Why I hike nude

[Gary Naturist]

Recently, I was visiting the south-west U.S. and decided to do a 3-mile nude hike in the desert to a well-known hot spring. When I arrived at the trailhead, there were six vehicles parked there. Although I didn?t know if the groups were nudist or not, I decided to continue with my plan to hike nude (except for footwear).

On the way in, I passed all six groups, each of them headed out, none hiking nude. I said hello to each group as I passed by and, for the most part, they did not react negatively to my being nude.

Two young couples and three young guys returned my greeting, as did a mother with two lively pre-teens. Shortly after I passed by this group, I heard some loud giggling from the girl, and I assume that I was the source of her amusement. Then I met up with a family of four, and the mother wrapped her arm around the head of one her young teenage daughters, to cover her eyes. (What message was this mother delivering to her daughter?) Later, at the Colorado River, I had to pass close by a father sitting on a large rock with his two teenage girls. I said that I hoped I wasn?t offending them, and he said ?No, not at all. We?re just not used to it [seeing a nude hiker].?

I know from past experience that, by hiking nude, I offend some people, but only a small minority show any displeasure. I don?t like to offend people. So why would I do this? For all of the following reasons:
1. I enjoy hiking nude (being nude in nature).
2. I believe that there is nothing indecent or shameful about the naked body.
3. I limit my exposure by hiking nude in an area where there are not many people.
4. I am not harassing or threatening anyone, and am only in sight for a minute or two.
5. I am not responsible for other people?s difficulties with nudity.
6. I believe that I am helping to educate people to be more tolerant of public nudity.
7. I am doing my bit to lay claim to additional territory that can be enjoyed by the nudist community.

Looking at it another way, I can either do things that I really want to do in my life, or live to regret not doing them.

Gary

[Gary Naturist]

Recently, I was visiting the south-west U.S. and decided to do a 3-mile nude hike in the desert to a well-known hot spring. When I arrived at the trailhead, there were six vehicles parked there. Although I didn?t know if the groups were nudist or not, I decided to continue with my plan to hike nude (except for footwear).

On the way in, I passed all six groups, each of them headed out, none hiking nude. I said hello to each group as I passed by and, for the most part, they did not react negatively to my being nude.

Two young couples and three young guys returned my greeting, as did a mother with two lively pre-teens. Shortly after I passed by this group, I heard some loud giggling from the girl, and I assume that I was the source of her amusement. Then I met up with a family of four, and the mother wrapped her arm around the head of one her young teenage daughters, to cover her eyes. (What message was this mother delivering to her daughter?) Later, at the Colorado River, I had to pass close by a father sitting on a large rock with his two teenage girls. I said that I hoped I wasn?t offending them, and he said ?No, not at all. We?re just not used to it [seeing a nude hiker].?

I know from past experience that, by hiking nude, I offend some people, but only a small minority show any displeasure. I don?t like to offend people. So why would I do this? For all of the following reasons:
1. I enjoy hiking nude (being nude in nature).
2. I believe that there is nothing indecent or shameful about the naked body.
3. I limit my exposure by hiking nude in an area where there are not many people.
4. I am not harassing or threatening anyone, and am only in sight for a minute or two.
5. I am not responsible for other people?s difficulties with nudity.
6. I believe that I am helping to educate people to be more tolerant of public nudity.
7. I am doing my bit to lay claim to additional territory that can be enjoyed by the nudist community.

Looking at it another way, I can either do things that I really want to do in my life, or live to regret not doing them.

Gary

Right on ! More power to you... /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Snoboy]

Gary Naturist - A great big Thumbs Up to you for advancing the sport of freehiking. I do the same thing up here in Alaska, but I must admit the likelihood of encountering other humans is far less likely than in your neck of the woods. I am more apt to come up on a moose...or a bear, God forbid, but thus far I have had wonderful, safe trecks in the woods. I think I mentioned getting caught by some young guys scaling an area of the mountain but they joined in and got naked to relax before climbing back down. I like the more conventional method and use the paths that are well warn from animals and/or people in past years. Far less heroing but fun all the same. I would love to join you in one of your hikes someday. Take care and keep up the sport of freehiking. /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[florida-david]

wow you guys are bold. i'm envious, in busy south florida, i think i would encounter too much opposition and police. than again, we don't hike here, we only walk (its verrrry flat here).

more power to you, i would love to be there!!

[Snoboy]

Florida-David, we would love to have you visit the "Last Frontier" aka the State of Alaska. Come between May and September and enjoy countless hours of sunshine (approximately 21 hours a day) and freehike to your hearts content. The majesty of our state is known throughout the world and it is true when people say, "it's God's country." I should get a job with the Chamber of Commerce...but, seriously I believe in Alaska. We only have 600,000 people in the entire state so we have plenty of room to romp naked without bothering any one. I am from Florida and know your predicament. I use to go to the state and national parks to get naked but that can not compare to where I am now. Have a wonderful day naked...if you can. /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[Gary Naturist]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Snoboy:
Gary Naturist - A great big Thumbs Up to you for advancing the sport of freehiking... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Right -- freehiking -- I'd heard the term before but forgotten it. I'll use the term in future.

Gary

[fns]

I love freehiking myself. I haven't done alot of it, but I have been able to do some. There is a trail not too far away that I have hiked many times, and parts of it nude. In the summer, it gets quite a bit of use. On one occasion, I had hiked in about 3 miles, clothed, but having not seen anyone, and it was late in the day, I decided to do the next section, another couple miles, and back, nude, and not carrying anything. I did do it, didn't see anyone. But I figured, if I did, there wasn't anything I could do about it anyway, since I didn't take anything with me. I'll be out there again soon, and am always looking for new trails to try out.

[Vin]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ben_m:
I am not in general agreement with the idea of "pushing the envelope" as far as public nudity goes. I think the risk of doing more harm than good to the naturist cause is too great. However, having done as much free hiking as I have, I know it can be done quite safely. By carefully selecting the locations (remote) and times (avoid weekends, and evenings), etc., I've usually avoided other people entirely. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I think I agree. There's a wilderness area a few miles away where I go hiking occasionally. I've rarely run into others during weekdays at all, clothed or otherwise.

That said, I don't want to offend anyone, so I'm pretty careful to give others a wide berth. It's the sort of area where I don't really think anyone would mind, provided they didn't have kids along, but one never knows.

[hikingjim]

I spend a lot of time free hiking in the Los Angeles mountains. Much of it on weekends. I have encountered others freequently. I always carry a pair of shorts in a shoulder bag. Sometime I have time to put them on, sometimes not. If I see the people in advance and will usually try to cover. I think it may help me show I did not intend to offend if I need that for a defense. Sometimes when passing I cover with my hat, and sometimes I just smile. I have only been verbally acosted once. I really enjoy hiking nude. I don't want to push the envelope and push people to complain so the authorities try to stop freehikers. Most times when I encounter others they are cordial and engage in some conversation just as though I had been clothed as other hikers.

[nudeboots]

I love to "freehike", and as soon as I get past the main travelled section of a trail system my shorts are usually off, I tend to leave on an open shirt as the fabric saves my skin from my pack and the sun. Given our warm and rediciously sunny winter so far I have even gone "free snowshoeing" this winter, which is great because there is virtually no snow on the lower trails so the skiers don't bother to come up so you have the whole meadow area to yourselves. I just came back from Hotsprings Cove, the place was dead as always in the winter but the air temperature was spring like, we shucked our survival suits and hiked to the hot pools just wearing boots and rain jackets. It was a major drag to put back on our smelly survial suits to get back on the boat to Tofino after a glorious few hours nude in the rain forest.

Nudeboots sounds like you're having a great winter up there in BC... Been very dry and warm this Jan in Ca too. /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif