Here in western Canada, the prairies were divided into one mile squares early on, separated by "grid roads" which allow access to individual farms, businesses, etc. Some of these gravelled lanes can be quite isolated in more sparsely populated areas, and it was on some of these that I became the "Nightwalker", out in the open air but well hidden by darkness. Still, naked hikes are a lot warmer by daylight, especially these days. The problem becomes the light but persistent traffic.
I began checking out Google Earth, and I found a few large areas in southern Saskatchewan where the grids just sort of quit...that is, they give way to meandering roads that seemed to wind their way around hills and lakes in landscapes less suited to agricultural use. So yesterday I decided to make a two hour drive into the centre of one of these to check out the possibility of making a truly isolated daytime hike.
What I found was a gorgeous area of the province I did not even know existed! This land, many kilometres across in all directions, essentially has no one on it but cows, lots and lots of cows. It is a rolling landscape of hills and lakes and sagebrush, and yesterday it was hot: 32 degrees (90 F) in the shade, not that there was any shade. The photo does not do it justice at all. The marks in the dusty road indicated no one but me had driven there in days. Needless to say, I got some serious hiking in, au naturale.
I only wish there was something like this closer to the city, except of course, it's the very fact that it is isolated that keeps it so pure. Were it closer to town, this beautiful natural area would be quickly overrun by "adventurers" with ATVs, drones, etc. Ah, well. Might as well treat it as a best kept secret, one handy for an occasional visit. At least I drove all the way there and back in the buff (undressing in the garage before leaving). That brings my carnuding total on two trips this week to just over 600 kms naked!
