Friday, October 22, 2010

Must Someone Hike Nude?

Must a person always hike nude, or can one express the freehiking attitude even partially clothed on a busy trail, and patiently enjoy a secluded moment for total naked freedom? As Dan expresses below, I think a person can.

Ken

“Next, determined to get some true naked time, I headed into the town of Blue Hill and out one of the back streets to a trailhead at the base of the town's name sake. This is a 900 ft mound of rocks overlooking the harbor, fairgrounds, and surrounding country side. It has a nicely maintained network of hiking trails and is very popular. It is about a 600 ft climb up from the car to the summit with many pleasant challenges along the way. Though there were 14 cars in the lot and another half dozen at the other lot a half mile down the road, I encountered but two small groups and a lone hiker while on the summit. Many walk there dogs on the lower slopes, never venturing any further up. It being Columbus Day, I kept the kilt on till I found a secluded ledge, on the southwest slope at the summit, just past a power line and just off the main trail. I surmised from a faint foot path that very few bother to come this way, probably because of the power line. I found my spot, took off the kilt, and laid out a small picnic and enjoyed the afternoon sun. The loan hiker came over, snapped a photo of the harbor, and left, never looking in my direction from the other side of the small stand of brush. After a while, I chanced a nice little nap. I spent the entire rest of the afternoon just being in the moment, from one spot in the universe. The views out across Penobscot Bay over to the Camden Hills in one direction and over to Cadillac Mountain on Mt Desert Isle in the other, where magnificent. Meanwhile, I could look down between my feet and keep tabs on the constant flow of visitors passing below across the lower slopes to and from their cars. Around 4:30, as a chill started to seep into the air, I put my kilt back on and returned down a different path to the other trailhead, and then deadheaded back down the road to my car. Columbus Day proved, in the end, to be an excellent day to go salt water swimming and nude sun bathing downeast.” - Dan

1 comment:

  1. I believe that nudity on the hiking trail should be no more disturbing than seeing another person. For instance I am generally a conservative person I think it is far more annoying to encounter a person blaring their music in the outdoors than encountering a nude preson. All things being equal wouldn't you? I mean come on! Just because I am no wearing clothes dosen't make me rude. It just means I am in tune with nature and fully enjoying the moment.

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