At Long Last!!

[nuduke]

I haven't started a new thread for a long time but today was special and I just wanted to bring to your attention that I had some naked hiking today!

Those of you who have followed my exploits in recent months will know that despite relocation to more rural circumstances, I have been somewhat frustrated by the lack of places that I can get naked in nature, albeit that my opportunity for garden and domestic naturism has been much increased.  The terrain is very flat in the whole county and woodland is very scarce, roads plentiful but parking on the narrow country roads often difficult or impossible and in summary despite a deal of ranging and recces, I haven't found a good place or places to hike or sunbathe skyclad yet....until today.

What happened was that, being a lovely spring day, intermittent sunny periods and light cloud, warm but not hot and no appointments or obligations... I decided to get on my rickety old electric bike and see how far it would take me on a battery charge.  For these purposes, a flat terrain is good. I cycled a mile or two to a commercial fishing lake I have been meaning to look over for months.  It was a really nice location and my subtext was to see if there was any naked walking potential.  It was a well-used facility and although a very nice locale which I will visit for some fishing, there was no woodland or brush to get concealed in and about a third of the perimeter was bordered by a camp site for caravans (not great for fishing ambience either).  Having chatted with a couple of fishermen and watched one pull out 3 crucian carp and 2 small tench in under 20 minutes, I determined to return with tackle.

Mounting again my trusty steed, I cycled on  in the effulgent sunshine through the next village and on into the deeper countryside where the road narrowed to a single track with absolutely no room for 2 vehicles to pass but sufficiently well made for me to be able to cycle safely and easily.  2 lady 'proper' cyclists passed me coming from the other direction and we exchanged greetings.  Eventually the road came to a ford across the local river.  Fords are an extreme rarity in the UK so I stopped to look over the bucolic scene.  Having appreciated that for a few minutes, I noted that where I had parked my bike was an ungated field entrance so, ever alive to possibilities of getting naked, I pulled my bike off the road and strolled but a few yards up a slight incline along the riverbank bordering the field.

As I stood there I noted that the road the other side of the ford was unmade so it was unlikely that any vehicles actually used the ford and indeed one could see a parralel road a few hundred yards away.  In the opposite direction there was a cluster of farm buildings and the rest of the vista was fields as far as the eye could see.  My SN risk calculator activated:  I could see for miles, I was out of sight of cars passing on the road which were very few, I could see the hardly-used road from whence I came and so I had a 360 degree surveillance.  The grass was tall at the edge of the field I stood in, there were a few trees and the chances of anyone approaching from about 300 of the 360 degrees was nil. 

I was prepared.  I had my zip-pocket hiking trousers on and a backpack.  So, I was able to strip off.  I had donned socks and walking shoes as a parallel precaution should I get the chance of some nice hiking which were a nuisance but not too much of a problem.  I was able to stand and sit sunbathing for a while and I rejoiced that I had finally got a decent chance to be naked in nature AND that I had taken it despite the usual taboos of being careful in a new location.

The river gurgled, the grass swished in the light breeze and the insects buzzed and chirped.  I sat comfortable on the dry, grassy earth and was filled for a moment with a joy of a return to SN after a very long gap.  At not very long length, perhaps 15' I re-robed and returned to my hapless conveyance.

As well as the ford there was a narrow footbridge over the river and with some care needed I walked my bike to the other side, 'scrambled' the 1-200 yards along the unmade dirt track to the road and was thereby able to make a circular trip home rather than have to retrace my initial journey.  Happily, my battery lasted the distance and the ride back was even pleasanter with the warm glow of having had some nude time and the knowledge that I will go there again soon (with a packed lunch and a book!).

John

[eyesup]

You were prepared for a spontaneous SN walk.
That's what we used to call good "SN craft".

Duane

[reubenT]

everyone needs a place to go and relax,   and for we who like to do it free of clothing it's a bit harder to locate the right place sometimes.    Glad you found such a place.   I have mine and will be developing them better soon, since it's on my own land and I can modify it to my liking.   First will be clearing suitable places for gardening nude,  then will be making support facilities,  water features,   shelters,   and in time greenhouses.

[jbeegoode]

So, the difficulty of parking on the thin roads has kept your options to a minimum. A non-electric bicycle can be used to get you from a safe parking place to one of these areas where there is naturism potential and you just stash your bike in the bushes. No one will be parking near you. All you need is a bike rack and bike. Good exercise and good excuse to get away from the Mrs. Nuduke for some SN. I used to ride my bike for hours. Otherwise, you have the electric bike with enough range to get to skinny roads in the near region. There is actually sunshine where you live and it is summer!

I was given a used bike rack last month and I'm watching the University of Arizona auction for the bikes. Each year, many bikes are abandoned in the racks around campus by students. They sell them reasonably cheap, maybe a decent nearly new bike at around $39 to $50. I love to bike. There is a river park path near DF's place in town that connects all over Tucson and other river paths. There are dirt back roads in Tortolita.

Congratulations on your find and sense of liberation. Very kool. Please, continue as it unfolds.
Jbee

[Davie]

We all need those special places to achieve some escape from modern life. For me its the Peak District and into Wales. My wife sometimes
 asks if I get lonely on solo walks misunderstanding the difference between loneliness and solitude. It's wonderful having space for yourself, although group naturist can be enjoyable too.

Davie   

[ric]

rural england is awash with footpaths and untarmacced tracks, all should be marked on large scale ordenance survey maps, now available to browse online. a lot of river banks have somesort of footpath, most of these paths are little used , especially during weekdays,  miss the morning and evening dog walkers and fitness freaks and youve got the place to yourself
 in recent years theres been the creation of loads of nature reserves usually run by charitable trusts,   the woodland trust, english nature, county wildlife trusts etc and even county councils.
local to us we have a small green burial ground run by a charitable trust, but it also manages about 15 acres of pasture as a nature reserve, all has free public access, i mow the the grass paths(usually naked) and rarely see anyone in the actual burial ground and never in the adjacent pasture fields.
if you do see someone working in the fields on a tractor theyre normally too focussed on what theyre doing to notice walkers in the distance .

first step is research on the web youll find places that youd never  physically stumble accross.

[nudewalker]

Some of the local abandoned rail lines around these parts have been converted into trails for hiking and biking plus some adjacent land has been set aside as conservancy areas not to be developed. Along the corridor that connects the next town to the east there are a number of sidings that serviced mines and a few small businesses that catered to the mines, employees and families. Most are overgrown but a few of the open pit mines are now covered in ATV trails that get their use on weekends. By cycling a few miles out of town there are a number of places to practice our craft in relative safety. The only problem so far is while riding in full cycling gear (bibs, jersey and cleated shoes) what does one do with all this stuff once off the bike and naked. I have tried packing it into the camelback, or taking another drawstring bag and leaving it with the bike. Not satisfied with either option at the moment but haven't really given it a thought until now. Before the trail was finished one could ride a good section naked so with the bibs and jersey in the back pack that wasn't as bad. Thanks Nuduke, the wheels are turning in the brain to think of options and as Jbee noted keep us posted!

[balead]

Nice John. You've learnt, or at least put into practice, the fact that a bike can go where a vehicle can't and open country is often more suitable than woodland. I hope you get to spend longer periods of time there while feeling comfortably naked.

[eyesup]

I have tried packing it into the camelback, or taking another drawstring bag and leaving it with the bike. Not satisfied with either option at the moment but haven't really given it a thought until now.

Bring a lightweight wraparound or shorts to carry while hiking and some comfortable footwear and cache your clothes in the drawstring somewhere hidden so they don't get stolen. Lock the bike up if you think it necessary. Then off you go prepared to cover up when needed. All you need carry is you daypack and quick change clothes.

Duane

[nuduke]

miss the morning and evening dog walkers and fitness freaks and youve got the place to yourself

During the early spring, I had much less time than I thought to recce locations (including wasting good SN hiking time holidaying in Florida!!) and this trip was the start of 'deeper' local investigation which followed many observations whilst driving.  You may remember my earlier reports of recces including a disappointing visit to some lakes, which offered no real SN possibilities.  I think your guidance is wise, Ric.  I need to time it either like Ian - very early, or to avoid the doggy exercise 'rush hour' by walking mid morning to mid afternoon (which suits my body clock a bit better - mind you, I also intend to do some dawn walking next month when dawn is really early between 4-5am). 

As to reconnaissance, I bought a bespoke OS map centring on our village so I can 'radiate' outwards and find places. I also have done exploratory walks along our local riverbanks (Local = 10-15' walk from home to find) earlier in the year, with which to equate to SN conditions - let us call these 'c'. The time and place of the walk had to fulfil a couple of conditions to equate to c, that is a = Weather ok and b = out of peak dog walking times.  However a. oddly seemed never to arise other than on weekends and bank holidays during times which were not b. !  So I was unable to gain the ideal c=a+b equation sufficiently to gauge reliably whether the walkers I encountered not infrequently on these convenient local locations were out more usually at peak days/times of the week.  However, I hope to be entering a rather quieter period for me, less busy, so offering more opportunity for further local recces at times which fulfil b.  And who knows, maybe a recce will be evidently a+b and so become c=SN!

Now then, chaps, how many times in the hallowed annals of TSNS or FRN have we had an algebraic solution to the argument? 

John

[jbeegoode]

Hmmm, from language of Shakespeare to the language of Math. What's left? Love? Zulu? My translator, dictionary and calculator are now at hand. Let'r rip.
Jbee

[eyesup]

Take care, John, you don't get so immersed in the calculus you lose the big picture. 
Sometimes things don't add up because you're trying to reach a predetermined answer.   

Duane

[nudewalker]

I have tried packing it into the camelback, or taking another drawstring bag and leaving it with the bike. Not satisfied with either option at the moment but haven't really given it a thought until now.

Bring a lightweight wraparound or shorts to carry while hiking and some comfortable footwear and cache your clothes in the drawstring somewhere hidden so they don't get stolen. Lock the bike up if you think it necessary. Then off you go prepared to cover up when needed. All you need carry is you daypack and quick change clothes.

Duane

The clothing is not so much of the problem as the footwear can be since there are clipless pedals on the bike it means a change between riding and hiking. I lock the bike to a tree and it is quite far off the beaten path so to speak. As I mentioned there has not been much thought lately but it has to be revisited. Maybe just spandex shorts instead of bibs and a lighter jersey? Even thought of water shoes to hike in or even flip flops for walking. As for a cover, it wasn't necessary last time I made it out there however things do change year to year.

All this math talk had me thinking back to my college statistics classes and using the same technique to determine the probability of being naked on any given outdoor adventure. In my line of work we used the elimination of variables to determine the overall quality of a finished product. It is a bit complicated to go into here but if the variables are eliminated such as weather, population, location and such the probability of a naked hike would be could fall within three standard deviations of the mean or 99.7%.

[Greenbare Woods]

The clothing is not so much of the problem as the footwear can be since there are clipless pedals on the bike it means a change between riding and hiking.

When I was younger my bicycle had hard rubber foot pedals suitable for bare feet (or shoes).  I've never been hard core bicycle person to get the special clip on shoes.  Seems like the hard rubber pedals and bare feet would suit your mixed mode needs better than changing shoes and having to hide the other ones. 
 

I lock the bike to a tree and it is quite far off the beaten path so to speak. As I mentioned there has not been much thought lately but it has to be revisited. Maybe just spandex shorts instead of bibs and a lighter jersey? Even thought of water shoes to hike in or even flip flops for walking. As for a cover, it wasn't necessary last time I made it out there however things do change year to year.

For some years I would hide my clothes under or behind a fallen log a ways off the beaten path, and away from vehicles.  Later i just started leaving my clothes in my car, putting the key behind or on the top of a tire.  It depends on where you park. Now my bicycle has a pack so when riding naked I put my clothes in that.

[JOhnGw]

My solution to the hidden key problem (in my case for locking a rented bicycle) is to buy a very small dog collar of the type used on lap dogs. It is easy to clip a single key to it and used as a wristband it is minimal enough for me.
I even go swimming in it.