The First Nude Adventure Together: Trip Report

Late June 2007

To escape the heat I went up to Mt. Lemon with my new girlfriend. I was pleased when I discovered her riding comfortably bottomless on the drive up the mountain. We had discussed this thing of nude living.  Although she confessed that she had only hiked topfree a couple of times, I discovered that she certainly has the spirit of naturism.

We searched far and wide to find some privacy for a picnic, finally finding a hillside with a slight indentation that we could use. The steep hillside coupled with the geometry of visual angles from being spotted from the road cloaked us just enough. It also created a patch of level on the steep slopes. We found that this day, there was a lot of traffic for an obscure barely maintained back road. We spread a blanket, enjoyed the view, and ate sandwiches and cherries. We stripped, enjoying the breeze and laid on our backs watching the rapid swirling of the wispy cloud formations (We sat at 8700 ft., during the monsoon season and it was extremely turbulent above us). I’d never seen clouds move so fast without fast-forward controls and a video screen

After a while, she rolled over and sat on top of me in what anyone might construe as a sexual position (well, okay, there was a rumble beginning). Just at that moment, we heard voices up hill. Sure enough, there was that young couple that we had spotted on the other side of the hill as we were driving around it. They were now hiking. We ducked and quickly rolled up into the cover of the blanket, nearly rolling down the hill in the process. We looked over our shoulders barely covered and cuddling, waiting to see what would happen. There wasn’t much else we could accomplish in the circumstance. The couple continued down the hillside about 50 feet away, eyes forward, as if they hadn’t seen us. Then, I began to see the huge near laughter grins on their faces. They were just being polite to us. Yep, we had been sah-ho busted.

We figured this wasn’t going to be a best spot and decided to leave for greener pastures. Down the hill, the couple had taken a place on the opposite side of the road on a rock next to a cliff. They enjoyed a breathtaking view out and down across the San Pedro River Valley while we packed up. They were just getting up and about as we drove past. We smiled and waved. The lady’s smile was a little extra huge as we subtly “acted” as nothing unusual had actually occurred. My girlfriend refused to let me quip anything like, “Amazing view isn’t it?” I probably couldn’t have contained my em-bare-assed laughter anyway.

So we went to another spot that I love to hike through. It is a hobbit-like land by a stream and such a change from the desert I live in. We followed the trail back until we arrived at a canyon junction where if you climb a few yards up the hill there is what is left of an old logging trail that continues up into that area. After a short distance, it became obvious to me that there had not been anyone through this area lately. I checked for broken twigs and smashed plants and any kind of tracks where one couldn’t avoid making them. As soon as I mentioned this, my companion started to pull her top off. We were in a body free zone.

We continued for a beautiful skyclad walk up that canyon. The waist high ferns gently brushed our bare bodies. We stood and listened to the calming ebb and flow of the breeze in a deciduous tree. We stared fascinated by a colorful mushroom that must have been 10 inches across. We pondered whether the squished clump of high grass in the trail had gotten that way from a bear rubbing its ass. We watched birds. We stared amazed that the lower dead branches on the pines on a slope were so thick that it looked as if it was smoke. The sun came through the canopy with its warmth and then disappeared as we traveled along. We hugged and kissed. We sat and did meditations.

As we got back to the main trail, we got braver and figured it was late enough that we wouldn’t encounter anyone else and continued nude. This was just too good to end.

There was a twisted tree that we were both interested in and we stopped to check the area out. I watched the patches of light on my girlfriend as she stood on a small ridge, arms extended touching the tree by the trail, eyes closed, getting in touch with its energy. Such a day, such a gal. At that point we thought it best to get dressed. Just as I was buckling my belt back up, a guy in kaki shorts and hat carrying a bag of garbage out of the forest popped over that ridge where she had been standing. Perfect timing, perfect luck.

Morning Rising:

The next morning we awoke at my house and took off down the old jeep trail to watch the sunrise.

Morning Sun Beaming Through the Hillsides

We left our clothing at the property line and walked up the stream bed to some rocks about a half mile away. We lay there and watched the monsoon clouds move and change color as the sun’s rays peaked up and through them. It was so quiet the sound of a bird’s wings overhead sounded thunderous. We spent about an hour in the desert, strolling along the trails, looking out into the valley and watching civilization’s lights turning off as morning arrived.

Saguaro Ribs

The rocks changed color, the shadows moved, the birds sang.

Road Runner Puffed Out Gathering Heat from the Morning Sun

A young road runner sat on a rock and watched us as we crept closer, stood and watched him. We felt the breezes and morning air warmed and then chilled around our bodies as we passed holding hands.

The Arizona Monsoon Rains Commence:

Yesterday it rained! Huge drops of warm water left two inch diameter puddles on the ground and rocks, finally washing the dust that had accumulated for months. I ran quickly through it, naked and gathering up the power tools my son had left out on the patio (who would expect rain in the desert?). I ran back into the house catching a chill from air-conditioned air, trying to remember where I had left my pants with my car keys, so I could rush back out into the warm delightful RAIN to power up my car windows. I could smell it. I could smell the pollen and the fine dust getting moist. Rain glorious rain! The saguaros, prickly pears and cholla will swell with water. The ocotillos and bushes will blossom with new leaves. Brown becomes green and life regenerates. The artesian waters will swell from the rocks the lay energies will increase and the cycle of life begins a new season. Rain glorious rain! Yeehaw!