Article: State spent over $40,000 to fight nudists

November 25, 2009 5:43 PM

BY CINDY CARCAMO

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

SAN ONOFRE

State officials spent more than $42,000 battling a group of nudists who wanted to keep Trail 6 a clothing-optional beach, California Department of Parks and Recreation documents show.

Also, a public records request for all reports and complaints relating to public nudity at Trail 6 revealed only two written complaints.

A man who identified himself only as Gary enjoys the warm weather in the nude at San Onofre State Beach. Recent documents indicate that the California Department of Parks and Recreation has spent more than $40,000 in legal fees fighting the Naturists Action Committee over the issue. It was also revealed that there have only been two written complaints about the nudists at San Onofre State Beach.

FILE PHOTO: LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

MORE PHOTOS »

Park officials had said a growing number of complaints were one of the factors for banning nudity at Trail 6.

The documents shed light on more than a year of legal wrangling between a group of nudists who want to keep a portion of San Onofre State Beach clothing-optional and park officials who issued a crackdown on nudity in June 2008.

The fight essentially came to a close when the California Supreme Court decided against hearing the nudist group's latest petition.

Allen Baylis, a Huntington Beach attorney who led the fight against the ban said state officials could have saved the legal costs and grief, if they had engaged the public rather than "mandating their point of view."

"They would have saved the state that money if they had simply decided to go ahead and work with us instead of forcing us into litigation," said Baylis, a director of the Naturist Action Committee.

Ken Kramer, district superintendent of the Orange Coast District, said the money spent was well worth it.

"Our approach to this issue transcends dollars and cents," Kramer said. "This is money well spent to make sure we address these concerns. We have the duty to make sure that with this type of increased popularity and visitation that we have a park where all visitors feel welcome and that there is lawful activity occurring."

Kramer said providing a safe and comfortable environment for park employees, an increasing amount of criminal activity in the area and a growing number of complaints were their impetus for enforcing a nudity ban at a 1,000-foot stretch of secluded beach abutting Camp Pendleton.

When asked as to how two complaints about public nudity jived with the claim of a growing number of complaints, Kramer said that the majority of complaints were verbal.

The agency, however, has not documented nor kept track of such verbal complaints, Kramer said.

He did not comment about why the agency did not keep track of verbal complaints.

"It couldn't have been too serious," Baylis said, questioning Kramer's reasoning. "If they took verbal complaints seriously, they would have documented them."

Kramer instead pointed to what he said was an increased level of criminal activity in the surrounding areas of Trail 6.

A document of about 150 criminal incidents for about the last 10 years includes citations and arrests on suspicion of lewd conduct, indecent exposure and sexual assault.

While Kramer stopped short of blaming the nudists, he did say there was a correlation between the two.

"I don't think we can ignore the fact that we have a substantial criminal activity problem where nude recreation is going on," he said.

Baylis, who leads Naturists in the OC, said the data is not reliable.

He points out that the data includes more than just the clothing-optional beach but also surrounding areas, such as the parking lot and areas on top of the bluffs.

In some instances, he said, incidents in the data are doubled and even quadrupled

"They inflated their numbers by the way they counted them," he said.

Baylis said the naturists have helped police the area, which had been one of the few "clothing optional" beaches for decades.

Regardless, Kramer said they are forced to enforce the nudity ban.

"We have to default to protect the interest of folks who abide by the law," he said. "At some point, I'm sure that folks will not comply voluntarily, and we'll be forced to take it to the next level. We'll have to cross that bridge when we get there."

Article: Taking a dip in 'The Bucket'

Kristin Leal The Great Outdoors

Monterey County Herald - Monterey,CA,USA

Updated: 11/17/2009 09:19:16 AM PST

Under the burning orange leaves of autumn, I was drawn to Carmel Valley in search of "The Bucket." This swimming hole is a hidden hot spot.

When in the mood for some fresh water fun hidden from the main path, "The Bucket" is just the place to go. Off the right side of the road past the Village, the Carmel River is a short hike from the intersection of Carmel Valley Road and Klondike Canyon Private Road. Parking is a little tricky, so watch out for no parking signs; I have heard that deputies are known to ticket along this strip of roadway.

According to lore, the area is named after a rough-and-tumble saloon, the Bloody Bucket, that once operated entrance to the trail leading to the river. The place was allegedly notorious for its rough bar brawls and gunfights.

Finding the perfect spot may involve some swimming and trekking up the river.

Activities include swimming, hiking and sunbathing. Gray and honey colored beaches are found in patches along the banks of the Carmel River. Aspen trees grow in clumps. Large rocks line the edges of deep swimming holes. On the right days, you will find a private paradise. A location known for its nude swimming and sun chasing, inhibitions run free.

The spot provides a cool swim on warm autumn days. The climb down to the river's edge is a little steep and involves some rock climbing. Wear a sturdy pair of shoes and watch out for poison oak and cactus.

The path is easy to follow, once you find it. There was one section I thought was a fork in the trail, but upon further investigation I realized that the path led down a steep rocky cliff that was like a waterfall of rocks. Cactus lines the vertical wall that fell off sharply from the road above. The tall twisting oaks offers shade throughout as the sound of the river becomes louder with every stride. The bed of the river extends past the water's edge and widens at the base of the trail.

Up the river is a rope swing and plenty of boulders to climb and from which to plunge into the cool waters. If you're going to take the drop, it's a good idea to swim below to the bottom and check out the depth of the water. The river can raise and fall dramatically depending on the weather.

With a little lunch with plenty of water, I was set for the afternoon. The escape into the twist of the river to absorb the heated rays of autumn offered a needed relief. As I could feel the rhythm of the river and the landscape, I knew I had found an enchanting spot.

Kristin Leal, a student at CSU-Monterey Bay, is The Herald's outdoors columnist. She can be reached at kristin.leal@yahoo.com.

Article: "Skinny Dip series on Channel Canada

Posted in the Nov 12th AANR E-Bulletin and the SkinnyTrippers forum. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out how to get ChannelCanada or the Travel & Escape network . . . shows up in none of the listings for cable or sat. providers in the Seattle area.

Canadian viewers can view Skinny Dip starting November 18th at 10pm on these networks and channels:

Bell ExpressVu [527]

Star Choice [572]

Shaw Cable [102]

SaskTel [104]

MTS [302]

Rogers Cable [267]

Shaw Cable [102]

Videotron [145]

Eastlink Cable [160]

[hint] [hint] any lucky Canadian readers feel up to recording the series?

Rick

Travel Host Reveals Best Skinny-Dip Spots
Channel Canada will air a six-part series "Skinny Dip," beginning November 18 on Travel & Escape. Following the success of last year's hour-long special, host Eve Kelly travels the world in search of the best locations to skinny-dip, challenging unsuspecting strangers along the way to try swimming au naturel.

Episodes include travels to the Canadian Yukon, Costa Rica, Australia, the Bahamas, British Columbia, and New Zealand.

Click here for a show schedule and to read more.

What's the Difference Between Nude and Naked?

Note: Though a 'dated' article I thought it would be interesting to revisit the confusion and choice of usage between NUDE and NAKED - Rick

From Glode and Mail.comWednesday - April 7, 2004 (this article is no longer available online)
Alanis looked nude, Janet was naked
By WARREN CLEMENTS

Since singer Alanis Morissette's body suit at the Juno Awards Sunday night was designed to make her look nude, should it have been spelled bawdy suit?

And what's the difference between nude and naked anyway? Why was Quentin Crisp (as his book title had it) The Naked Civil Servant rather than the nude one? Why is a nude beach not a naked beach? After Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson's breast at the Super Bowl on Feb. 1, writers in this newspaper described it in two articles as a naked breast and in one as a nude breast. However, they preferred the expression "exposed breast," which appeared in five articles, and were so taken with Timberlake's desperate euphemism for ripping off Jackson's breastplate and brassiere -- "wardrobe malfunction" -- that they used it 11 times.

In a 2001 column, I noted that naked derives from the prehistoric Germanic naquethas and nude from the Latin nudus, but that both originated in the Indo-European nogw, unclothed. If there is a distinction, it may lie in the sound (nude is softer, naked has an aggressive k) or in the words' associations. The expression "in the nude" is coy, suggesting that a choice has been made to doff one's clothing. That's a far cry from the way we come into the world -- naked. The stage play has a nude scene; very civilized. We speak the naked truth; very harsh. When being unclad is natural, it's nudism; when it's startling, it's bare-naked. In the financial world, a naked option is one not backed up by its related stock. William and Mary Morris wrote that, while the words nude and naked are synonymous, "nude has the edge in gentility and is more likely to appear in polite publications than naked."

Hugh Rawson spoke to this point in his book A Dictionary of Euphemisms and Doubletalk. "A woman may pose for an artist in the 'nude,' but if she is seen minus her clothes by a Peeping Tom, then she is 'naked.' And if, as happened once in an art class I attended, the unauthorized viewing is done during the posing, then the model is simultaneously 'nude' and 'naked.' In this instance, the model immediately grasped the semantic point as well as her robe, and would not resume her pose until the cops had been called and the peeper chased away."

In comparing ourselves with other animals, we prefer the hard sound of naked: naked as a jaybird. When Desmond Morris placed humans with the rest of the kingdom in 1967, he called his book The Naked Ape, not the nude ape. But the animal kingdom does have nudibranches, which are marine gastropods that don't have shells, and nudicaudate creatures, which have no hair on their tails.

Coincidentally, the Anglo-Saxon word for tail in the 1200s was steort, later spelled start. A person who was starkers right down to the tail was known as start naked, until the expression evolved into stark naked. When Morissette opts for the modest option of a body suit, that may qualify as star naked.

Adopt-a-Tire from Glassbar Island State Park

Adopt-a-Tire from Glassbar Island State Park

So . . . what are you doing to help the environment and promote and support the efforts to designate locations where we can legally enjoy being nude?

There are many hundreds of viewers of this blog every day (I view the stats). Three dollars is next to nothing . . . a simple doing without a latte for one day, which will pay for the cost of recycling one of those tires that have been discarded in the river and park over the years; restoring this park to a pristine and environmentally-sound location for us to visit and enjoy being naked.

Three dollars. You're reading this article. Pull out your checkbook and write a three dollar check to help. Right now. Do your part. I challenge each and every one of my readers to help out and make a contribution; and prove to Lane County Commissioners that interest in a clothing-optional beach legally-designated in Glassbar State Park is a wide-spread desire (with potential tourism dollars) from all over the country (and world)!

This is how we get our clothing-optional beaches . . . one baby step at a time. Your baby step? $3 for a tire . . . or better yet, more!

Print the flyer up (download and print links at the top). Post them in your club . . . at your favorite coffee shop . . . to friends who might be interested in nudism. Generate interest in the environment and the healthy nudist lifestyle.

Eagle Falls/Rapids

On a rocky precipice above Eagle Falls

I volunteered to do some guard duty at Scenic Hot Springs this past Wednesday in our attempts to control trespassers and vandals heading into the springs without permission. It is getting to be a big problem for us so every once in awhile we will make the long drive to sit up there and turn around those who seem to think these hot springs are theirs and they can do as they please.

While access is not a problem if asked for and there are no other concerns, irresponsible people continue to ignore and/or tear down the signs. Night time soaking is a problem. Fire builders are a problem. And teenaged drinking and partying are a problem. So we do guard duty in an attempt to educate these people and forestall problems in the long-range. Such is what I was doing up there Wednesday.

Boring, mainly. I turned back six cars of people . . . and waited patiently for two sets of people already up at the springs to come back down so I could give them a little education. Two of the cars were full of teenagers and one of them didn't even bother to continue the drive up to the gate . . . opting, instead, to back down without stopping. Guilty, one would presume.

In any case, boring. No nude time . . . no hot springs soaking. Around four pm I left, heading back to Seattle and pressing engagements later that evening. A shame to drive so far into the mountains and not get a chance to enjoy nature au' natural. As I drove I kept thinking about where I could get in half and hour or so of nude time. Passing Baring, I thought of Eagle Falls . . . if no other people where visiting that scenic location right beside the highway.

Eagle Falls and rapids are just west of Baring, WA along Highway 2. They result from a narrowing of the Skykomish River as it is forced through a hard cut in the basalt and granite of the terrain. Right off the highway in a large pullout that attracts many drivers to just stop and view the cascade of the river being forced through this rocky narrowing. Might as well be a viewpoint for it's popularity.

But today is a weekday, traffic is light and the weather (cloudy, mid 30s, misty) less than fun for clambering over slippery basalt to get down to the river. In the summertime this is a very popular swimming location at the large pool immediately downstream of the rapids. The smoothed basaltic extrusions make great partying locations right up against the river. Skinny dipping even happen here on occasion, despite the fact that most of the falls is visible from the viewpoint and the highway above. A little bit of discretion is called for. Nevertheless, there is plenty of room to be naked and not be seen from the highway. Just the tonic I was looking for.

All in all, a very enjoyable half hour just wandering around, taking pictures and enjoying the high-running river as it came roaring through the gap.

The photo album of this impromptu visit is here

NAC Update: San Onofre, California

{Prefacing remarks: The outfall of this action goes far beyond California as many Western States relied on a tacit acceptance of the Cahill Policy to guide and modify their approaches to nudity on public lands. Since the California Supreme Court has refused to visit the Appellate ruling against Cahill, rangers are now free to begin issuing citations. This is a decidedly anti-nudity stance by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The bad news is that other jurisdictions may now abandon the long-standing policy of Cahill and free their personnel to issue citations without the 'safe' buffer-warning of Cahill.

Nudists and naturists on the West coast could once rely on the Cahill policy as an understanding between themselves and government. Unfortunately, conservative elements in the Parks Department have dealt that understanding a death blow. Individual nudists are unlikely to risk citation (and the consequences of potential registration as sex offenders). What is needed now is legislation to either re-enact the Cahill provisions under codec of law, or legally designate clothing-optional beaches where nudity has been traditional in the past.

And, despite the accusations flying back and forth between NAC and AANR, these two organizations need to work together and make this happen. Else, why in the heck am I paying my dues to them?

Rick}

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NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE

UPDATE

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http://www.naturistaction.org

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Copyright 2009 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 : October 22, 2009

SUBJECT : San Onofre Update

TO : All naturists and other concerned citizens

Dear Naturist, This is an update from the Naturist Action Committee (NAC) on the status of San Onofre State Beach and NAC's ongoing effort on behalf of naturists there.

In June of this year, a California state court of appeal ruled in favor of the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) in its appeal of a Superior Court's ruling from 2008 that had favored naturists. The Naturist Action Committee and Friends of San Onofre Beach subsequently sought a ruling from the California Supreme Court. Today, the California Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

The appellate ruling was initially unpublished, but at the request of DPR, the appellate court later published the ruling. NAC requested that the ruling be de-published. However, as an adjunct to today's announcement, the California Supreme Court refused NAC's request to de-publish.

At issue in the lawsuit was whether DPR has followed proper procedure in abruptly ending the application of the Cahill/Harrison regulation at San Onofre State Beach. Cahill/Harrison is long-standing and well-known means for managing and regulating the clothing-optional use of portions of state parks.

TICKETS FOR NUDITY ARE POSSIBLE AT ALL CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS

The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the case allows the possibility that rangers may immediately begin issuing citations for nudity under Title 14, Section 4322 of the California Code of Regulations. Because the appeal ruling was published, this threat applies not only at San Onofre State Beach, but at ALL UNITS OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE PARK SYSTEM.

MORE INFORMATION

Details of this situation and specifics of the Cahill/Harrison Regulation and associated documents may be found on the NAC Web page:

http://www.naturistaction.org/sanonofre

There, you will find background documents related to the Cahill Policy, the Harrison letter and NAC's lawsuit.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

This is a tremendous setback, but the battle has not ended. The Naturist Action Committee is carefully considering the details of each of its remaining options and the ramifications of each. NAC will continue to issue Action Alerts, Advisories and Updates on this issue as circumstances require. Look for them.

PLEASE HELP NAC TO CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!

The Naturist Action Committee remains committed to the vigorous defense of the clothing-optional use of public land. Activism on behalf of naturists can be expensive. NAC relies entirely on the voluntary financial support of people like YOU.

Won't you please send a generous donation to: NAC PO Box 132 Oshkosh, WI 54903 Or call toll free (800) 886-7230 (8AM-4PM, Central Time, weekdays) to donate by phone using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. Or use your credit card to make a convenient online donation: http://www.naturistaction.org/donate/

Thank you 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 Allen Baylis - rab@baylislaw.com

Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - naturist@sunclad.com

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Scenic Hot Springs: Soakng and Viewing the Orionids

Skies clear for a few hours for a spectacular show

Well folks, you missed one spectacular stellar show of the Orionids Meteor Shower this past Monday night. Though the weather at first didn't seem like it was going to cooperate, the clouds did part and clear at the elevation of the hot springs for a few hours just as the constellation Orion was coming into view directly above the hot springs. The trails of meteors streaked across crystal-clear skies every couple of minutes and I can't think of any better way to watch the show than to lay back in very comfortable water far away from extraneous lights.

Ten people had responded, giving desire to join in. As one of the stewards of Scenic Hot Springs, we don't often give permission to visit the hot springs at night . . . the dangers of hiking in the dark, misbehavior by visitors at night . . . being the primary reasons. A night visit doesn't happen too often. So I was a little disappointed when no one showed up at the gate after having responded positively. The weather, I guess. Fog was thick and the weather cool and on the damp side. Fortunately or unfortunately, I was committed because I'm hosting this event and I'd like to get any visitors up there before nightfall makes the trip iffy.

Eventually, I give up and head into the clearcut to park. The fog (or clouds) are thicker up here. The outside temperature gauge in my car says it is 46F outside. Not bad for a nude hike except for the warmth-stealing moisture of fully-saturated air. I had intended to hike up nude in any case and I saw no reason to deny myself the experience just because of some misty-looking clouds. So off I went . . . this time with the full nude-snow-hiking-backpack of clothes, food and the other paraphernalia I usually carry during cold-weather nude hikes.

The air was still which helped. By the time I reached the trailhead proper at 3,000ft, I knew I was hiking directly into the heart of a cloud latched onto the upper mountain slopes. It got heavier and moister the higher I hiked. I could feel the dew beading on my skin, but I was feeling comfortable and enjoying every moment of the slow stroll up.

I reached the springs right as the last of the day was slipping below the western ridges. Time to set myself up, pull out those trash bags to protect my gear from dew (and possible rain) . . . and get into that marvelous water to rewarm myself. Though I was by no means feeling the cold, immersion into 103F silky water has a decidedly sensuous rush to cold-tightened skin. The water was perfect! The only disappointing part was that I could see no more than fifty feet or so above me. The springs were smack-dab in the middle of an obstinate cloud! No star views.

Night darkened and I soaked, alternating between the comfortable Bear Den pool and the much hotter 118F Lobster pool . . . and then out to stand and cool on the small deck with a cup of coffee before slipping back into the springsl.

Around 8-8:30pm the clouds slowly oozed downward on the slopes. Some action of thermodynamics as the temperatures lowered? It was getting colder out. Below, on the slopes, I could see the top of the cloud bank, almost touchable . . . any potential head and tail lights from Hwy 2 far beyond seeing. Above, crystal-clear and millions of stars peppering jet-black heavens. I lay back to watch.

The Orionid Meteor Showers are the dust-particle-sized remains of Halley's Comet during it's last pass through the inner solar system. Once a year, during October, the Earth passes through that region of space and those tiny particles get swept into our atmosphere to burn up as meteor trails. The Orionids are so named because they appear to originate from the constellation Orion (those three closely-spaced stars in a line near Sirius . . . the brightest star in the sky . . . that we have all seen, but maybe not recognized).

Orion was due to rise directly overhead around midnight (from the southeast). At midnight the meteor showers would appear to be coming in directly from above. In the few hours before zenith, the showers would be streaking across the sky from the southeast . . . a much more persistent view. As I watched, lo and behold . . . there was one, directly over the crest of the slopes. A minute or two later, another. In the untainted black of the skies far from city lights the trails were stark and long lasting until the final burnout halfway across the skies.

Guys (and gals), you missed a show!

The shoulder of Orion was just coming into view when a new bank of clouds started occluding the stars above. Well, I got the best part, I suppose. I waited, hoping the mists were just tempoary but no dice. They just got thicker . . . and my soles and palms were getting wrinkly from prolonged soaking. Time to head back down.

The headlamp was almost useless, the hike slow and with very careful footing. By the time I reached the clearcut 500ft below, the wind had picked up and misting rain begun. Still, I was feeling comfortable enough to continue on nude. Near the bottom I did get disoriented for a moment, wondering where my car was. I started to turn toward Scenic Creek until I stopped, thought about it and reasoned it out. Wrong side trail. Fifty feet away and totally obscured sat refuge and warmth. Moral of that thought . . . don't ever get so complacent or cocksure that you make a mistake that can get you completely turned around. Weather changes in an instant in the Cascades. That's the reason I carry survival supplies in my backpack . . . I know Scenic as well as most people (perhaps better), but I almost went off in the wrong direction.

Back inside the car as the heater is getting up to strength, the temperature gauge shows how much the weather has cooled. 36F. I'd been peppered on the final stretches by the light sting of snow. The windshield has a patchwork of those wet, melting particles now. Cold enough.

Yeap, you sure missed a great stellar event, folks. Though my digital camera does not have the capability to capture star views, the rest of the trip is potrayed in my Jalbum here.

Rare Opportunity: Night Soak at Scenic to View the Orionid Meteor Showers

Here's your chance for an escorted and permitted nighttime visit to Scenic Hot Springs to lay back in the hot springs waters and watch the annual Orionid Meteor Showers at their best on Monday night. Conditions are predicted to be optimal.

This event will be escorted by a couple of volunteers from just before nightfall until the wee hours of the morning (midnight brings Orion, where the showers are coming from, and Sirius above the horizon for the best view in Scenic's awesome star-gazing views). Participation is limited at a cost of $10 per person.

Dress appropriately, bring a snack and drink . . . and lay back for this stellar event!

Hike in begins one hour before sunset on the 19th of Oct, 2009 (Monday). Advance registration only here or email directly.

Meager Creek Hot Springs Update

From Mike Sato:

Meager Creek Hot Springs was closed on September 19th due to a mudslide that occurred at Capricorn Creek. The Upper Lillooet River campsite and Meager Creek Hot Springs were fine. However, about 200m of Meager Creek FSR was washed out. Also the Capricorn bridge was washed out. So visitors will not be able to access Meager Creek Hot Springs until next spring. The mudslide damage was very large, so Meager Creek Hot Springs's reopening will depend on how fast the BC Ministry of Forest can fund the reconstruction of the bridge and access road.

Meager Creek this past June (before the slide)