Busy Week for Me
The clothing-optional area of Rooster Rock State Park looking east up the Columbia River Gorge. Sand Island is to the upper right of this Google Earth image
I got a few nude hikes in under my belt . . . which I will post about when I get the chance. Kinda busy these last few days with other issues . . . including "work". On top of that, the blower motor went out in my Honda which means I ain't got no air conditioning. Spent a good part of the day Saturday taking my dash apart only to discover them Honda engineers designed it so that you have to dismantle the air conditioner evaporator in order to get at the blower motor . . . and, of course, that takes specialized and certified shop work to do. Ah, well . . .
Wreck Beach Bare Buns is coming up this next weekend and I'm still not sure if I'm going to make it or not. I'd like to. The other option is to make another run down to Sauvies. Or possibly both, Sauvies Saturday, Wreck Beach on Sunday. I need to get out and keep my tan up!
I met with Mr. Sato, the owner of Scenic Hot Springs earlier. The good news is that the county has accepted the 'forest park' concept of his plan as opposed to trying to define it as a 'destination'. Takes a lot of the hassle out of some requirements like public meetings, county approval, etc. The big picture has been accepted. Now we have to work on the details. Wish I were as optimistic as the owner.
The other project I got started on came about because of a tiny little problem I feel could affect the future of Rooster Rock's clothing-optional area . . . and potentially Sauvies. I mentioned in a previous post that people had been boating to the northeast side of Sand Island and giving the nudists in the area a difficult time.
At the time I thought it was an anomaly but I have read of several other occurrences since . . . one requiring the park rangers to intervene. Sand Island is completely within the clothing optional area but it was pointed out to me that until the river goes down far enough, the only way to get to Sand Island is by way of boat . . . and there are no signs informing boater-landers of the clothing-optional status of the island. It would be very difficult to keep clothing optional signs on that shifting shoreline given the rise and fall of the Columbia.
Granted, those boaters may not even be aware the island is part of the clothing-optional area and therein lies the potential for trouble. Conflicts between textiles and nudists will make the area uncomfortable and if naturists stop going to Rooster Rock, we have a return to the past days of inappropriate use of the area by 'bushwackers' and sexual activities that TNS, AANR and the Oregon State Park Department tried to reverse in 2003 . . . and that, since, ORCOBA has tried to clean up as the local advocacy group under TNS/NAC.
A good portion of the area has been GPS'd with the idea of clearly delineating the clothing optional area . . . for promotion through appropriate sources (the ORCOBA website, handouts, possibly to boat dealers and suppliers). The idea is to inform the public of the clothing optional nature of the area and minimize conflicts. I believe it is absolutely essential for naturists and nudists to get down to the beach and show that it is being used and that we will not condone illicit sexual activity in the bushes and we will not allow parts of our beach to become de'facto 'textile' because of disuse.
Wreck Beach Bare Buns is coming up this next weekend and I'm still not sure if I'm going to make it or not. I'd like to. The other option is to make another run down to Sauvies. Or possibly both, Sauvies Saturday, Wreck Beach on Sunday. I need to get out and keep my tan up!
I met with Mr. Sato, the owner of Scenic Hot Springs earlier. The good news is that the county has accepted the 'forest park' concept of his plan as opposed to trying to define it as a 'destination'. Takes a lot of the hassle out of some requirements like public meetings, county approval, etc. The big picture has been accepted. Now we have to work on the details. Wish I were as optimistic as the owner.
The other project I got started on came about because of a tiny little problem I feel could affect the future of Rooster Rock's clothing-optional area . . . and potentially Sauvies. I mentioned in a previous post that people had been boating to the northeast side of Sand Island and giving the nudists in the area a difficult time.
At the time I thought it was an anomaly but I have read of several other occurrences since . . . one requiring the park rangers to intervene. Sand Island is completely within the clothing optional area but it was pointed out to me that until the river goes down far enough, the only way to get to Sand Island is by way of boat . . . and there are no signs informing boater-landers of the clothing-optional status of the island. It would be very difficult to keep clothing optional signs on that shifting shoreline given the rise and fall of the Columbia.
Granted, those boaters may not even be aware the island is part of the clothing-optional area and therein lies the potential for trouble. Conflicts between textiles and nudists will make the area uncomfortable and if naturists stop going to Rooster Rock, we have a return to the past days of inappropriate use of the area by 'bushwackers' and sexual activities that TNS, AANR and the Oregon State Park Department tried to reverse in 2003 . . . and that, since, ORCOBA has tried to clean up as the local advocacy group under TNS/NAC.
A good portion of the area has been GPS'd with the idea of clearly delineating the clothing optional area . . . for promotion through appropriate sources (the ORCOBA website, handouts, possibly to boat dealers and suppliers). The idea is to inform the public of the clothing optional nature of the area and minimize conflicts. I believe it is absolutely essential for naturists and nudists to get down to the beach and show that it is being used and that we will not condone illicit sexual activity in the bushes and we will not allow parts of our beach to become de'facto 'textile' because of disuse.
This 'enhanced' image shows the recognized trails in the clothing-optional area of Rooster Rock State Park. Credit goes to ArrRoger d' Jolie of ORCOBA for walking the area with his GPS unit.
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