Author Topic: A walk in the desert!  (Read 16261 times)

eyesup

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #15 on: July 28, 2015, 05:45:02 AM »
Even I've not seen one of those, JOhn. The Desert Bighorn is a different species adapted for this environment.  See this.

They're smaller and a more tan and greyish color than the Rocky Mountain Bighorn, which are more brown. I've been in the Rockies and seen elk, deer and moose, but no bears or bighorn.

I hear they are amazing to see. I just wish I had been able to catch them out in Pinto, buttin' heads. I'll try again, it's a good excuse for another hike, now that I know at least one spot to look into.

Duane

JOhnGw

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #16 on: July 28, 2015, 08:29:52 AM »
I still think I was incredibly lucky on that trip -especially as I also spotted a coyote sneaking across a railway yard while we were stopped to change drivers.
JOhn

Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.
George Bernard Shaw, Maxims for Revolutionaries

nudewalker

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #17 on: July 28, 2015, 01:24:22 PM »
Between you and Jbee I'm wanting to head back west again. Duane those were excellent pictures and with my little exposure to those elements the heat was radiating to my body sitting here. And then there were the sheep! The opinion on this side of the screen is that I need to invest in a smaller digital camera that is waterproof as it seems my free ranging will be on the water as the kayak has become the vehicle of choice to get to those spots that few people travel to or frequent.

Also kudos for adding the satellite shots! It gives the report a whole new perspective so much so that as I try to continue to work on this picture thing it wll have to be incorporated. Also it would be a good addition in the favorite places section!
"Always do what you are afraid to do"-Emerson

nuduke

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #18 on: July 29, 2015, 08:57:59 PM »
Yeah, Duane
mega-Appreciation from me too for the planning & time & trouble you took posting that terrific one. 

Interestingly it made some difference looking at the pics of yourself receding into the sunset, now I know what your front looks like! :lol: : :D

Quote
Just to the right of the center of the photo you see a large white feature and right below it a smaller one
your buttocks, I presume! :D

Yes, I agree too re the map orientation pics were really helpful to get the scale & scope of the area.

John


nuduke

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #19 on: July 29, 2015, 09:22:47 PM »
Ok, I just took a slower look at your photos, Duane and I could feel the sun on my back (probably because I'm currently lying on an electrically heated pillow due to a neck/shoulder strain!) and, rather more seriously, I was entranced by the huge variety of colors of grey through to reddish brown.  Awesome.  In #8 the striations in the wall of rock and the skull-like shape of the front and rear facing rocks are stunning, and trigger the visual imagination.  Look left of your left shoulder and there is a gaping mouth screaming into the desert wind and eyes above.  Above your head are the eyes and above your right shoulder the nose and mouth of a second face in profile.  To your far right in the foreground, the red rock Tortoise looks at you from its cracked and calloused carapace.

Awesome!

One question: you don't appear to be wearing socks on your hike.  Whilst I applaud that in naturist terms, doesn't it tend to encourage blisters on a long walk?  Much as I hate wearing them, when I'm hiking, I wear thick socks to avoid rubbing.

John

eyesup

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #20 on: July 30, 2015, 12:08:20 AM »
That's what I like about being out there. Your brain is always conjuring up images in the rocks and landscape.

I have not worn socks on a day hikes in years. I usually wear keen sandals. They're made for land and water. I can wear them loose with the strap just close enough that it slides.

If I am going to be backpacking and wearing shoes or boots etc., yeah I'll wear socks. Otherwise I go as close to barefoot as possible. When I wear my 5 toes that's all I wear. In photo #8 I actually had removed my sandals and was moving around barefoot. On the rocks and in the sand I can do that, but not out in the desert. It's not a problem.

I was on a backpacking trip of 32 miles in Bryce Canyon and we stopped for a rest. When I stop for more than a couple minutes, I take my boots off and cool off my feet. After removing them, steam was rising from my boots and socks. The air temp was a little cool. That's how hot your feet can get on a hike and carrying a heavy load.

Blisters come from heat and friction. Keeping your feet cool helps.

Duane
« Last Edit: July 30, 2015, 12:10:10 AM by eyesup »

tanman

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #21 on: August 11, 2015, 07:56:34 PM »
Thanks for the trip report, Duane.  I'd definitely enjoy that venue for Free Range Naturism.  My wife has a hard time with the heat, but, I find I enjoy being out naked when the temperature is 95-97F.  Once it gets to be 101F or more, it even gets oppressive for me.

Quote from: Duane
I usually wear keen sandals.

In the early years that my brother and I were doing our annual backpack trips in Colorado, I wore heavy leather water resistant boots and thick socks, carrying a 75 pound backpack up the mountains.  When we'd stop and I'd take off my boots, my socks, feet, and inner boots would be soaking wet from accumulated perspiration from feet and ankles.  This was the case even when the ambient temperature was in the 30F's and 40F's.  It was very uncomfortable.  Then in the later years, I bought leather Keen hiking sandals.  I was very happy with dry, freer, feet.  Even in the cold weather, my feet were warm in Keen sandals.

Quote from: nudewalker
... it seems my free ranging will be on the water as the kayak has become the vehicle of choice to get to those spots that few people travel to or frequent.

A favorite naturist activity of ours is to take the kayaks out to the/a lake, load them with food/BEER, lounge chairs, umbrella, then kayak around to a secluded shore, setup day camp, and lounge about naked for the afternoon.  When to the beach condoshare, we similarly go out on Christmas bay.  There, we have found a shallow sand spoil bank about a quarter mile away from the launch area where we set up chairs and umbrella and spend the afternoon or evening, naked.  The bank is sometimes exposed 2-3 inches above the water, or knee deep, depending on tides.  But it has to be an unusual sight from a distance to see our setup, seemingly floating/standing on water.

Have fun, kayaking naked!
Larry (tanman in Texas)

jbeegoode

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #22 on: August 11, 2015, 08:10:35 PM »


A favorite naturist activity of ours is to take the kayaks out to the/a lake, load them with food/BEER, lounge chairs, umbrella, then kayak around to a secluded shore, setup day camp, and lounge about naked for the afternoon.  When to the beach condoshare, we similarly go out on Christmas bay.  There, we have found a shallow sand spoil bank about a quarter mile away from the launch area where we set up chairs and umbrella and spend the afternoon or evening, naked.  The bank is sometimes exposed 2-3 inches above the water, or knee deep, depending on tides.  But it has to be an unusual sight from a distance to see our setup, seemingly floating/standing on water.

Have fun, kayaking naked!
Larry (tanman in Texas)


I'm picturing a shallow sandbar so at times you look to be walking on water. Do you anchor to your chairs? The BEER/food (Not food/BEER?) stays onboard? That's so cool. Gotta PIC?
Jbee
Barefoot all over, all over.

tanman

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #23 on: August 11, 2015, 09:42:26 PM »
Quote from: Jbee
I'm picturing a shallow sandbar so at times you look to be walking on water.

Exactly!

Quote from: Jbee
Do you anchor to your chairs?

Well, it depends on time of day and lighting ... and amount of BEER consumed.  On a cool weather day last winter, I wore only an open front flannel shirt to 'explore' the near area.  I felt the shirt was sufficient that from the distance to the ramp area and adjacent highway, I was safely obscure.  Usually, as it's sunny, warm, and clear, I will just sit in the reclining chair or sit/kneel in the water and use the gear available as visual screens.  The bay shore side is the only concern, the other 270 degrees of sight is open water and rarely a boat in sight.

Quote from: Jbee
The BEER/food (Not food/BEER?)
... well (blush) ...

Quote from: Jbee
stays onboard?
  No ... it gets consumed!  Yes, the small camo-colored cooler fits under the cowling where my legs typically go, but, I put my legs up on the top deck while we are en route.  So the cooler gets the space and stays out of the sun.

Quote from: Jbee
That's so cool.
YES!!

Quote from: Jbee
Gotta PIC?
  Yes, after I figure out the new system ...

Have fun, naked!
Larry (tanman in Texas)

eyesup

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #24 on: August 11, 2015, 10:01:20 PM »
Quote from: Larry
  Yes, after I figure out the new system . . .

Use Ian's tutorial. It worked the 1st time for me.

Duane

jbeegoode

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #25 on: August 12, 2015, 02:19:59 AM »
It is easy to use the regular system in the interim. Just shrink down the PIC to the 140's KB before posting, but that's only for one PIC.
Jbee
Barefoot all over, all over.

tanman

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #26 on: August 14, 2015, 12:16:08 AM »
Quote from: Jbee
I'm picturing a shallow sandbar so at times you look to be walking on water. Do you anchor to your chairs? The BEER/food (Not food/BEER?) stays onboard? That's so cool. Gotta PIC?

Yes, pics below of 'Free Range Naturism,' 'kayaking' on Christmas Bay, Texas, in March 2015.  This will be the only time I use the embed method. In future I will use link method.

In 3901, the main bay is beyond me.  In NO place does this bay get deeper than 4 feet!  In 3894, the 'near shore' is beyond the sun shade, and our condo-share building is about center beyond the houses.  Beyond the near shore is a row of power line which is along a highway, and just beyond that is the ocean (Gulf Of Mexico).

Have fun 'kayaking,' naked!
Larry (tanman in Texas)

jbeegoode

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #27 on: August 14, 2015, 01:46:35 AM »
I see the sea birds. They indicate, clams, oysters, crab and so does the shallow tide effected sand bar. Does the sandbar harbor any of these along with you two?

The pic looks like you would be specks, out there, with nudity difficult to discern. Why the caution to hide bodies behind the boat, etc. and reluctance to wander about freely? It would seem that there would be a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Are the adjacent wildlife areas fun to explore, or are there bugs? I looked over the paddling trail and google map. Laffite territory.
Jbee
Barefoot all over, all over.

tanman

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #28 on: August 14, 2015, 04:22:36 PM »
I see the sea birds. They indicate, clams, oysters, crab and so does the shallow tide effected sand bar. Does the sandbar harbor any of these along with you two?

The pic looks like you would be specks, out there, with nudity difficult to discern. Why the caution to hide bodies behind the boat, etc. and reluctance to wander about freely? It would seem that there would be a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Are the adjacent wildlife areas fun to explore, or are there bugs? I looked over the paddling trail and google map. Laffite territory.
Jbee

Yes, there are various birds including flocks of seasonal Roseate Spoonbill, clams, blue crabs, hermit crabs, minnows, small fish, sometimes a small ray or large turtle ... most everything can be plainly seen without moving around or doing a lot of WORK ... we relax, I sun, she shades ... she shops online and stuff waits at our door when we get home ... she's a musician and connoisseur of all kinds of music and matches music to the event.  We have a wireless cube that when placed under the kayak front cowling puts out GREAT sound wirelessly from the iphone ...

Most days on the bay, we don't set up like this.  Usually we float and explore along the salt grass shoreline, float with the breeze, or float stationary in the kayaks in open areas in the salt grass ... depends on which way the wind is blowing ... we haven't followed the paddling trail, we don't go that far ... as there is almost always a breeze, we seldom have annoying bugs ... although there was one time on the beach, after a rain the wind went slack while we were far down the beach and the mosquitoes attacked viciously ... 30-40 on the skin at the same time ... couldn't get away! 

Visual exposure?  Relying on the CRAFT, I am usually less concerned, but, I don't want to cause angst, so, I stay more discrete than I otherwise would be.  The highway at the 'near shore' is closer than the houses in the picture, maybe a quarter mile or a little more.  The sun crosses in a way to illuminate us when viewed from the highway.  Sometimes there are fisher walkers out near the spoil bank.  They are waist deep to nipple deep and their clothing is plainly visible from a long distance.  IF someone were looking at the only person walking on water on the bay, I think it would be plainly obvious if they were naked.  So, I stay low and/or shielded ... Looking out and back from the balcony of the condo-share apartment beyond the houses, I can see the coloration indicating this sand bar, and with binoculars, I can well see the individual birds standing here in the shallow water ...

Have fun, naked!
Larry (tanman in Texas)


eyesup

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Re: A walk in the desert!
« Reply #29 on: August 14, 2015, 07:21:24 PM »
Larry, is any of that area designated a CO beach? I've been down on that barrier island years ago it seemed so far removed from the developed areas around Houston.

With all the animals and salt grass it sounds like a tidal flat that would be wonderful to spend a day wandering around in.

More pictures, please.

Duane