I wanted to go the extra mile for my photo series honoring Nude Recreation Week this year, and that meant stepping outside my comfort zone and leaving the backyard. So for the biking, hiking, swimming, and boating themes, I packed up my stuff, and went out on location, first to the woods, and then to the lake. I picked weekday mornings in the hope that the wilderness would be relatively abandoned - and it was. The best thing about this project was that, in addition to getting some spectacular photographs that I am very excited to share, I was able to not just simulate these activities while posing for pictures, but actually engage in them in what turned out to be two extremely memorable days of outdoor nude recreation.
On the first of these two days, I strapped my bike to the trunk of my car, and drove out into the woods. I picked a location on the grounds of a state park where I knew there was an abandoned parking lot. I walked my bike through the woods to that spot, and got to work. I didn't see a single person at the park all day, except for the one park ranger who nearly caught me. Luckily, he drove up the hill on a very loud vehicle, giving me just enough time to pull on my shorts, and pretend that I was just stopping to have a snack by the side of the lot where I had parked my bike. He stuck around for a bit, working in the nearby pavilion, but I had already got the shots I needed, so I grabbed my bike and headed back into the woods.
After returning my bike to my car, I set out again to get some nude hiking photos. I shot a few on the approach to a trail that runs over the ridge of a hill, along with some short establishing videos, just as a storm was settling in. The park was empty, and I felt sufficiently confident, so I decided to walk part of the trail without putting my clothes back on. And then I proceeded to walk the entire trail - until the point at which it comes down off the ridge - completely naked. It rained throughout the hike, which reassured me that I would be less likely to encounter any other hikers. But it was still warm, so I was perfectly comfortable - indeed more so, without being trapped in wet clothing. And I suspect the rain helped keep the bugs away. It was an absolutely enchanting experience. I wish I could do it more often, and it pains me to think that this sort of thing isn't more accepted in our society. The rain eventually cleared up, and I was able to get a few more photos on a separate trail before packing up, and calling the day a monumental success!
The next day turned out to be just as successful! I didn't know how much privacy I'd be able to find at the lake, but I strapped my kayak to the hood of my car, determined to take my chances. As it turns out, I didn't encounter a single other swimmer on the shore, and there were only a few boaters that pulled into the cove, so that I was able to have plenty of privacy for my photoshoots. I spent a good deal of time shooting in the water by the shore, then rowed over to some large rocks to take more photos. At that point, the cove was empty, and I felt sufficiently confident to stow my clothes away with my bag on the shore, and take my kayak across the lake completely unladen - I didn't even take my sunglasses; there was something almost spiritual about how truly naked I was. As during my hike the previous day, I was in such a state of mind that I was prepared to handle any encounters that might have cropped up, but was lucky enough not to have to.
There was, however, one point during my long trip around the cove that made me a little nervous. I found a large slab of stone sticking out of shallow water around a bend, sheltered in the reeds. It was tranquil, and private, so I shored my kayak and layed out on the rock for a while, feeling completely at one with nature. Then I heard a boat coming into the cove. I was in such a position that I had no fear of the boat spotting me, although if it had opted to lay anchor and stick around, I might have had to row around it without any coverage for my nakedness. However, the boat merely made a circuit of the cove and departed. Still, I became a little bit paranoid that the boater might have stopped and stolen my bag, all the way on the other side of the lake, and started to curse myself that I didn't hide it better.
And that's when a bizarre flight of fancy overtook me. Although I knew in my rational mind that it would be a nightmare if this were to actually occur, some part of me got excited at the thought of my bag being stolen. Not only would it mean that I would have no clothes or even a towel with which to cover myself up - utterly naked as I was - but that I wouldn't have a phone to contact anyone, or even my car keys to get home. Which means that I would in some way have to seek help - either from a passing driver on the road, or a park ranger at some station - approaching a complete stranger naked as the day I was born. Of course, in reality, I would probably be able to find some coverage at that point, even if it meant borrowing another's towel or blanket or clothes, but in my fantasy, I was tickled by the idea of having to stay naked, while navigating my way in public to get home.
I don't know why this thought should excite me. As I said, in reality it would be a nightmare. But something about the situation intrigues me on a psychological level. How much fun would it be to play some kind of virtual reality simulator, where you get to experiment with the effects of going nude in public, without real world repercussions? I know I can't be the only person in the world who would be interested in something like this. Alas, I don't think the technology is up to snuff just yet, and, sadly, I fear that prudish interests would obstruct the development of such a scenario. But one can dream. Anyway, the daydream passed, and I rowed back to my bag and found everything in order. I counted myself very fortunate to have had the opportunities I'd had over these two days, without my luck at any point running out and getting caught, and decided it was time to pack it in and go home. I can't wait, however, till I get the chance to have another experience like these...
