[at-l] Hiking au natural WAS: Trip Report: Navarre Beach, Florida

[shane@theplacewithnoname.com (Shane Steinkamp)]

> > Clothed only in the night, I
> > go down to speak with an ancient power.
> >
> Shane,
> I swear, you are the drawer-shuckingest boy I know!

Whenever I can...  I find nakedness to be somewhat of a
dying art, though, and I think it's rather sad.  When we'd
get close to the river, my grandma would yell, "Last one in
is a rotten egg!", and we'd all proceed to leave a long line
of discarded clothing....SPLASH!  (I bet most of the
old-timers on this list could tell similar stories...)  I
grew up in an environment where shame was not connected to
nudity, and where dignity did not require clothing, so I
wander in comfort whenever possible.

Some of my friends think this is eccentric.  Others of my
friends think this is insane.  A few think it's great, but
won't come swimming with grandma in any case...  :)

When the weather is good and I'm alone, or with those who
don't mind, I strip off.  On public trails I wear a sarong
or a Macabi, for fear of striking a member of the general
public blind.  Slim's solution of an electric blue Speedo
never quite worked for me, although I own a few.

I understand that there is a 'nude hiking day' or some such
on the AT, which seems a good way to turn many people OFF to
the idea.  "Naked freaks wander backwoods trails: Film at
eleven!"  The few times I have encountered strangers (and
one park ranger - female at that) while nude, I have never
had any trouble.  Of course, on the AT, I imagine that
wandering nude into a group of day hiking Girl Scouts would
quickly get you arrested, pepper sprayed, or worse...

According to my experience in the West, and the reports I
have heard from the East, it seems that the West is much
more liberal in this regard - with the possible exception of
Florida.  You can meet quite a few nude hikers, especially
in the early AM, on many public trails in the West.  Of
course, the trails are more crowded in the East, which may
have something to do with it.

Shane

"What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot recognize
the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin
more beautiful that the garment with which it is clothed?"
- Michelangelo