Breitenbush, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center (pronunciation: BRIGHT en BUSH), commonly called Breitenbush Hot Springs or simply Breitenbush (or even "The Bush" by locals), is a worker-owned
resort community featuring holistic and spiritual
retreats. It is surrounded by the Willamette National Forest
in Breitenbush
, Marion County
, Oregon
, United States
, ten miles (16 km) ENE of the city of Detroit
along the West Cascades Scenic Byway
and 12 miles (19.3 km) northwest of Mount Jefferson
. The closest metropolitan area, Salem, Oregon
, is about 50 miles away. The resort is located at the site of the Breitenbush Hot Springs, which drain into the adjacent Breitenbush River
.
groups.
The hot springs are borne from precipitation on the surrounding Cascade Range
. Analysis of the mineral and chemical content indicates an average subsurface temperature of 356 °F (180 °C) and a migration time of several thousand years.
The water's long contact with aquifer rock at such temperatures saturates it with dissolved minerals such as sulfate
, calcite
, analcime, anhydrite
, chalcedony
, microcline
, muscovite
, quartz
, wairakite
and the elements potassium
, sodium
, magnesium
, calcium
and lithium
. The surface temperature of the springs is about 180 °F (82 °C)—the lower temperature due to heat transfer to cooler rock near the Earth's surface.
Heat for the buildings is from one of two wells. To prevent mineral precipitation in the pipes, the wells are fitted with heat exchangers using closed loop water circulation. The drilled wells are approximately 500 feet (152.4 m) deep and produce circulating water at about 190 °F (88 °C) which is distributed through radiators in each building.
, holistic, spiritual
, and New Age
retreats; most are open to the public by advance reservation. The current resort, having been in operation since 1981 includes springs and affiliated spas and sauna, are all clothing optional. Three rock lined pools spread across a meadow overlooking the Breitenbush River, along with a thickly wooded evergreen hillside can accommodate 6 to 10 people each, along with four hot tubs that are tiled and lie in a concrete patio each comfortably seating 4 to 6 people. The hot tubs are temperature regulated, from 101 °F (38.3 °C) to 109 °F (42.8 °C).
The sauna is a small wood house which seats 9 to 12 with slatted floor over a hot springs creek.
Other features include more than twenty miles (32 km) of hiking trails, a lodge and rustic guest cabins, tent platforms (in summer), a meditative labyrinth, a sanctuary, a gift shop, and a conference center. Guest services include massage
, yoga
classes, meditation, EDGU and other healing arts programs.
According to the resort's operators, Breitenbush is focused on sustainability. The resort generates its own electricity (hydropower with diesel back up); appliances such as hairdryers are not permitted. The surrounding mountains prevent operation of cell phones and reception of non-satellite radio and television. Geothermal energy heats all buildings at the resort; Breitenbush is the largest private geothermal facility in the Pacific Northwest
. The resort serves only vegetarian
meals (vegan
on advance request). Alcohol, recreational drugs and pets are not permitted.
The resort is occasionally closed for organized group events. It also closes midweek and some weekends during the late fall, winter and early spring. Demand is high during the summer—advance reservations of several weeks are frequently needed. Day use, including meals, can be arranged on short notice if the resort is open.
, Breitenbush was homesteaded in 1904 by Theodore Roosevelt. Breitenbush was named for one armed Dutch explorer Peter Breitenbush. In 1927, the site was purchased by Merle Bruckman, who constructed the resort and operated it for 20 years. Over the years the site changed hands, closing in 1972 after two devastating flood
s.
In 1977 Alex Beamer purchased Breitenbush Hot Springs, intending to host a full-time community to operate the resort. The desire of logging interests to exploit Breitenbush timber posed a threat to the site until the Clinton Forest Plan of 1993 designated it a Late Successional Reserve.
In 1985, Beamer sold the facility to the community which began hosting resort guests in 1982.
whose workers and their families live in community year-round on the 154 acre (0.62321644 km²) site. The permanent community has 50 to 70 individuals. New members are accepted by community consensus after a year of work and paying a deposit. The community is entirely supported by revenue from resort operations; adult members are expected to contribute by participating in the resort's operation. Pay is less than similar resorts, but housing, utilities and food are provided. Member turnover is high, but comparable to other resorts.
Worker cooperative
A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and democratically managed by its worker-owners. This control may be exercised in a number of ways. A cooperative enterprise may mean a firm where every worker-owner participates in decision making in a democratic fashion, or it may refer to one in which...
resort community featuring holistic and spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
retreats. It is surrounded by the Willamette National Forest
Willamette National Forest
The Willamette National Forest is a National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of US state of Oregon.It comprises 1,675,407 acres making it one of the largest national forests. Over 380,000 acres are designated wilderness which include seven major mountain peaks...
in Breitenbush
Breitenbush, Oregon
Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center , commonly called Breitenbush Hot Springs or simply Breitenbush , is a worker-owned resort community featuring holistic and spiritual retreats...
, Marion County
Marion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, ten miles (16 km) ENE of the city of Detroit
Detroit, Oregon
Detroit is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It was named for Detroit, Michigan in the 1890s because of the large number of people from Michigan in the community. The population was 262 at the 2000 census...
along the West Cascades Scenic Byway
West Cascades Scenic Byway
The West Cascades Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in the U.S. state of Oregon. The route is designed to provide a tour on the west side of the Cascade Range along the east side of the Willamette Valley.-Route description:...
and 12 miles (19.3 km) northwest of Mount Jefferson
Mount Jefferson (Oregon)
Mount Jefferson is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, part of the Cascade Range, and is the second highest mountain in Oregon. Situated in the far northeastern corner of Linn County on the Jefferson County line, about east of Corvallis, Mount Jefferson is in a rugged wilderness and is...
. The closest metropolitan area, Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, is about 50 miles away. The resort is located at the site of the Breitenbush Hot Springs, which drain into the adjacent Breitenbush River
Breitenbush River
The Breitenbush River is a tributary of the North Santiam River in western Oregon in the United States. It drains a rugged, forested area of the Cascade Range east of Salem....
.
The springs
Breitenbush Hot Springs has long been the site of natural geothermal springs. It was a frequent gathering place for local Native AmericanNative 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...
groups.
The hot springs are borne from precipitation on the surrounding Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
. Analysis of the mineral and chemical content indicates an average subsurface temperature of 356 °F (180 °C) and a migration time of several thousand years.
The water's long contact with aquifer rock at such temperatures saturates it with dissolved minerals such as sulfate
Sulfate
In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate is a salt of sulfuric acid.-Chemical properties:...
, calcite
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...
, analcime, anhydrite
Anhydrite
Anhydrite is a mineral – anhydrous calcium sulfate, CaSO4. It is in the orthorhombic crystal system, with three directions of perfect cleavage parallel to the three planes of symmetry. It is not isomorphous with the orthorhombic barium and strontium sulfates, as might be expected from the...
, chalcedony
Chalcedony
Chalcedony is a cryptocrystalline form of silica, composed of very fine intergrowths of the minerals quartz and moganite. These are both silica minerals, but they differ in that quartz has a trigonal crystal structure, while moganite is monoclinic...
, microcline
Microcline
Microcline is an important igneous rock-forming tectosilicate mineral. It is a potassium-rich alkali feldspar. Microcline typically contains minor amounts of sodium. It is common in granite and pegmatites. Microcline forms during slow cooling of orthoclase; it is more stable at lower temperatures...
, muscovite
Muscovite
Muscovite is a phyllosilicate mineral of aluminium and potassium with formula KAl22, or 236. It has a highly-perfect basal cleavage yielding remarkably-thin laminæ which are often highly elastic...
, quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
, wairakite
Wairakite
Wairakite is a zeolite mineral with an analcime structure but containing a calcium ion. The chemical composition is Ca8*16H2O. It is named for the location of its discovery in North Island, New Zealand, by Alfred Steiner in 1955. The mineral has since been found in metamorphic rocks and in...
and the elements potassium
Potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
, sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
, magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
, calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
and lithium
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
. The surface temperature of the springs is about 180 °F (82 °C)—the lower temperature due to heat transfer to cooler rock near the Earth's surface.
Heat for the buildings is from one of two wells. To prevent mineral precipitation in the pipes, the wells are fitted with heat exchangers using closed loop water circulation. The drilled wells are approximately 500 feet (152.4 m) deep and produce circulating water at about 190 °F (88 °C) which is distributed through radiators in each building.
The resort
Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center is known for hosting many counter cultureCounter Culture
Counter Culture is a 2005 compilation double album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper featuring 25 classic Roy Harper songs, cherry picked according to his mood in April 2005. This collection spans 35 years of song writing and is intended as an introduction for anyone who's not sure...
, holistic, spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
, and New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
retreats; most are open to the public by advance reservation. The current resort, having been in operation since 1981 includes springs and affiliated spas and sauna, are all clothing optional. Three rock lined pools spread across a meadow overlooking the Breitenbush River, along with a thickly wooded evergreen hillside can accommodate 6 to 10 people each, along with four hot tubs that are tiled and lie in a concrete patio each comfortably seating 4 to 6 people. The hot tubs are temperature regulated, from 101 °F (38.3 °C) to 109 °F (42.8 °C).
The sauna is a small wood house which seats 9 to 12 with slatted floor over a hot springs creek.
Other features include more than twenty miles (32 km) of hiking trails, a lodge and rustic guest cabins, tent platforms (in summer), a meditative labyrinth, a sanctuary, a gift shop, and a conference center. Guest services include massage
Massage
Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
, yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
classes, meditation, EDGU and other healing arts programs.
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. The resort serves only vegetarian
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
meals (vegan
Veganism
Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only...
on advance request). Alcohol, recreational drugs and pets are not permitted.
The resort is occasionally closed for organized group events. It also closes midweek and some weekends during the late fall, winter and early spring. Demand is high during the summer—advance reservations of several weeks are frequently needed. Day use, including meals, can be arranged on short notice if the resort is open.
History
After being encountered by trappers arrived from the Hudson's Bay CompanyHudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
, Breitenbush was homesteaded in 1904 by Theodore Roosevelt. Breitenbush was named for one armed Dutch explorer Peter Breitenbush. In 1927, the site was purchased by Merle Bruckman, who constructed the resort and operated it for 20 years. Over the years the site changed hands, closing in 1972 after two devastating flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s.
In 1977 Alex Beamer purchased Breitenbush Hot Springs, intending to host a full-time community to operate the resort. The desire of logging interests to exploit Breitenbush timber posed a threat to the site until the Clinton Forest Plan of 1993 designated it a Late Successional Reserve.
In 1985, Beamer sold the facility to the community which began hosting resort guests in 1982.
The community
The resort is structured as a worker-owned cooperativeWorker cooperative
A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and democratically managed by its worker-owners. This control may be exercised in a number of ways. A cooperative enterprise may mean a firm where every worker-owner participates in decision making in a democratic fashion, or it may refer to one in which...
whose workers and their families live in community year-round on the 154 acre (0.62321644 km²) site. The permanent community has 50 to 70 individuals. New members are accepted by community consensus after a year of work and paying a deposit. The community is entirely supported by revenue from resort operations; adult members are expected to contribute by participating in the resort's operation. Pay is less than similar resorts, but housing, utilities and food are provided. Member turnover is high, but comparable to other resorts.