evan A Weitz’ passions is maintaining and developing natural hot springs in states such as Idaho, Washington, and Montana. As such, he has an extensive knowledge of geothermal resources on public and private lands.
One of the most historic hot spring sites in Washington is the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort on the Olympic Peninsula. When the resort was initially constructed in 1912 as a 165-room grand hotel, it was considered one of the top health spas nationwide and attracted 10,000 visitors each summer. Visitors of the era reached it through a 75-mile, 6-hour trip by steamship to Port Crescent, followed by a 20-mile auto-stage ride to Lake Crescent, where a steamboat crossed the lake. The last stretch involved a Stanley Steamer auto drive that extended 14 miles. Unfortunately, 4 years after its construction, a chimney flue malfunctioned and the resort roof caught fire, burning the hotel down to the ground. The resort was gradually rebuilt as cabins until 1966, when it was acquired by the National Park Service and incorporated within Olympic National Park. A highlight of visits are the mineral pools that range from 99-104°F, and a freshwater pool in the 50-85°F range. Visitors can also make a moderate, 6-mile, round-trip hike to visit Sol Duc Falls. For those in search of undeveloped springs in the vicinity, there are 21 seeps within the Elwha Valley along Boulder Creek, an Elwha River tributary. Temperature range from lukewarm to 138°F, and visitors must access the springs via an 11-mile, one-way trail, due to major washouts and road closures in recent years.
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AuthorEvan A. Weitz - Chemist and Electronics Tech in Greater Minneapolis. Archives
October 2019
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