Tassajara Hot Springs
Encyclopedia
Tassajara Hot Springs is a natural hot springs in the Ventana Wilderness
, within the Santa Lucia Range and Los Padres National Forest
in Monterey County, California
. The hot springs have been the site of a resort of one kind or another since the 1860s. The site is currently owned by the San Francisco Zen Buddhist Center which uses it as a study center and opens it to visitors during the summer.
language, which designates a "place where meat is hung to dry." It has also been known as Tassajara Springs, Tesahara Springs and on mining claims as Agua Caliente.
who operate the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
on site. The last 8.2 miles (13.2 km) of the road into the springs is extremely narrow and steep, so much so that visitors are encouraged to use four-wheel drive vehicles or take a shuttle from Tassajara Hot Springs, California
at Jamesburg, California
, where the Zen Center maintains offices. Jamesburg is at the foot of Chews Ridge, 13.8 miles (22.2 km) from the hot springs.
A section of land 160 acres (64.7 ha) near the springs were nicknamed The Horse Pasture, so-called because the flat meadow
was once used by wranglers
to pasture livestock
when passengers used a stage coaches
to visit the springs. The land, an inholding
within the borders of the Ventana Wilderness
, was identified by conservancy groups as a high priority conservation
for protection. The watershed
offered obvious recreational opportunities and the potential for development
as a wilderness retreat. The site was purchased by the Wilderness Land Trust and later conveyed to the United States Forst Service for inclusion in the wilderness. area of the Santa Lucia Mountains
in Monterey County, California
.
Thermal waters issue from a gneiss
exposed along the creek for a distance of 600 feet (182.9 m) or more. Above and below this exposure the rock is granitic and in some places contains small garnets. The crystalline rocks are overlain by a series of shales, sandstones, and limestones, whose structure in the area north of Arroyo Seco is shown by the beds of massive buff-colored sandstone that dip northeastward at an angle of about 45°. A western limb of this structure has not been recorded but may exist in the mountains further towards the coast. The observed dips at least suggest that Tassajara Hot Springs issue at a locality where Arroyo Seco crosses a zone of intense pressure in the underlying crystalline rocks.
The springs have been known and used for many years and were visited early on by campers when the only access was by means of a difficult trail. In the early part of the 20th century, a well-graded wagon road was built southward from Jamesburg
across the mountains and down into the canyon, and by 1918 the springs were easily reached by stagecoach. In 1904 a stone hotel was built, and other improvements added yearly so that by 1909 there was ample accommodation for 75 people, although a larger number were put up in tents. Water from two of the largest springs has been piped to tub and plunge baths, and a vapor bath constructed over the hottest spring, which issues from the creek bed.
Analyses of two of the thermal waters showed them to be noticeably sulphuretted, and only moderately mineralized. The water of the arsenic spring has a distinctly yellow color, which in a few other springs has been ascribed to alkaline sulphides in solution. At the north edge of the creek, a few yards above the hot springs, there are two cool springs in which iron is deposited. An analysis of the easternmost of these springs was also made.
The two hot springs apparently issue from the same general source and show only slight differences in composition. Primary salinity and primary alkalinity are the chief stable properties, but the waters are characterized by high subalkalinity, of which silica is the main component. The carbonate radicle reported is presumably calculated from the alkalinity determination and doubtless includes sulphides and possibly silicates. The apparent absence of arsenic in the so-called arsenic spring is noteworthy.
Of markedly different character from the hot springs, the cool iron spring is less than half as concentrated and has secondary alkalinity as its dominant property. Subalkalinity is not reported, but is probably relatively low. The spring is probably of essentially surface origin, and not directly related to the thermal waters.
Algous growths in the creek below the hot springs are recorded, as the growths are related to the sulphuretted character of the water. Although they are common to thermal sulphur springs, the relatively large volume of water in the creek at Tassajara Hot Springs, its comparatively slow cooling, and the presence of both swift currents and of quiet pools, affords an unusually good opportunity to observe growth variations.
people for a thousand years or more. Many of the local Native American
people were subjugated by Spanish missionaries in the California Mission system under Father Junipero Serra
. By the time of the American Civil War, the Europeans who came upon Tassajara found few traces of the Esselen's earlier presence. A few Esselen apparently continued to live in the region until at least the 1840s, escaping the harsh conditions of the mission and disease due to their remoteness.
In 1863, there was a brief "silver rush
" in the Tassajara region. Eighteen mining claims were filed by 135 men ("supposed to contain gold
and silver
") in the "Agua Caliente Mining District." The first mining claim for the area was recorded during the period of May 1–25, and it was named the "Vulcan Ledge," including "the stream of water called 'Agua Caliente'" (i. e., Tassajara Hot Springs).
Visitors in the late 1800s traveled by stage over a rocky and steep road, and the last section was so steep that a 20 feet (6.1 m) long pine tree trunk was chained to the rear axles to slow the four horse stagecoach
on the steep downgrade. The road is steep and narrow, such that a modern four-wheel drive
vehicle can take an hour to cover the rough, winding 13.5 miles (21.7 km) dirt-and-rock road leading from Jamesburg, California
at 1722 feet (524.9 m) over 4881 feet (1,487.7 m) high Chews Ridge to the resort at 1637 feet (499 m).
The Monterey County
Board of Supervisors
designated the trail
to "Tesahara Springs" as a "public highway
" in June, 1870, but work on a one-lane wagon
road over Chews and Black Butte Ridges was not started until the spring of 1886.
The hot springs was completely surrounded by the Basin Complex fire
in 2008. Four trained staff members chose to remain behind, against the advice of professional fire-fighting personnel, and successfully defended the resort from the fire.
, which purchased the land from Robert and Anna Beck. The resort is used year-round as a study and practice center by the Zen Center. From Memorial Day to Labor Day each year, they rent accommodations and allow visitors to use the hot springs.
The Zen Center is open during the summer and rents round "yurts" to visitors along with small cabins. The hot springs are divided into sex-segregated sections, although the men's side is coeducational in the evening. Visitors may also purchase meals at the monastery kitchen.
Ventana Wilderness
The Ventana Wilderness of Los Padres National Forest is a Federally designated wilderness area located in the Santa Lucia Mountains along the Central Coast of California. This wilderness was established in 1969 when the Ventana Wilderness Act abolished the Ventana Primitive Area and replaced it...
, within the Santa Lucia Range and Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland...
in Monterey County, California
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
. The hot springs have been the site of a resort of one kind or another since the 1860s. The site is currently owned by the San Francisco Zen Buddhist Center which uses it as a study center and opens it to visitors during the summer.
Etymology
Tasajera is a Spanish-American word derived from an indigenous EsselenEsselen language
Esselen is a language isolate that was spoken by the Esselen Native Americans on the Central Coast of California, south of Monterey....
language, which designates a "place where meat is hung to dry." It has also been known as Tassajara Springs, Tesahara Springs and on mining claims as Agua Caliente.
Location
The hot springs are located 28.3 miles (45.5 km) from Carmel Valley Road. The springs are currently privately owned by the San Francisco Zen CenterSan Francisco Zen Center
San Francisco Zen Center , is a network of affiliated Sōtō Zen practice and retreat centers in the San Francisco Bay area, comprising the City Center or Beginner's Mind Temple, the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. The sangha was incorporated by Shunryu...
who operate the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
-External links:*...
on site. The last 8.2 miles (13.2 km) of the road into the springs is extremely narrow and steep, so much so that visitors are encouraged to use four-wheel drive vehicles or take a shuttle from Tassajara Hot Springs, California
Tassajara Hot Springs, California
Tassajara Hot Springs is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, located east-northeast of Partington Point, at an elevation of 1637 feet ....
at Jamesburg, California
Jamesburg, California
Jamesburg is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It is located northeast of Ventana Cone, at an elevation of 1722 feet ....
, where the Zen Center maintains offices. Jamesburg is at the foot of Chews Ridge, 13.8 miles (22.2 km) from the hot springs.
A section of land 160 acres (64.7 ha) near the springs were nicknamed The Horse Pasture, so-called because the flat meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
was once used by wranglers
Wrangler (profession)
In North America, a wrangler is someone employed to handle animals professionally, especially horses, but also other types of animals. Wranglers also handle the horses and other animals during the making of motion pictures...
to pasture livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
when passengers used a stage coaches
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
to visit the springs. The land, an inholding
Inholding
An inholding is privately owned land inside the boundary of a national park, national forest, state park, or similar publicly owned, protected area...
within the borders of the Ventana Wilderness
Ventana Wilderness
The Ventana Wilderness of Los Padres National Forest is a Federally designated wilderness area located in the Santa Lucia Mountains along the Central Coast of California. This wilderness was established in 1969 when the Ventana Wilderness Act abolished the Ventana Primitive Area and replaced it...
, was identified by conservancy groups as a high priority conservation
Conservation ethic
Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to...
for protection. The watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
offered obvious recreational opportunities and the potential for development
Overdevelopment
Overdevelopment refers to a way of seeing global inequality that focuses on the negative consequences of excessive consumption. It exists as the mutually constitutive counterpart to the more commonly known concept of 'underdevelopment'....
as a wilderness retreat. The site was purchased by the Wilderness Land Trust and later conveyed to the United States Forst Service for inclusion in the wilderness. area of the Santa Lucia Mountains
Santa Lucia Mountains
The Santa Lucia Mountains or Santa Lucia Range is a mountain range in coastal California, running from Monterey southeast for 105 miles to San Luis Obispo. The highest summit is Junipero Serra Peak, in Monterey County...
in Monterey County, California
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
.
The springs
In 1918, the state mineralogist from the California State Mining Bureau produced a report detailing the large amount of hot water that issues at Tassajara Hot Springs through about seventeen thermal springs in the bed of the creek and along its southern bank. These range in temperature from about 100 °F (37.8 °C) to 140 °F (60 °C) and vary from mere seepages to flows of 8 gallons (30.3 l) a minute.Thermal waters issue from a gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
exposed along the creek for a distance of 600 feet (182.9 m) or more. Above and below this exposure the rock is granitic and in some places contains small garnets. The crystalline rocks are overlain by a series of shales, sandstones, and limestones, whose structure in the area north of Arroyo Seco is shown by the beds of massive buff-colored sandstone that dip northeastward at an angle of about 45°. A western limb of this structure has not been recorded but may exist in the mountains further towards the coast. The observed dips at least suggest that Tassajara Hot Springs issue at a locality where Arroyo Seco crosses a zone of intense pressure in the underlying crystalline rocks.
The springs have been known and used for many years and were visited early on by campers when the only access was by means of a difficult trail. In the early part of the 20th century, a well-graded wagon road was built southward from Jamesburg
Jamesburg, California
Jamesburg is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It is located northeast of Ventana Cone, at an elevation of 1722 feet ....
across the mountains and down into the canyon, and by 1918 the springs were easily reached by stagecoach. In 1904 a stone hotel was built, and other improvements added yearly so that by 1909 there was ample accommodation for 75 people, although a larger number were put up in tents. Water from two of the largest springs has been piped to tub and plunge baths, and a vapor bath constructed over the hottest spring, which issues from the creek bed.
Analyses of two of the thermal waters showed them to be noticeably sulphuretted, and only moderately mineralized. The water of the arsenic spring has a distinctly yellow color, which in a few other springs has been ascribed to alkaline sulphides in solution. At the north edge of the creek, a few yards above the hot springs, there are two cool springs in which iron is deposited. An analysis of the easternmost of these springs was also made.
The two hot springs apparently issue from the same general source and show only slight differences in composition. Primary salinity and primary alkalinity are the chief stable properties, but the waters are characterized by high subalkalinity, of which silica is the main component. The carbonate radicle reported is presumably calculated from the alkalinity determination and doubtless includes sulphides and possibly silicates. The apparent absence of arsenic in the so-called arsenic spring is noteworthy.
Of markedly different character from the hot springs, the cool iron spring is less than half as concentrated and has secondary alkalinity as its dominant property. Subalkalinity is not reported, but is probably relatively low. The spring is probably of essentially surface origin, and not directly related to the thermal waters.
Algous growths in the creek below the hot springs are recorded, as the growths are related to the sulphuretted character of the water. Although they are common to thermal sulphur springs, the relatively large volume of water in the creek at Tassajara Hot Springs, its comparatively slow cooling, and the presence of both swift currents and of quiet pools, affords an unusually good opportunity to observe growth variations.
Esselen
The area was first occupied by and the springs were used by native EsselenEsselen
The Esselen were a Native American linguistic group in the hypothetical Hokan language family, who resided on the Central California coast and the coastal mountains, including what is now known as the Big Sur region in Monterey County, California...
people for a thousand years or more. Many of the local Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
people were subjugated by Spanish missionaries in the California Mission system under Father Junipero Serra
Junípero Serra
Blessed Junípero Serra, O.F.M., , known as Fra Juníper Serra in Catalan, his mother tongue was a Majorcan Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California of the Las Californias Province in New Spain—present day California, United States. Fr...
. By the time of the American Civil War, the Europeans who came upon Tassajara found few traces of the Esselen's earlier presence. A few Esselen apparently continued to live in the region until at least the 1840s, escaping the harsh conditions of the mission and disease due to their remoteness.
Europeans
The springs were discovered by Europeans when a hunter found the springs in 1843. Frank Rust founded the public baths in 1868. In 1994, a skeleton was unearthed at Tassajara, and research suggested the individual had died about 150 years ago.In 1863, there was a brief "silver rush
Silver rush
A Silver rush is the silver-mining equivalent of a gold rush.Notable silver rushes have taken place in Mexico, Argentina, the United States , and Canada...
" in the Tassajara region. Eighteen mining claims were filed by 135 men ("supposed to contain gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
") in the "Agua Caliente Mining District." The first mining claim for the area was recorded during the period of May 1–25, and it was named the "Vulcan Ledge," including "the stream of water called 'Agua Caliente'" (i. e., Tassajara Hot Springs).
Visitors in the late 1800s traveled by stage over a rocky and steep road, and the last section was so steep that a 20 feet (6.1 m) long pine tree trunk was chained to the rear axles to slow the four horse stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
on the steep downgrade. The road is steep and narrow, such that a modern four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
vehicle can take an hour to cover the rough, winding 13.5 miles (21.7 km) dirt-and-rock road leading from Jamesburg, California
Jamesburg, California
Jamesburg is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It is located northeast of Ventana Cone, at an elevation of 1722 feet ....
at 1722 feet (524.9 m) over 4881 feet (1,487.7 m) high Chews Ridge to the resort at 1637 feet (499 m).
The Monterey County
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
Board of Supervisors
County board of supervisors
The Board of Supervisors is the body that supervises the operation of county government in all counties in Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Sussex County, New Jersey as well as a handful of counties in New York...
designated the trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
to "Tesahara Springs" as a "public highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
" in June, 1870, but work on a one-lane wagon
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
road over Chews and Black Butte Ridges was not started until the spring of 1886.
The hot springs was completely surrounded by the Basin Complex fire
Summer 2008 California wildfires
The summer 2008 California wildfires, collectively dubbed the Northern California Lightning Series by CAL FIRE, were a concentrated outbreak of wildfires during the summer of 2008. Over 2,780 individual fires were burning at the height of the period, burning large portions of forests and chaparral...
in 2008. Four trained staff members chose to remain behind, against the advice of professional fire-fighting personnel, and successfully defended the resort from the fire.
Zen Center
The springs and surrounding property are privately owned by the San Francisco Zen CenterSan Francisco Zen Center
San Francisco Zen Center , is a network of affiliated Sōtō Zen practice and retreat centers in the San Francisco Bay area, comprising the City Center or Beginner's Mind Temple, the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. The sangha was incorporated by Shunryu...
, which purchased the land from Robert and Anna Beck. The resort is used year-round as a study and practice center by the Zen Center. From Memorial Day to Labor Day each year, they rent accommodations and allow visitors to use the hot springs.
The Zen Center is open during the summer and rents round "yurts" to visitors along with small cabins. The hot springs are divided into sex-segregated sections, although the men's side is coeducational in the evening. Visitors may also purchase meals at the monastery kitchen.