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I left my home in the San Fernando Valley at 8:12AM wearing a pair of shorts and sandals. By the time I got to the corner I was completely nude. I entered Interstate 5 south bound at 8:19. At 10:16, after driving 208.9 miles and paying my $5.00 entrance fee, I was parked at Bowen Ranch. I should note that a few years ago I asked Mike (the guy in the house at the entrance) if it was OK to be nude in this area. He said as long as no one else complained he was fine with it. Since then I have always gotten out of the car to pay the fee while still nude, even when there are other cars in line.
I spent about 15 minutes outside the car putting on lotion, gathering up the items to take down and putting everything else in the trunk. I started hiking down to the Hot Springs at 10:30.
Usually on my hike down it is rare that I pass anyone hiking out, but not this time. I had only gone about 300 yards when I passed two guys hiking back to there car. We exchanged greetings and as usual they had no problem with me being nude. I passed another couple shortly after crossing the fire road. I tried to give them some encouragement that they were 2/3 of the way there. While I was taking a picture of the creek from the point on the trail where it first becomes visible a hiker passed me going the same way. What made this encounter so rare was the fact that he was also nude.
I am sorry to say that in my almost 20 years of hiking here I have only come across about a dozen other hikers also nude. As I said before I have never had a negative reaction from any of the clothed hikers I have met and after 30 plus years of social nudity being the only one nude certainly does not bother me. What I do not understand are those people that can enjoy the springs and creek nude and not want to be nude for the hike in and out. As for those that stay clothed all the time I can only feel sorry for them because they do not understand the great opportunity they are missing to enjoy nature as it was meant to be enjoyed. (Off the soap box and back to the report).
I took my time going down to the creek so it was 11:30 by the time I had my towel out on the sand area by the hot springs. The last time I was here, July 21st, there was anywhere from 50 to 75 people there, mostly collage age and a few families with kids. I don’t believe there where more then 6 or 7 of us who were nude but it was no problem and did not affect my enjoyment of the day. The only down side was the amount of smoking by the kids, the noise level from the families radio and the crowding in the hot springs and the creek.
This time could not be more different. There were only about 12 to 15 people there, including 5 who were nude. Everyone was having a good time swimming in the creek (the air temp was in the mid to upper 80’s) and some, including myself even enjoyed a good soak in the hot spring pools.
After spending the day relaxing with my book, swimming and soaking it was time to head back. For me this is the hardest part, not because of the climb out but that the day is coming to an end. I started the hike out at 5:00 and got back to the car just before 6:30.
On the hike out I met a couple who was there for the first time. We stopped and talked for a while and I told them how to get to the creek crossing and to the hot springs (they were about to head downstream). Next I passed a group of 3, one guy and two girls, then another couple and finally two guys just before I got to the parking lot. All of these people were clothed but had no reaction to the fact I was nude.
The drive home was uneventful. The time was 8:50 and I had to put my shorts back on for the first time since leaving home. All told I was nude for 12 hours and 38 minutes.
I spent about 15 minutes outside the car putting on lotion, gathering up the items to take down and putting everything else in the trunk. I started hiking down to the Hot Springs at 10:30.
Usually on my hike down it is rare that I pass anyone hiking out, but not this time. I had only gone about 300 yards when I passed two guys hiking back to there car. We exchanged greetings and as usual they had no problem with me being nude. I passed another couple shortly after crossing the fire road. I tried to give them some encouragement that they were 2/3 of the way there. While I was taking a picture of the creek from the point on the trail where it first becomes visible a hiker passed me going the same way. What made this encounter so rare was the fact that he was also nude.
I am sorry to say that in my almost 20 years of hiking here I have only come across about a dozen other hikers also nude. As I said before I have never had a negative reaction from any of the clothed hikers I have met and after 30 plus years of social nudity being the only one nude certainly does not bother me. What I do not understand are those people that can enjoy the springs and creek nude and not want to be nude for the hike in and out. As for those that stay clothed all the time I can only feel sorry for them because they do not understand the great opportunity they are missing to enjoy nature as it was meant to be enjoyed. (Off the soap box and back to the report).
I took my time going down to the creek so it was 11:30 by the time I had my towel out on the sand area by the hot springs. The last time I was here, July 21st, there was anywhere from 50 to 75 people there, mostly collage age and a few families with kids. I don’t believe there where more then 6 or 7 of us who were nude but it was no problem and did not affect my enjoyment of the day. The only down side was the amount of smoking by the kids, the noise level from the families radio and the crowding in the hot springs and the creek.
This time could not be more different. There were only about 12 to 15 people there, including 5 who were nude. Everyone was having a good time swimming in the creek (the air temp was in the mid to upper 80’s) and some, including myself even enjoyed a good soak in the hot spring pools.
After spending the day relaxing with my book, swimming and soaking it was time to head back. For me this is the hardest part, not because of the climb out but that the day is coming to an end. I started the hike out at 5:00 and got back to the car just before 6:30.
On the hike out I met a couple who was there for the first time. We stopped and talked for a while and I told them how to get to the creek crossing and to the hot springs (they were about to head downstream). Next I passed a group of 3, one guy and two girls, then another couple and finally two guys just before I got to the parking lot. All of these people were clothed but had no reaction to the fact I was nude.
The drive home was uneventful. The time was 8:50 and I had to put my shorts back on for the first time since leaving home. All told I was nude for 12 hours and 38 minutes.
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