Archive for April, 2007
Man vs Wild: How to Survive Falling into a Frozen Lake
Two years ago I fell through a weakened snow bridge on one of my hikes and found that my body warmed up appreciably faster than if I’d been forced to wear soaked clothing. I also remember the rubbing with snow trick from USAF survival training.
Add comment April 27, 2007
AANR Alert: Oregon HJR 56
Addendum: Though this alert is directed at AANR members, it would serve the purposes of all nudists and naturists in Oregon to go on record as opposing this shortsighted bill.
Oregon House Joint Resolution 56 proposes a new Section 12 be added to Article XV of the Oregon State Constitution to allow state or local governments to regulate ’strip acts’. Strip acts are defined, in part, as
“a person or persons appear nude or partially nude, or in which a person or persons become nude or partially nude … before one or more members of the public.”
That this definition could (and would) be interpreted beyond the intended scope of regulating adult strip acts, and applied to nudists, is obvious. The measure also allows for local jurisdictions to further “establish a more detailed definition of a strip act”
Rick
AANR Alert
RE: IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT IN OREGON – OREGON MEMBERS NEEDED TO HELP STOP STATE ANTI-NUDITY MEASURE
Dear AANR members, and especially those AANR Northwest Members in Oregon:
We are writing to you about Oregon HJR 56, a measure that presents a serious threat to nude recreation for all who live in this state.
Why we are concerned…
If HJR 56 passes, Oregon voters will be invited to pass an amendment to the Oregon Constitution giving local communities the power to regulate and prohibit nudity and “stripping.” As nudists, we are concerned with this bill because it represents a major change in the status quo.
Oregon State courts have consistently held that, under the First Amendment of the Oregon State Constitution, citizens of this state enjoy greater rights to freedom of speech and expression than under the U.S. Constitution. As a result, these courts have refused to allow placing undue restraints on nudity and nude dancing while other courts throughout this country increasingly allow it to be regulated out of existence.
The bottom line?
HJR 56 is a giant leap towards regulating, and ultimately outlawing, nudity in Oregon. And if that can happen there it can happen anywhere.
The resolution that keeps coming back…
If any of this sounds familiar, you are not imagining things. Proponents of this measure have succeeded in getting a version of it on the Oregon ballots a number of times before. And state voters have rejected those. AANR and AANR NW successfully stopped other attempts to get similar resolutions through the legislature in 1999.
One would hope those seeking to curtail nudity would have gotten the message about how the voters feel, but they haven’t. Instead, they have come back this year just as determined as ever. The proponents of this amendment have now included wording changes designed to make the amendment sound more attractive (for example, outlawing many forms of nudity within its definitions, but using blanket terms like “stripping and strippers” to give the illusion that only unsavory activities are targeted).
HJR 56 is about to receive a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee where it has been assigned.
What AANR, AANR NW, and your Oregon Government Affairs Team are doing…
Upon learning about HJR 56, AANR NW and Oregon state GAT Chair Shirley Gauthier contacted the offices of friendly lawmakers, with whom she has cultivated strong working relationships, to obtain critical background information in a short period of time. She also has arranged for none other than John Kinman to attend the Judiciary Committee meeting scheduled first thing in the morning next Monday, April 30. John currently serves as both AANR’s President and President of The Willamettans club of Marcola, Oregon (which is to be the site of the 2007 convention). Past AANR President and Convention Chair Pat Brown is currently also re-arranging her calendar to be present. She was one of the team members who helped stop a similar measure years ago.
For its part, the AANR office is equipping the team with special “legislator’s packets” containing a legal analysis of the problems with HJR 56, information about the wholesome nature of family nude recreation, and articles about the positive economic impact of nude recreation on tourism from such impressive sources as The Wall Street Journal and Forbes.
We’re also asking for help from our members in Oregon with contacting lawmakers. (If you are not from Oregon, we appreciate your monitoring events, but ask that you not make any contacts about this.)
What you can do…
It would be of tremendous help for members in Oregon to send an e-mail message to at least one of the Representatives on the Judiciary Committee. Click on the link below and that will take you to the AANR Legislative Action Center
If you prefer to write directly from your computer or place a call the contacts are:
Representative Greg Macpherson
Party: D District: 38
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1438
Interim Phone: 503-635-2648
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE., H-385, Salem, OR, 97301
Interim Address: 322 Second Street, Lake Oswego, OR, 97034
Email: rep.gregmacpherson@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/macpherson
Representative Jeff Barker Party: D District: 28
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1428
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE., H-476, Salem, OR, 97301
Interim Address: PO Box 6751 , Aloha, OR, 97007
Email: rep.jeffbarker@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/barker
Representative Suzanne Bonamici
Party: D District: 34
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1434
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-374, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: rep.suzannebonamici@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/bonamici
Representative Betty Komp
Party: D District: 22
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1422
Interim Phone: 503-884-2337
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-276, Salem,, OR, 97301
Email: rep.bettykomp@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/komp
Representative Tobias Read
Party: D District: 27
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1427
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-489, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: rep.tobiasread@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/read
Representative Gene Whisnant
Party: R District: 53
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1453
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-372, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: rep.genewhisnant@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/whisnant
Representative Kevin Cameron (SPONSOR OF THE BILL)
Party: R District: 19
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1419
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-383, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: rep.kevincameron@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/cameron
Representative Linda Flores
Party: R District: 51
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1451
Interim Phone: 503-722-1419
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE., H-287, Salem, OR, 97301
Interim Address: PO Box 55, Clackamas, OR, 97015-0055
Email: rep.lindaflores@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/flores
Representative Wayne Krieger
Party: R District: 1
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1401
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE., H-378, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: rep.waynekrieger@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/krieger
It is not necessary to discuss nude recreation in your letter. In fact, probably the strongest argument against HJR 56 is that it makes dangerous changes to the First Amendment of a state constitution that has served Oregon citizens well for many, many years. We have provided a template for framing your letter, but a brief message that’s to the point and in your own words is most effective. Should you have any questions, please contact Patricia Orner, Government Affairs Coordinator, of the AANR office.
Thank you, in advance, for your assistance with this urgent matter. Please also accept our thanks for your support as an AANR / AANR NW member. Your help through Association dues, and your continued interest in issues affecting nude recreation, make you an important partner in our advocacy efforts.
Sample letter for Oregon voters:
As a registered voter in the state of Oregon, I am writing to express my strong opposition to HJR56 and HB 3547.
To be perfectly honest, I prefer the Oregon state Constitution just the way it is. The Constitution protects fundamental freedoms such as my right to free speech, freedom of assembly, and even my right to petition you with this message. I take added comfort in the fact that our Constitution gives me greater protection than under existing Federal law.
This language has stood the test of time.HJR 56 wants to tamper with success simply to make it a bit more difficult for adult businesses. The trade-off is not worth it. I do not wish to see my tax dollars spent defending the lawsuits that are sure to follow.
I would also note that voters have rejected similar ballot measures as HJR56 several times. Why ignore this clear will of the people.
I thank you for your time and ask you to vote in opposition to HJR56 and HB 3547.
1 comment April 26, 2007
Barclay Lake, Eagle Lake Trail Nude Hike
Smack dab in the middle of the proposed and probable Wild Sky Wilderness lies stunningly beautiful Barclay Lake situated in a narrow vee valley between the imposing mastifs of Baring Mountain and Merchant Peak. The trailhead is easily accessed four miles in on FS6024 from the town of Baring along US 2 in late April after the snow clears from the forest service road.
Barclay Lake is an extremely popular hike because of it’s ease of access, the ease of the short hike (just under 2.5 miles) and the views of Baring Mountain at the lake. It is not unusual to see a dozen or so cars parked at the trailhead. Monday was a really nice day with lots of clear sky and sunshine so it was surprising that one single car occupied the parking area when I arrived at 9AM . . . having decided to take advantage of the sudden break in the rainy weather for some hiking.
The hike begins under old-growth canopy, robbing me of the sunlight I craved on my skin. I decided to stay clothed (at least shorts) until I met up with whomever was ahead of me. Just a friendly young couple and their dog, but this hike attracts families so I don’t consider the beginning stages too nude-appropriate. However, once I past this couple, who were already on their way out, I knew I had the trail to myself. Off came the shorts and I was back to hiking to only way it should be done.
About two miles in you travel over well-made boardwalk over sensitive wetlands (in summer the bugs really come out in this area). A nice footbridge crosses Barclay Creek to the north side . . . close to the lake.
The lake, itself, is rather tranquil and shallow. During the summer months, the water warms up nicely and skinnydipping is a popular pasttime. There are a number of cleared camping areas right up against the lake, firerings and a rustic toilet set back in the trees.
The shoreline is gentle and sandy with lots of private niches. The most popular areas are the northwest portion of the lake, where the trail arrives, however, the trail does continue, less maintained, to the eastern and far end of the lake where there are some great areas to enjoy the sun au’natural . . . even in the busy summer months.
The main view is Baring Mountain towering above the lake to the south. Unfortunately, the noonday sun made getting a picture difficult.
To the north is Mechant Peak, which overlooks the lake as well as the next objective on my iternary . . . Eagle Lake.
Eagle Lake is a fisherman’s dream . . . a sterile alpine lake that is helicopter-stocked with trout by the Fisheries Department. Eagle Lake is also very difficult to get to. There used to be a long, arduous jeep trail leading in from the Beckler River area but sections of that road have reverted and washed out. The only other feasible access is a little-known and very steep footpath straight up the flanks of Merchant Peak that is used by die-hard fishermen (and idiots like me).
Eagle Lake is half again the size of Barclay lake (and much deeper). It sits at the end of the broad Paradise Meadows, a wide valley trending southeast through the wilderness. Near the southern shores an old and still usable cabin still sits . . . defying the ravages of many hard winter seasons. Paradise Meadows is heavy black bear country and it’s nice to know an overnighter can retreat to that cabin for a safe nights sleep.
However, I had no illusions about making Eagle Lake on this hike. It’s still too early in the season to make access easy, as I discovered when snow stopped me at the 3,800 ft level just short of the saddle over and a smaller lake called Stone Lake.
Just finding the trail again was an accomplishment. The tread is faint and I’ve always missed the start . . . past the last section of boardwalk on the Barclay trail. I always carry bright construction tape in my pack and I used it to blaze the trail on the way up . . . mainly because I was not all that sure I could find my way back down myself. Yes, the blazes came in very handy. Under heavy canopy is it very easy to become disoriented.
Having been defeated by steep slope and unsafe snowpack, I enjoyed the views for some time before turning back in late afternoon . . . a six mile hike.
Rule Number 1: stay hydrated
Add comment April 25, 2007
NAC Update: Victory in Florida
http://www.naturistaction.org
DATE : April 23, 2007
SUBJECT: Victory in Florida
TO : All naturists
Dear Naturist,
The Naturist Action Committee (NAC) is pleased to update you with news of an important victory in Florida.
On March 29, NAC issued a NAC Action Alert, calling for you to take action by contacting key Florida lawmakers concerning four threatening legislative bills.
As a direct result of your aggressive response, each of those four bills has been derailed. Three bills were simply allowed to die in committee. The fourth was given a committee hearing today, but only after the threatening language had been removed from it.
Simply put, we won them all!
BRIEF DISCUSSION
The threats to naturists came from legislative bills that sought to modify Section 800.03 of the Florida Statutes and to increase the penalties that are attached to that law. Section 800.03 addresses the exposure or exhibition of sexual organs in a public place.
For more detailed discussions, please refer to the NAC Advisory of March 11, 2007, and to the NAC Action Alert of March 29, 2007. Both are archived on the Web site of the Naturist Action Committee:
THE SPECIFIC FLORIDA LEGISLATION
The NAC Action Alert of March 29 focused on four Senate bills that had been assigned to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. Here’s a brief description of those four bills and what happened to them today.
SENATE BILL 2058 Sponsor: Sen. Victor Crist (R-Tampa). Proposed escalated penalties for violation of 800.03, and other language that many naturists find threatening. This bill omitted some specific venues at which enhanced penalties would apply, but the slightly modified language was never enough to turn it into a good bill.
SB 2058 was referred to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, where it was allowed to die.
SENATE BILL 1842 Sponsor: Sen. Dave Aronberg (D-Greenacres). A Senate companion bill for HB 269. It included enhanced penalties for Section 800.03 of the Florida Statutes.
SB 1842 was referred to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, where it was allowed to die.
SENATE BILL 1800 Sponsor: Sen. Bill Posey (R-Rockledge). This bill authorized warrantless arrest, specifically where “[t]here is probable cause to believe that the person has unlawfully exhibited his or her sexual organs in public in violation of s. 800.03.” The troubling implications for naturists are obvious.
SB 1800 was referred to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, where it was allowed to die.
SENATE BILL 2544 Sponsor: Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Tampa). As introduced, this bill greatly enhanced penalties for certain crimes. Its original language included 800.03 in the list of crimes for which the penalty would be increased. For example, a second offense under 800.03 would have become a third degree felony, and a third offense would have been a second degree felony, carrying a mandatory five years in prison. If SB 2544 were to have passed the Senate in its original form, the proposals it contained would have become law, since its companion (HB 41) had already passed the House.
SB 2544 was referred to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, where it was allowed to receive a hearing today, but only after references to 800.03 were entirely removed.
A GRATIFYING RESPONSE
In its March 29 Action Alert, the Naturist Action Committee asked Florida residents to take action by contacting members of the Florida State Senate Committee on Criminal Justice.
Your response was impressive! Immediately following NAC’s call for action, lawmakers and their staff members began reporting a sudden and sustained onslaught of polite and well reasoned letters, e-mails and phone calls from those who opposed the bills. As a direct result of your coordinated and timely contacts with Florida lawmakers, three of the four bills (SB 1800, SB 1842 and SB 2058) were denied hearings in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.
Today, the fourth bill (SB 2544) was given a hearing conditionally. The condition, as set forth by Criminal Justice Committee Chair Sen. Nancy Argenziano in a communication with the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ronda Storms, was that all references to 800.03 must be deleted from the bill. NAC board member Morley Schloss, who has worked closely and tirelessly on these bills, has confirmed with a spokesman for the committee and a staffer in Sen. Storms’ office that the removal of 800.03 from the text of SB 2544 was the direct result of YOUR grass roots contacts with members of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.
THANK YOU! The Naturist Action Committee appreciates each of you who chose to make a difference by responding to NAC’s call for action. It worked!
COOPERATION
The Naturist Action Committee has been working for months on these legislative issues, alongside local Florida naturist groups and committed Florida naturist leaders. NAC extends its appreciation to all those groups and their leaders, but special thanks must go to South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB), a well established and politically aware group that has allowed NAC unrestricted access to the professional Florida legislative lobbyist it retains. NAC has picked up a portion of the expense for that lobbyist during the 2007 legislative session.
NAC also singles out the members of The WildFyre Society for special commendation. Their responses came in large numbers.
The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and the Florida Association for Nude Recreation (FANR) opposed many of the same bills opposed by NAC. An exception was SB 2058, which was actually filed at AANR’s specific request, using language supplied by AANR.
Although NAC’s successful grass roots campaign for contacting lawmakers was a tactic they chose not to endorse, AANR and FANR did authorize their legislative lobbyist to work against the bills behind the scenes. The Naturist Action Committee is grateful for that help.
MORE INFORMATION
You can access additional information on the Web site of the Naturist Action Committee.
Select “Alerts, Advisories and Updates.” Under Current Action Alerts, you’ll find the text of this NAC Action Alert, along with links to the complete text of each of these Florida bills, existing Florida law and pertinent court cases.
PLEASE HELP NAC HELP NATURISTS
The Naturist Action Committee is the nonprofit volunteer political adjunct to The Naturist Society. NAC exists to advance and protect the rights and interests of naturists throughout North America.
The continual vigilance required to protect naturists from dangerous legislation comes with a price tag. The Naturist Action Committee relies entirely on your voluntary support. Please donate generously with a check to:
NAC
PO Box 132
Oshkosh, WI 54903
Or use your credit card to make a direct donation online through NAC’s Web site:
http://www.naturistaction.org/donate/
Thank you once again for choosing to make a difference.
Naturally,
Bob Morton
Executive Director
Naturist Action Committee
Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Executive Dir. Bob Morton - execdir@naturistaction.org
Board Member Morley Schloss - morleynaturist@hotmail.com
Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - naturist@sunclad.com
Add comment April 23, 2007
Some of the funnier Search Engine ‘keywords’ used to reach this blog
diving nudes - None here yet but I’m working on taking a vacation to the Tropics (and warmer water) so I can snorkel nude. Stay tuned . . .
beckler river wa acreage sale - I keep seeing this same key phrase in my stats and I would really like to know what acreage is for sale. I’d like to buy some myself.
middle eastern nudes - Must be the connections coming from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan and such. Haven’t you folk got any nudes yourself? I suppose I count as I have a small percentage of Syrian lineage in me.
Percentage of hot tub users who are nude - Hmmmm . . . academic research. At a guess I would say every hot tub that has ever existed has probably seen 100% nude use in the wee hours of the night when the neighbour isn’t looking. But on the other hand, if you are asking what percentage of nude use happens in a hot tub at a nudist resort, the answer is an unequivocable One Hundred Percent!
dermatology story naked embarrassed - I haven’t the faintest idea what this person was looking for. I don’t think the answer is anywhere in my blog.
george - Sorry, don’t know George. Try whitepages dot com . . . this is a site about naturism.
“stevens to snoqualmie” under one day - I assume that since this blog is about nude hiking (in part) that you’re asking if you can hike from Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie Pass in one day. Sorry. Can’t be done. The most direct through trail, the PCT, covers 30 hard and strenous miles. If you can cover 30 miles of backcountry miles in one day you need to sign up for the next Olympics!
clothes free au naturel (sic) - ahhhh . . . they basically mean the same thing . . .
NAKED WOMEN AT BAGBY HOT SPRINGS - Of course they’re naked in the private soaking rooms. Why would you wear clothes while soaking. In any case, I ain’t got any pictures of naked women soaking at Bagby Hot Springs . . . and turn off the CAPS!
weather for wreck beach vancouver too cold in april - Too cold for what? Are you answering your own question in the query? The weather is starting to warm up and I bet it’s going to get real nice soon.
and finally,
what happens in nude saunas - We get naked (that’s the nude part), and we sit back and bake ourselves in 140-170F heat for as long as we can take it (that’s the sauna part). If we wore clothes they’d be completely soaked in perspiration within moments; and it’s far too hot to do anything else other than chat. Believe me, little else happens in a nude sauna so get those dirty thoughts out of your head.
Add comment April 20, 2007
Goldmyer Hot Springs Access Conditions, April 17th, 2007
From: Beth at Goldmyer Hot Springs
Add comment April 19, 2007
Bring Beach Status - Eugene ,OR
Add comment April 19, 2007
Image Redirection to Prevent Hotlinking
Here’s a great idea for posting images that you are not directly hosting already:
To avoid hot-linking an image, prepend http://imgred.com/ before the URL. To show a thumbnail of the image, prepend http://imgred.com/tn/ before the URL.
The typical work-around is to do the following:
- Save the image to your hard drive
- Navigate to a free image-hosting website
- Enter the path to the image on your hard drive
- Wait for it to upload
- Copy the new URL and paste it into your message-board or blog post
Here the image (myself making rock cairns on a riverside beach last year) must be retrieved from the server where it is stored . . . hot linked. Bandwidth gets used and if I didn’t own that website I might get a little peeved.
This is exactly the same image retrieved once and served free from http://imgred.com. No bandwidth gets used on the server where this image originally came from and therefore I’m not likely to piss someone off for hotlinking.
Add comment April 18, 2007
Little Anderson Hot Spring, Idaho
| Boise National Forest | Overall Rating: D |
| 3,200 ft | Water Temperature: 102° |
| Garden Valley, ID (2mi) | Usage Level: Heavy - trash everywhere |
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General Description The cinder blocks that once lined the pool have long-sunk into the ground, which has allowed the pool to spread out. The source-fed pool bottom features a healthy mix of algae, silt, trash and some sand. |
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Wildlife Sighted: Deer and Elk Seasonal Notes Camping Notes Briefings 04.08.07 04.17.03 09.02.02 Average Rating: D |
Add comment April 18, 2007
Friends Don’t Let Friends Wear Cold, Clammy, Soggy Wet Bathing Suits!
The following is a Public Service Announcement presented with the compliments of Cabana To Go
WARNING! Bathing Suits could be a major contributor to drowning deaths! In fact, informal research shows that in 99.9999 % of drowning deaths, the victims were invariably wearing either a bathing suit or some other equally inappropriate article(s) of clothing! Whereas people who avoid the bathing suit, thereby swimming naturally as God intended (so called skinny dippers) tended to tempt this ill fate of accidental drowning far less often and in fact incidents of drowning while naked are virtually undocumented anywhere!
It is no great stretch of the imagination that people who risk the bathing suit also probably make many other equally stupid, life threatening mistakes further contributing to the loss of life. But the bathing suit, or some other articles of clothing alone or in combination seem to be the greatest common denominator among all drowning deaths, so be warned. With a government so avowed to serve and protect us from even our own stupidity such that almost no freedom remains sacred, this researcher is just amazed that there is no government department or program to save us from the peril of the bathing suit. One must wonder just how many more people must die before someone steps in to ban the bathing suit. No doubt the textile/fashion lobby is perhaps even more powerful than government itself and would do anything to thwart such an initiative. Yet any other product that accounts for or is so closely associated with so many deaths annually would immediately come under very strict scrutiny!
At the least there should be this WARNING Label on EVERY bathing suit:
Any attempt to try to swim in this thing could result in immediate death!
We need and deserve a Federal Law that prohibits “swimming while impaired” by bathing suit. Do your bit by swimming naked everywhere and every time. Show your patriotism (among other things) and set a good example for your fellow man by avoiding this fiendish bathing device.
Introducing The NUDESUIT
for people who just can’t bare to wear a bathing suit
So bare - you’ll barely know it’s there at all !!
NUDESUIT EXCLUSIVE FEATURES
- very light-weight - weighs exactly nothing
- easy to pack- takes up no room in luggage
- one size fits all - UNISEX styling
- no tan lines - completely transparent to sunshine
- coordinates with all fashion accessories
- no wind resistance - dries instantly
- wrinkle free - the suit, not your body
- fool everyone - only you know you’re not naked
- made of the same great miracle fabric as:
- The Emperor’s New Clothes &
- Lady Godiva’s Riding Outfit
REMEMBER
IF YOU CAN’T WEAR A NUDESUIT, WEAR NOTHING AT ALL
CAUTION - CAUTION - CAUTION If you should choose to remove your NUDESUIT for any reason, PLEASE be very careful where you place it or you won’t be able to find it when it is time to put it back onAdd comment April 12, 2007
