Some Sociable Nude Hiking II

2024-04-03

We’re back at camp after a fine naked hike up to a saddle on Ragged Top Mountain in the Ironwood Forest National Monument. The campsite is outside of the monuments boundaries at the end of a desert road.

As we return, Ken and Amie are about to leave, heading up to the gas station and general store, which is just a few miles away. When they get back, we will take the stroll around the hill that our rented campsite is set into. There are supposed to be petroglyphs facing south out there. This will be the afternoon’s quest.

When the time comes, seven of us take off down the little track where somehow bluebells thrive in the crushed gravel-like earth and nothing else.

I find a spot where a gully clears a deep groove at the bottom of the barbed wire fence. As we hold it higher, in turn, we each wriggle through the opening in the lowest of squats, or on knees. From here, we cross the desert, winding around small trees and brush, all manner of flora ready to scrape us.

Three of us decide on taking a high road. The gullies will be most likely less eroded and vegetative than below.  However, the others make better progress, when they discover a desert jeep trail along the base of the hill.

We do converge eventually, at a saddle between the larger and smaller hills.

We’re all looking for the reported petroglyphic artifacts carved into dark rocks. These are the expressions of ancient Native Americans.

We meet the group of four, as they rest in the shade of a mesquite tree. They are sitting on rocks, dark rocks. Although baked in the sun to an extent, it is the only place to sit.

There is quite a pile of these boulders on this south face and amongst them are some with carved figures.

Like a goldminer, I climb over the pile, eagerly looking for the next discovery, excited.

We have an interesting time deciding which are ancient, or new renderings.

This spot shows us the peaks of the Rosekuge Mountains stretching out south of us. We have done three explorations out there. It is an excellent remote area to hike naked and not be bothered.

I look for a short easy trail over the top of the hill, taking me nearly to the crest, but end up having to come back to my two waiting cohorts and return the way that we came.

After diner, once again, we sit and talk, watching the silhouettes of ragged Top through the silhouettes of thin desert trees. The blue turns deeper until it is a royal blue color in an empty sky with the first dots of shimmering planets. Soon, the constellations appear into the moonless night. I play a soft quiet guitar, the only sound, for a while.

In the morning, we break camp and we all disperse.

DF and I being locals find the time to take another exploration of Spring blooms, before heading back to Tucson. I turn down a dirt street to see if any remnants of the 1990’s nudist club “Jardin Del Sol are still there. “N” magazine had had an article about it recently. The gate is intact.

The back of the old western town facade can be seen from the road.

At least one of the old small rental rooms are still there.

I ponder if their nudist Boot Hill is there. Visiting back in the day, I used to delight with the jokes on the fake grave markers. They noted quips like, “ so and such was shot for not sitting on a towel,” “Died With His Boots on, Nothing Else,”etc. Things pass on.

We casually mosey down the main road through the monument in search of nothing in particular. It is already just a bit more dusty than yesterday. I pull off into a camp spot and we slog our way up a soft sand wash. The saguaros are magnificent.

DF Counted Around 30 Arms on this one.

A gentle breeze blows through the needles and we still to listen to the saguaro talk.

A pair of buzzards are gliding above us.

DF tries for a photo as I shout out, “Ah’m not dayed yet!”

We’ll hope to return when the Ironwoods bloom like cherry blossoms, the paloverde burst the same in their yellow, and the saguaro and succulents explode with flowers in early May, beautiful and free.

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