Barefoot In Summer

Being barefoot all the way up is cool in more ways than one...

Natural Hiking

What's it like hiking nude? Let me count the ways...

1. You can feel your body working without having to filter through the feeling of clothes.
2. The breeze caresses your whole body.
3. The colors around you are more intense. The greens are greener. The blues bluer.
4. The bird songs are brighter.
5. The smells are more distinct.
6. The trail seems shorter.
7. No mater how long you spend natural, it won't be enough and you won't want to get dressed to go home.

Nudeling

Kayaking. Naturally of Course!

My wife and I spent the afternoon kayaking on the Yaquina River near Toledo, Oregon, naturally of course. About two hours later and three and a half miles upstream the tide changed, we stopped, had lunch and then paddled back down river.

We saw no one after the first half mile so off came the few clothes we were wearing. It was quite hot on the water so it was great to be free of the textiles so what little breeze there was could cool the whole body.

At times the river flows under trees covering the river. It was like traveling through a green tunnel with a few spots of sunlight on the water. It was quiet on the river except for the birds and the occasional sound of a paddle hitting the water. In several places we paddled past a bunch of Black Berry bushes and we could hear the buzz of bees. A wonderful day on the river.

While being naked in the kayak is not illegal in Oregon, it is still possible to be hassled by the law and even sited for such things as disturbing the peace. It angers me that in spite of the fact we were so comfortable, society requires that we cover up. At 65 I’m afraid that I won’t live to see society grow up.

Nudeling

Hiking, Naturally of Course!

What a day for a hike, naturally of course. Wednesday was one of the warmest days yet on the Central Oregon Coast. It was 77 degrees when my feet hit the ground.

I hiked up a logging road and after about a ¼ mile the road started up a ridge. It wasn’t long before I could see ridge after blue ridge of hills of in the distance. The forest had been thinned and it was easy to see into the distance. Several times I broke into the open and the view was wonderful.

The road started at 500 feet elevation and ended at another road at about 1700 feet three miles later. It was a gradual climb with a few level spots to catch your breath. At times there was a good breeze and it was great to go around a corner and have the breeze hit my body and dry the sweat. At 65 years old it’s truly a blessing to have a body I can work like this.

There were dead fur needles on the road and with the sun heating them up they gave off a worm forest smell. The breeze was making wind music through the trees. There were little daisy type flowers along the road with pink tips on the white petals. I saw a Trillium along the road in a shady spot.

All told it was a beautiful day. With side trips I did 7 miles measured with a GPS. I spent four hours out and can’t wait ‘till the next trip. I’m going to have to wait for a bit until my feet get back in shape, however.

If you’re going to be traveling to the Central Oregon Coast this Summer and would like to join me in Free Hiking, contact me and I’ll see if circumstances will make it possible.

Nudeling
nudeling@yahoo.com

Oh the Joy!

Oh the joy! Circumstances and weather came together and I did my first free hike of the season. It was about 63 degrees and a little chilly to start but I warmed up soon enough.

For me being nude in the forest is being closer to nature. The greens are greener and the sky is bluer. Forest smells and sounds are sharper. I love to work my body and feel the breezes. I worked up a slight sweat. At 65 I’m blessed with a body that can still do this.

I only had an hour free including drive time but still I was able to do .6 miles in and .6 miles out with an elevation gain of about 250 feet. I’m starting to get in shape but I’ll feel much better if I loose 10 pounds.

You’ll be glad to know the beaver dam is still there although it’s beginning to silt up. Fresh deer and elk sign were all over. The skunk cabbage smells the same as ever. I saw no Trillium but there were little yellow flowers in the deep forest.

Hopefully I can get out for several hours tomorrow while the weather holds.

Nudeling

Let this be a lesson to ya…

I recently spent some time at Cougar Hot Springs. The pools were much hotter than the last time I was there and the air temperature was about 85 degrees. After about an hour at the spring, I decided it was just too hot and that a dip in the Lagoon was called for.

The water was just great. I must have spent at least a half hour swimming, natural of course. I got out and decided to air dry while sitting on a stump.

You’ve got to realize that this stump was weathered and had obviously spent a lot of time under water. The surface was cut flat and I thought a perfect place to sit in the sun. What I didn’t notice was that in spite of the apparent age of the stump, the top had pitch on it and as I got off I discovered I carried some of it away on a certain portion of my anatomy.

Imagine, if you will, my wife’s amusement when I explained the sticky situation to her. With grace, dignity and a whole lot of laughter she offered to rub cooking oil on the sticky mess to get the pitch off. With me leaning over the bed in the travel trailer we discovered I had gobs of pitch in my hair in places I didn’t even know I had places.

So let my em-bare-ass-ment be a lesson to you and print out the little poem below to help you remember to never sit unprotected upon a stump.

Nudeling

If you would set bare upon the stump,
Be sure that you protect your rump.
For if you don’t then you may find
You trail a sticky mess behind.
And laughter will surely fill your house,
And you’ll need help from your giggling spouse.

Nude Hiking and Families with Kids

Recently, when discussing nude hiking (Free Hiking) in several of the Yahoo groups, it was expressed by several people that they were concerned about meeting families with children on the trail so they don’t hike nude. I’m not sure why these folks were concerned. Perhaps they think being nude in front of children is not appropriate. Perhaps they think the parents might be offended and cause trouble.

As far as the parents are concerned, I say so what. I don’t go out of my way to offend but am not overly concerned that I may do so. I do carry a wrap with me to cover up. If the parents are personally offended by my nudity I think it’s time they grow up. If the parents are concerned about their kids, I think they should learn a bit more about their kids. It’s my experience that when confronted with nudity kids tend to shrug it off and continue going about the things that kids do.

My wife and I were recently at a clothing optional hot spring where there were about 15 kids from about 5-15 years old, both boys and girls. My wife and I were the only ones nude. We were actually nude and in the pool before we realized we were the only ones. For a bit the kids kind of gave us sideways glances but after a short time they just went back to doing the things kids do. It was no bid deal to them.

I’m not going to hike on really popular trails nude but when I seek out a little used trail and the weather’s right you can be sure I’ll be nude. Should I come upon some families with kids I’m going to just wrap up and move on by. If the adults start to give me a bad time, I’m going to just move on without saying much. If they want to get physical, I do carry pepper spray. There is no law against nudity in Oregon as long as the reason for being nude is not to excite yourself or others. Nude is not lewd.