A Week in the White Mountains: Part 1

[jbeegoode]

A Week in the White Mountains: Part 1 is up at: https://thefreerangenaturist.org/2016/09/02/a-week-in-the-white-mountains-part-1/

At the tail end of July we spent a week in the White Mountains nearly continuously nude, except for the chill from afternoon rains. I will probably invest in a warmer tent for my portable wood burning stove and start spending months up there as a more full retirement fazes in. That will fix the afternoon chill. It was just that nice. All we need is a rustic portable cabin in the woods.

So, part one is about visiting with our nude friendly friends and then getting settled in for a week of wandering and reminiscing, creating a retreat in itself.
Jbee

[nudewalker]

Men's toy stores Jbee? Why do I always look at stuff with an eye to more FRN? Waiting on more!

[jbeegoode]

Men's toy stores Jbee? Why do I always look at stuff with an eye to more FRN? Waiting on more!

Yea, I had clothes on while shopping, looking for ways to improve my free range naturism. Most of it wasn't ultra light enough and I'm generally equipped, now. I'm looking at a nude glamping situation, a canvas cabin deep in the forests, in the coming years. There is more online for those stores. The toy store still didn't show me what I need, but, yup, I was doing the research, recon, and considering every toy available. I was killing time, but at the time, it seemed like a productive endeavor.

Due at toward the later part of next week, I'll post part 2. We do a hike into what was the site of the 1997, or 98, Rainbow Gathering and realize the freedom and wildness of our situation. We did something a little different each day, so I decided to break it up and spread it out.

The site is about how FRN is done as a daily lifestyle. A visit cross state and to a mountain retreat home, accepted by friends with no dress code, casually, doesn't have much Arizona Highways mag flare, but I figured that people need to know what is possible. It also, shows stealth considerations, even when in luxury and then barefoot joys. In Arizona, we don't get much opportunity to know that one can use an umbrella nude in a storm, or any rain situation. That would be useful info to other desert rats.
Jbee

[nudewalker]

Nude glamping?  That is the extent to which our near 30 feet caravan has become. Being a compromise situation we have the best of both worlds with A/C,  refrig, microwave and queen size bed. On the other side, it provides me chance for FRN. Yin and yang, ebb and flow or give and take all part of a successful marriage.

Mention of Arizona Highways brings back memories as my brother in law was a subscriber for years. They often escaped winters in the Phoenix area and with a rental vehicle would go exploring. Their retirement plan was to have a place to escape to but ended up in Florida instead. My two trips there were based on those out of the way places the relatives found.

[jbeegoode]

Our goal would be to be mobile enough to use any 4x4 back-country trails, if necessarily. There are places here that would place us miles from other campers, free to roam, only to deal with passersby. No loud music, kids, hiding, more wildlife, but our own. Hiking in wildlife preserves of meadows and forest.

The trade-off would be setting up. We like the more austere aspect of camping, as it keeps us moving and exercising, ie health and youth. I like splitting wood and building primitive things. There is rarely a need for air-conditioning in the White Mountains. Fine homes don't even have it. There is a need for heat, I have a portable wood burning stove. A gas stove, and a mostly raw food diet replace microwaves and long term refrigeration. A block of ice and cubes can refrigerate 3 or 4 days, but that does limit cubes for a soda, or cocktail eventually, then it is a trip to town to restock fresh food and go dancing at the local casino. We can eat and drink very well. Frozen doesn't work, but yogurt, chocolate, cakes, etc. replaces ice-cream. Smoothies are out, but the ingredients are wonderful fresh.

We have a full sized matress, and it is wonderfully cozy under a thick wool and down. There is little in t eway of clothing to clean. Security issues are covered simply by locking valuables and food inside th eSUV.
A week or two, several times a season. It all can be moved anywhere, in addition to the backpacking.

A shower is covered by a bag of very hot water hanging from a tree, 5 or ten gallons. Not luxurious, but an outside shower can be fun. I'd prefer more pressure, but maybe that could be fixed...hey, Jbee, he says to himself, you may be on to something there!

Does a bear sh.. in the woods? I have a portapotty set up. I also enjoy marking my territory in a natural setting to some extent.

This one has an additional porch enclosure:
http://www.kodiakcanvas.com/12-x-9-ft-cabin-tent-with-deluxe-awning/

This one is so beautiful. A quality tent would last for many years, and still be much less the price of an RV, even used:
http://lotusbelle.com/

A nice living space, even room for guest, when not by a campfire.
Jbee

[eyesup]

Your rain story reminded me of a backpacking trip in Oct. 2005 with my son's scout troop.

We did the West Rim hike in Zion NP. It's about a 14 mile hike mostly above 7,000 ft.

After leaving the trail head at Lava Point we were probably 3.5 - 4 miles in when it began to sprinkle. By the evening it was pouring down buckets. As we had instructed the boys, they all pulled out their ponchos and we kept moving until about 9 pm. We found out later it rained 2-1/2 inches that evening. We boiled water and put a group of 7-8 scouts from 12 yrs. to 16 yrs. old to sleep with hot cocoa. Some of the boys didn't have a high body-fat content.

Your comments about lightning and using the tarps and tent covers as rain catchers had me recalling the same actions we made. Catching water is much easier than searching for it. Being above 7000 ft. during a lightning storm was kinda enervating!  The storm produced lighting and thunder with no time separation between the two. Exciting!

Hiking on a trail in pitch dark in between flashes and using red headlamps to see where we were walking on the trail that had become a running creek was special. From your photos we had a similar experience. The next day bright sunshine and a period of drying out.

Glamping?  I had to look that one up.
We don't mind having amenities but we try to keep it simple. Less to deal with. The Lotus Belle tent might work. It looks like a yurt! More stable!

The hot shower bag works. It's one I've seen elsewhere, just not too hot or you end up with a hot waterfall! 

Good memories.
Thanks for the report and photos.

Duane