Keyhole Hot Springs

Meager Creek used to be the well known Hot Springs out past Pemberton.
Unfortunately there was a landslide a few years back that destroyed the road so they are no longer accessible.  However, if you drive a few kilometres further you will find a trail to the lesser known Keyhole Hot Springs.

It was a very rainy day but my sister and our friend Maria had heard rumours of these Hot Springs and were determined to find them. Another friend, Sean, met us in Pemberton and the 4 of us squished in my car and headed North.
It took us a few tries but eventually we found the logging road that led to the Hot Springs and followed it for about 40km.
Finally we made it to the "parking lot" and quickly unloaded the car and followed the markers toward the camping area.
The hike got VERY steep VERY fast.
Luckily we were wearing backpacks but all of us bailed down the sketchy trail at least once. Maybe it would've been easier if we weren't holding a beer in one hand but we had priorities...
By the time we had found a camping spot and set up our tent it was dark but the the 4 of us decided to go to the Hot Springs anyways.
It was another 20-30 minute steep, slippery trek but we found them.
The rain subsided and we had quite a few celebratory beers in the natural Hot Springs before heading back to our tent.
Getting back proved to be even more difficult then finding the Hot Springs and we got lost in the dark more then once but we managed to make it back and started a fire to warm up.
Sean had told some friends to come to the Hot Springs earlier but he hadn't talked to them for hours and there was no service where we were so we figured they'd given up.
However, at around midnight we heard some voices in the woods and then some guys calling "Sean!".
We couldn't believe it, they had actually found us.
It was hard enough hiking down that trail and finding our spot in the day but somehow they'd managed to do it in the pitch black.
On top of that, they'd brought a huge cooler full of beer and even a Military sized tent with them (which they ended up ditching halfway down because it was too hard for them to carry).
We all continued drinking around the fire in the rain and eventually the 7 of us piled into the 4-man tent and passed out.
The next day we went for a second soak in the Hot Springs and then basically climbed the whole way back to our cars and headed home.
This definitely wasn't one of the easiest overnight trips I've been on, but it was one of the most memorable.
If you're willing to work for it, Keyhole Hot Springs is a great place to get away.

Maria making the journey back from the Hotsprings

Keyhole Hotsprings and the Lillooet River