After a particular morning, we have decided to take a walk out the jeep trail road that we are camped next to. It appears that all of those expensive camping rigs with their 4×4 capabilities have come on the graded road to the public campground just over the hill. We can see one rig and its occupant sitting on a folding chair in the distance, on top of the ridge. The newcomers and those leaving have all been missing the route that we have taken. We are all to ourselves. The road runs along this cliff side drop off. I’m not too sure how far. Today, I do know that it bends and heads north into the vast flat fields of the Bears Ears National Monument.
The temperature feels perfect; clothing would just be a waste. Bodies confined now would be a retardant to the promised freedom that we anticipate. We certainly feel that freedom, as we prepare to go down a path to an even greater unbridled expanse and its experiences. We shall see what we shall see.
A golden sun is beaming into a few clouds. Dawn is breaking.
We’re off to experience a memorable point of time, a moment in our lives. Just down the sandstone slope is another level of shelf spanning out before our camp, a huge patio.
Wrapped in a thick old Colman sleeping bag, we have had a cozy and warm night. My hoody trapped the body heat from escaping, the wind and fresh air giving that special cool quality to each breath as it cruised across naked faces.
Now, the chilly wind is nearly howling at us. We don jackets over the thermal and wind breaking clothing that we fell asleep in.
We casually stroll off excited for the anticipated morning light and grand vista. Yet at this point, we couldn’t possibly imagine the epic quality of that coming vista.
Getting together a system for camping for a month is no light chore. When packing up, every purpose must be accounted for and each item’s accessibility considered during daily routines. The SUV, a second gen Toyota 4runner, had to be divided into sections. The huge cooler, which is insulated to keep us away from civilization’s grocery stores for a week at a time, takes over the back seat. The other goods, most of the food that we would need for a month is crammed in front of it, leaving just enough room for my bag and its minimalist wardrobe. We expect to be in nature, or driving nude. A light kilt for me and DF a sundress, or two, is enough to stay legal when others are about. We have packed some warmer layers and a set of street clothes for shopping, etc.
I put two large grey bins in the back, one for the portable kitchen and one for tools, axes, camping equipment, etc. Around this, I placed two five gallon water bottles, plus two smaller gallons and four liters in our hiking bottles. I then had to utilize every square inch of space, packing the tent and sleeping gear. It works like a Chinese puzzle, shifting this to get at that. The tailgate is a work/cook bench and we did bring a portable table. We had spent weeks in advance organizing and planning this trip to be better embedded in the outback. The duration is to be open ended, but probably lasting around a month.
The first morning, packing is getting frustrating. It all just didn’t fit! Something HAD to give.
I had been studying the southeastern portion of Utah for months and still couldn’t know what to actually expect and had few solid goals in mind. You can only get so much education from books and online when the goal is to be left alone freely nude. We had yet to secure the solitude, or the magical the secrets. We had some friend’s experiences helping us. One couple told us anecdotes of how they had often found lesser canyons, just as amazing. He had explained, “I walked around a corner and there was a dinosaur in the cliff wall!” Books tell about popular places, but often, crowded places. I had no idea how many other visitors to expect in each area. I had received the advice that around Moab there would be many more and heard the term “crawling with people” for the entire month’s visit. Even Edward Abbey’s Arches National Park now requires reservations. We will have to let things unfold and adjust our schedule as each intrigue comes up.
The Free Range Naturist 