Potosi Hot Springs, Naked Old Hippies, and The Pony Bar, Pony,MT

The first time I traveled to Potosi Hot Springs, night had already fallen and we stumbled along blindly, searching for adventure and new experiences. On the trail, I coincidentally came across two friends, who advised us to continue no further. "Too full," they said, "naked old hippies they said," "tea cups of ether water," they said. We forged on, despite the hot springs full of ether water drinking, naked old hippies that were monopolizing the modest hot springs. Did we strip down, jump in, and grab a tea cup? OF COURSE. NOT. We turned around, walked back down the trail, and on to the Pony Bar. Local favorite Montana Rose plays there on Sundays, if you're lucky, and the Pony Bar is famous for its summertime "Duck Races."

I have since been back to Potosi and camped for two days and I have only good things to say. For such a small feature though, I think this is an example of the "tragedy of the commons." Though I'd love to go to Potosi Hot Springs frequently, I know that by limiting my visits, I put less burden on the surrounding ecosystem, less wear on the trail and dirt roads around Potosi, and incur less negative human effect on the water in the springs and the vegetation around it.