Man vs Wild: How to Survive Falling into a Frozen Lake

Man versus Wild, the episde where he gets dropped off in the Alps and has to find his way to civilization through winter snow. I personally think the guy is an idiot, but the show does make for some entertaining viewing and there is some good information to be gleaned . . . perhaps from this clip that it is often warmer to be naked in cold weather than to continue to wear wet clothes.

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.

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

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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

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

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.

Tags: AANR, Oregon, Advisory, Naturism, Nudism

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.

This hike was by far my most difficult one of the season but the effects didn't hit me until later that night when the cramps hit me. Thinking back on the day . . . yes, it was strenuous but not exceedingly so. What had hit me was delayed dehydration. The weather was nice but not heat-exhaustion hot. Just a little warning . . . with all that skin exposed in the higher elevations . . . even in cooler weather . . . we evaporate a lot of water from our skin without ever realizing we are sweating (mainly because we don't feel overheated). Dehydration sneaks up on you and I wasn't drinking enough liquids. Fortunately, I made it back to my car without being aware of any problems . . . but several hours later . . .

Rule Number 1: stay hydrated

NAC Update: Victory in Florida

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NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE UPDATE

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http://www.naturistaction.org

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Copyright 2007 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible for its content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and without alteration.

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:

http://www.naturistaction.org

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.

http://www.naturistaction.org

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

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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

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Tags: Naturist Action Committee, Florida, Naturism, Nudism

Some of the funnier Search Engine 'keywords' used to reach this blog

Just a sampling of a few of the keywords visitors typed into a search engine to reach my site today. There were a fair share of terms in bad taste or inappropriate . . . I just dismiss those. These ones I thought slightly amusing . . . trying to guess the motivation of the person doing the searching.


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.

Goldmyer Hot Springs Access Conditions, April 17th, 2007

From: Beth at Goldmyer Hot Springs

As of April 17, 2007: It's officially spring! That means snowmelt in the mountains, and changeable road and river conditions depending on temperature and rainfall. For example: If we get real heavy rainfall in a relatively short period of time, especially if it's also warmish, then the rivers will rise alot and quickly. Alternately, for example: If we have a stretch of cool and dryish conditions, then the river will be more moderate in depth and the road fairly dry. Currently we seem to be in a coolish-dryish weather pattern, and the river is ranging in the lower to mid thigh deep range to wade thru.

High clearance vehicles can drive all the way to the river ford. The Goldmyer property is clear of snow. High clearance vehicles will most likely still be stopped by snow about 1/2 mile before the upper footbridge trailhead. There's about 3 feet of snow at the trailhead (3000 ft. elevation). Snowshoes are probably still a good thing to have (for about 1-ish mile of the hike) if you're using the footbridge access because the snow is soft and you'd probably 'post-hole' down into the snow without snowshoes.

Footbridge construction (Forest Service project) is underway at the river ford. Park up top and walk down to the river. Completion is expected sometime early summer.

Tags: Goldmyer Hot Springs, Naturism, Nudism

Bring Beach Status - Eugene ,OR

Bring Beach was set fire to last year, causing substantial damage to the trees and brush of the ecosystem along the river. A forum post suggests that the 'actual "beach" is only about 20 feet of mud and dirt'. While nudity is still traditional and practiced in this area, the poster goes on to say, ' you can go nude, but there are very few folks using the beach itself. The reason there are so many cars in the lot is due to all the gay activity going on'.

It's unfortunate that inappropriate activity has taken over wht remains of Bring Beach. Hopefully, as the weather improves, local naturists will reclaim the beach and help clean it up once more.

Most naturists or nudists have moved to various turn-outs on McKenzie View Drive near Armitage Park on the way to Coburg . . . Nudie Rock being one of those locations.

Tags: Bring Beach, Clothing Optional Beach, Eugene, Oregon, Naturism, Nudism

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.

Details: When posting on message boards or blogs, often you want to show or link to an image on another website. Directly showing or linking to that image is called hot-linking. It's generally bad because it leeches bandwidth from the host site, and as a result many webmasters have their servers set up to prohibit hot-linking.

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

That's rather tedious. Well ImgRed.com lets you simply enter the original URL in your post as you normally would, but with http://imgred.com/ written before the URL. When this is viewed, the image will be copied once to imgred.com, and from then on the image will always be served from imgred.com instead of the host site. Additionally, a thumbnail is automatically generated, which can be accessed by adding http://imgred.com/tn/ before the original URL.

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.

Little Anderson Hot Spring, Idaho

Note on this particular article: My friend at Idaho Hot Springs, Josh, maintains a great site and I've avoided posting on the hot springs in Idaho, preferring to defer to his website . . . which get rave reviews. However, on reading this latest update on Little Anderson Hot Springs (and the terrible condition they are in) I felt it about time to further spread Joshs' reviews through my blog. So what follows is from the Idaho Hot Springs site. To delve deeper into Hot Springs in the State of Idaho, visit Joshs' site. He has a wealth of information.

Boise National Forest	Overall Rating: D
3,200 ft	Water Temperature: 102°
Garden Valley, ID (2mi)	Usage Level: Heavy - trash everywhere

General Description Almost a decade ago Little Anderson hot spring was once hailed by hot springers as a stellar soak. The hot springs pool and surrounding area was kept clean by the locals, and even at one time had a multi-year caretaker from New Zealand. As of Y2K, this hot spring suffers an entirely different fate. ATVs of all types have shredded the area, the evidence is unfortunately very evident and visible everywhere. Hunters and anglers have left trash and animal remains all over the primitive sites. And the hot springs... is in even worse condition. 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.

Dates Visited: Trash Levels: Bug Levels: 04.08.07 EXTREME very light 09.02.02 EXTREME light

Water Clarity: Low - Murky Visibility: Low while sitting - High while standing Odor(s): None Noticed

Wildlife Sighted: Deer and Elk Seasonal Notes Be wary of the mud and rock slides that are a common occurrence along the Banks-Lowman Highway. The dirt road to Little Anderson off the Banks-Lowman Highway is not maintained and often impassible during the winter season. Camping Notes Plenty of Boise National Forest camping nearby, no sites next to the hot springs. Briefings 04.08.07 I had my fingers crossed. It didn't work though, shoot! After 5 years I had hoped Little Anderson Hot Spring was in better shape. I was wrong. More trash, ATV damage everywhere and the hot spring pool and surrounding area was even more trashed. Someone cut down a tree and threw it into the pool along with a bunch of other garbage. Poor Little Anderson. I would need a week out here with a few more sets of hands just to pick up all of the trash, for starters. Once upon a time (see 04.17.03 update), LA was clean and clear. Not so anymore. If you are in the area, drop by, fill up a couple bags - we'll eventually get all of that crap out of there! Rating D- 04.17.03 UPDATE: Little Anderson hasn't always been trashed. Recent discussion with a long-time local spoke of days when this HS was as clear as a bell. Apparently a lady from New Zealand used to be somewhat of a caretaker of LA. She, allegedly, is responsible for the care of many of Idaho's HS once upon a time. She drove and camped her way from one to the next, all the while rebuilding, restoring and removing trash from the hot springs. I wish more people could at least pick up trash or restrain from littering. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that 'like' minds will prevail. I still remember how sad of shape it was in during my last visit. 09.02.02 Not too bad... We were surprised to have this one all to ourselves. Last time through this area a large RV and handful of cars deterred us from a stopover. I later found out that some guy lived in the RV, even through the winter without heat. Short hike, decent soak, lots of trash and mediocre soaking conditions made me think this to be a below average HS. There is however, plenty of potential. Plus, the pool's temperature is near perfect for optimal soaking. Bring your foot gear as hot water enters this HS through the bottom of the pool. Rating D Average Rating: D

Friends Don't Let Friends Wear Cold, Clammy, Soggy Wet Bathing Suits!

Shamelessly lifted from the Cabana To Go website. Give them a visit for some fun chuckles.

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:

WARNING: besides unsightly tan lines this product has (at the least)been shown to be closely associated with drowning deaths!
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 on

Yours Trully Wins $500 for an idea . . .

For those who are observant you may have noticed those cute little bubble icons next to many of the links in my posts that , if you hover your cursor over them, will display a small preview of the website underneath that link. It's a nifty service called SnapPreview. The service is free to website owners/operators and provides some real value-added usefullness. The preview allows you to see what the link is all about without leaving my blog.

SnapPreview just ran an Extreme Makeover Contest to solicit ideas from users of their service to make SnapPreview even more useful. I was one of those who submitted my ideas and today I just found out that I won $500 for an idea to enable flagging of malicious-content at the preview.

Comment Winners ($500 + Snap T-Shirt)

Contestant: bangedupshins [commenting on an idea to flag malicious sites]
Comment: I was going to suggest this but I defer.

This is an excellent idea as Site Advisor is already compatible with the major browsers. My visitors expect me not to lead them astray to a site that may be malicious or spammy in nature . . . a small traffic signal type icon (red, amber, green) to indicate what Site Advisor thinks of this site would be nice.

Also, return the labels on sites with ICRA RDF files.

These suggestions would take up little real estate and provide visitors with infomation to make a choice about whether to click that link or not.

Acomoclitic Nudism & Sugaring, Say What?

La Naissance de Venus by Eugène Emmanuel Amaury-Duval (French)1808-1885,
Image in the Public Domain

Okay . . . now I'm really casting for something to write about as I bemuse this rainy, cooler weather that has put a damper on my nude hiking.

Definition: Acomoclitic is the technical term for having a preference for hairless genitals.

Smoothies, in another, much easier to pronounce word. Sometime ago I remember a rash of postings in the nudist forums on the experience of being a smoothie. Adherents are very passionate about their particular niche of the lifestyle and even engaged in 'discussions' with us hairy-types (not that I'm particularly hairy). A smoothie makes the claim that they 'are barer than nude' by dropping that last piece of clothing . . . the pubic hair.

I tried it once and I have to admit that the sensation of no pubic hair is . . . nice. And strangely, despite being a nudist for some time, without pubic hair I actually felt naked when I visited a nude beach! Strange reaction for someone who is used to being nude.

However, staying as hairless as a new-born baby was too much upkeep for me and I have an aversion to ripping my body hair out on a regular basis. I'm a wimp :-)

For those who are into this sort of thing there are many methods and procedures for removing body hair. Razors, lasers, waxing treatments, depilatories, etc. One method in a newsgroup posting caught my eye and I've been waiting for an opportunity to use this material in an article.

Sugaring

The Ancient Egyptian art of hair removal was often referred to as "sugaring". Although it is a bit tedious, it is effective and clean up is easy as the paste is water-soluble. It's hypoallergenic and ideal for sensitive skin.

This method of hair removal is very popular in Arab countries. A mixture of sugar, lemon juice, and water is heated to form a syrup. The syrup is formed into a ball, flattened onto the skin, then quickly stripped away. The hair is removed at the root.

The method resembles waxing, but no wax is used, only sugar. In Tunisian the word for wax is ‘sokker’: sugar. So in Tunisia they don’t wax, but they ‘sugar’. Sugar is dissolved in water with lemon juice and boiled down to a syrupy liquid. Then the syrup is applied onto the part of the body that you want depilated and after that, the substance is pulled off with one stroke, removing the hairs at the same time. The result is a super smooth skin!

Sugaring hair removal is an alternative for anyone whose skin reacts to wax with redness or bumps. Because the person applying the mixture rolls the mixture in the hands first, it can never scald the way hot wax can.

Although it is a bit tedious, it is effective and clean up is easy as the paste is water-soluble. It's hypoallergenic and ideal for sensitive skin. Skin irritation is reduced because the sugar paste adheres only to the hair, not the skin. The method removes hair from below the surface of the skin because the sugar wraps around the hairs and pulls them out by the roots. Therefore, there's no stubble and regrowth is slow.

The recipe

The amount of 'wax' in this recipe will do for two to three sessions. Have ready an old saucepan and an old spoon to prepare the syrup. The ingredients are 10 rounded tablespoons sugar, half a lemon squeezed, taking care not to include the seeds, and 1 tablespoon water. Mix them all together in the saucepan and stir until the substance is smooth without lumps or irregularities.

Stir and heat the substance over the lowest heat. Be sure not to change the temperature, so do not raise or lower the heat.

After a while the sugar will become transparent and air bubbles will appear. That’s good! Soon the substance will color into a golden brown and it will smell like caramel. Air bubbles will keep surfacing. Leave to bubble for a while (not too long, about 10 minutes or the substance might burn on) until little air bubbles appear on the surface. Remove the pan from the burner and leave the substance to cool a little. Try a little between forefinger and thumb, but be careful, as it may still be hot. It looks and feels like syrup. Leave to cool a little longer, the mixture will thicken and will be easy to handle. Stir the 'wax' with the spoon now and then, to see if it has set.

In practice

Scoop a little 'wax' from the saucepan with your fingers or a spoon. Actually, our 'wax' is just caramel, and with a bit of saliva it can be made more pliable, and it will not harden too fast. When the substance does not stick to your fingers it is perfect, if it does stick too much water has been used and it cannot be used to remove hair. Try some on your hands: spread it, wait about ten seconds, then pull it off with one stroke. Then try it on your legs in the same way. Be sure to pull off the 'wax' in the opposite direction in which the hairs grow. In this way you can depilate your entire body, including the genitals.

For satisfactory results the hairs should be short. When the hairs are too long you will need heaps and heaps of the substance and one saucepan will not do! Pull the skin that you are going to treat tight, spread the 'wax' onto it (use small amounts to begin with) and remove it in one stroke. Once you get the hang of it you can alternate short stroke and long strokes, small areas and larger areas at a time. When the 'wax' cools down it will harden and it will be difficult to handle. Add a bit of saliva or return it to the heat and you will work miracles. Remove it from the heat when you can pick up the syrup with your fingers.

In the beginning it may hurt, but you get used to it. The hairs are removed root and all and you will be free from stubbles for weeks.

A hot shower to top it off

Once all the skin you want has been depilated, you will feel sticky all over and a bit of stray wax that you can not remove with your hands will still stick. This should not be a problem: a hot shower will work miracles. The minute the water touches the sugar, it will melt and wash away. Or else a hot towel will do the job.

The result? Smooth as the Ancient Egyptians . . .

As for myself, I can think of some fun things to do with sugaring but they have little to do with the subject at hand. I will content myself to some light trimming and keep most of my body and pubic hair . . . it makes up for the thinning hair on my head!

Melakwa Lake: Does "down" intuitively mean "back to the car"?

Highly publicized this past winter was the plight of a female snowshoer who became disoriented and lost after making the wrong turn back from Melakwa Lake at the end of the Denny Creek Trail. Fortunately she was found after spending two very cold days in the snow of the Pratt River Watershed.

The problem has happened more than once as the route back from the lake is not intuitive and many hikers assume that downhill is the way back. Melakwa is topographically a somewhat confusing area: you forget that you have crossed a divide into another watershed (that of the Pratt river) since there is no elevation drop. On the return trip, "down" intuitively means "back to the car", and so people are merrily off down into the difficult Pratt River instead of doing that quarter-mile traverse to the correct trail.

Denny Creek (and on further over Hemlock Pass to Melakwa) are easily accessed and popular skinny-dipping and nude hiking places. I know that I've had to think twice on the few times I've been up there and I know how easy it is to miss the correct trail and really believe you are headed back down to the trailhead. Denny Creek is so popular in the summer that few people even bother with maps and compass (certainly essentials). I've suggested better signage in the past, yet it still eludes the ranger district. Now King County Search and Rescue has chimed in with emails to hiking forums:

Jon Wartes, SAR officer with the King County Sheriff's Office:

"There is a history of hikers unintentionally turning to the west when hiking near Melakwa Lake; to them this turn feels very natural at the time. Melakwa Lake is at the terminus of the Denny Creek Trail near Snoqualmie Pass. Such hikers tend to get caught in the Pratt River drainage--a difficult and strenuous cross country hike. In cold weather there is an extremely high risk of hypothermia.

WHAT ARE WE SEEKING? To find people who have experienced this confusion while in the Melakwa Lake area. We suspect that for every one that becomes a search mission, there are likely dozens who start going the wrong way but correct themselves before it becomes an official search. We’d like to talk to these people to learn more about what happened.

HOW CAN THEY CONTACT US? E-mail Officer Jon Wartes, King Co. Sheriff’s Office, at jon.wartes@metrokc.gov. Provide your name and an evening phone number. A search and rescue volunteer will call you to obtain more information. Some people will later be asked to return with us to Melakwa Lake and to re-create, if possible, the early part of their experience.

The goals are to identify the source of this confusion, work with the U.S. Forest Service to correct it, and to prevent future search missions."

Scenic Hot Springs Conditions, April 5th, 2007

Conditions: Clear, sunny skies, 50F @ Pools; 68F on the Upper BPA Road. Snow is still 2-4 ft deep, wet & heavy. Melt is accelerating. Snowshoes are not required as snow will support boots. Some icy areas under shade.

Spring Source
East #1 (Lobster Upper): 96.1F, Flow: 15.35 gpm (measured)
East #2 (Lobster Lower): 68.8F, disconnected from feed tube
Feed was back in place supplying the pool.

West #1 (Bear): 106.6F
West #2 (Bear): 108.3F, Combined Flow: 5.8 gpm (measured)

Pool Temperatures:
Lobster Half: Inlet 95.2F, Pool 93F
Bear Den Half: Inlet 107.5F, Pool 95.9F
Could be hotter except for some mixing with the cooler water from the Lobster side.

With the snow melting and the recent rain, you would expect Lobster to remain flowing very cold and at high rates. That was not the case; both the Lobster Springs are at higher than expected temps and more normal flow rates. At the upper source, where two springs come together at the outlet, the westerly fracture that produces most of the cold spring melt is dry. All flow is coming from the easterly fracture and it is hot enough for a warm soaking pool. It is unknown why this spring has suddenly dried up. I see no modifications to the source.

Water Quality

Someone has been cleaning the Bear Den side and it was relatively clean. The Lobster side was algae-encrusted through lack of use and attention (and cooler temps). A layer of dark algae sedimentation three inches thick covered the bottom of the pool.

Pool was completely scrubbed, algae blanket siphoned out and then a siphon set to completely drain the pool and refill with fresh water. I left the feeds in place to refill the pools.

Site Conditions

The area around the sources and pool is snow free, although large cornices of heavy snow remain above the pool site. The trail above the pool also shows moderate movement of the supporting soil below with fracture lines on the trail. Stay to the inside. Site is drying out with the warm weather. Some litter but under control.

Note: As of Monday night we have a large series of showers running through the area. The snowline has dropped back down to 2,000 feet and forecasters are calling for two to three inches of fresh snow (the gate just inside FS850 is at 2,400 ft, the pools at 3,520 ft). The lowered snowline will firm up the existing snow and worsen the icy conditions from an overnight freeze.

A couple of sunny, warm days have accelerated the snowmelt dramatically. The berm across FS850 (and down along Hwy 2) is almost gone. However, FS850 is under shade and a full two to three feet of snow remains up to the gate.

Never let it be said that I pass up any opportunity to shed my clothes and hike nude . . . and the weather was perfect for it! Scenic is a real special place for me in the winter when I can get balmy skies and acres of mountainside all to myself. It's not that people don't come up to the springs . . . the tracks in the snow attest to the visitors (invited and uninvited, alike). For one, it's private property and I have permission to be there, but more importantly, there are few ways in, those ways present parking problems, and most people just don't want to go through the effort. So the upshot is that I usually have the entire mountainside to myself . . . and on those occasions I do run across others making the difficult hike up (or back down) . . . well, nudity at a hot spring is fait' accompli. I just have the darnedest time convincing people that I'm not in the least bit cold!

Adding to my nude time is that I take a not-so-well-known hiker's back trail that avoids the highway completely so that I can hike nude straight from my car the two and a half miles to the hot spring pools. It makes for close to eight hours au natural and some pretty impressive scenery along the way (including the torrentious water volume over Scenic Creek Falls).


But anyway, on with the condition report:

The upper BPA road remains snow-covered because of the north-facing alignment. Snow averages two feet, has become very wet and heavy . . . tricky to walk on. Snowshoes no a bad idea but you have to keep on removing them to traverse bare areas.

All of the snow bridges created by running creeks, have collapsed . . . however, melt from beneath is making some snow cover unstable.

BPA Springs Area on the BPA road short of the Meadows Creek crossing. The exposed hillside continues to show minor erosion.

A rather large boulder coming down from above the BPA Road (near Honeymoon) sits at rest atop some remaining snow.

On the trail, still quite a bit of snow in the lower section . . . here, the Honeymoon Creek crossing.

Looking back down on the almost clear area of Meadows Creek across the trail. I corrected some major melt erosion to redirect water into established channels.

Rock Alley is clear of snow and major running water. The headwall remains with deep snow above, most of it in shade and icy as I travelled over it.

Past the switchback there is still a lot of deep snow (3-4 ft) on the bench. It will take some time to melt this snow.

The approach trail above the Bear Den Bench shows earth slippage and crevassing of the soil . . . due in major part to the heavy weight of the snow that lingers on the bench.

New Oregon State Park - Potential for Clothing Optional Area

Note: Updated and precise directions added at the bottom. Rick

Posted in AANR-NW enEWS (4/5/2007)
Submitted by: Shirley Gauthier-AANR-NW GAT Chair

The journey to acquiring an additional clothing optional area on public lands in Oregon has started out very interesting. An anonymous letter sent to AANR-NW mailing address concerning a new State Park in Tillamook County, Oregon proved to be factual and worthy of research. (If you are the anonymous letter writer please contact Shirley as she promises to keep you anonymous if you wish. We would like to extend our appreciation.)

In researching the information Oregon State Parks Planner Ron Campbell shared that they are indeed working on a master plan for the new State Park named Cougar Valley (Google Maps location here). Among public comments he has received so far a few letters have advocated that they include a clothing optional area. GAT Chair Shirley Gauthier immediately sent a letter including AANR information and copies of our adoption certificate with Rooster Rock State Park and Sauvie Island.

A few days after dialog with the State Parks Planner AANR-NW GAT Chair Shirley Gauthier received a copy of the Bare Spirits Nudes Letter. In the newsletter Bare Spirits President Danny Campbell (no relation to Ron Campbell) mentions his dialog with the State Parks Planner concerning a clothing optional area.

April 4, Shirley Gauthier and Danny Campbell converse on the phone and both agree that they have communicated with the States Park Planner. Shirley is very excited to be working with Ron and the Bare Spirits on this project.

April 5, Shirley wrote to Ron Campbell expressing AANR-Northwest’s commitment to a clothing optional area by requesting to adopt the area should we be successful in obtaining it. Our adoptions at Sauvie Island and Rooster Rock show AANR’s long-term commitment to clothing optional areas on public lands.

We ask that you write to Ron Campbell at the address below. Simply say that you are interested in Cougar Valley State Park including a clothing optional area and that you would like to be added to the Cougar Valley State Park information mailing list. We ask that you do snail mail so that your letter becomes part of the public record.

Oregon State Parks Planner
Ron Campbell
725 Summer Street NE, Suite C
Salem, OR 97301


To contribute or to participate in this project please email AANR-NW GAT Chair Shirley Gauthier at sherbog@msn.com.

Note: A more complete address for Ron Campbell is as follows:

Ron Campbell, Master Planning Coordinator
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
725 Summer Street NE, Suite C
Salem, OR 97301-1271
(503)986-0743
ron.campbell@state.or.us

The new park, which was recently named “Cougar Valley State Park” by the State Parks and Recreation Commission, is located about 8 miles up the south fork of the Nehalem River along Lost Creek in Tillamook County.

The proposed clothing optional area is located along Lost Creek. It is secluded, sunny and provides needed respite from cold beach winds.

Directions: From Nehalem, Go south on 101 turning east on Hwy 53, cross the Nehalem River and turn south on Miami Foley County Road. Immediately after crossing the railroad tracks, turn east on Foss Road and follow for 6-1/2 miles; cross the Nehalem River and then turn right on Cook Creek Road (gravel) and follow for 1 mile to the park -- walk around the gate and follow the road, past the cabin and field to the upper park area. This is an undeveloped area - there are presently no services on site.