Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Naturist articles: Pacific Crest Trail 2002
photos to be added
“Ancient Brit” on the Pacific Crest Trail
8th April 2002 and I’m standing by the security fence at the Mexican border at the
start of the Pacific Crest Trail, looking north along a path stretching 2700 miles to the
Canadian border. Thru-hiking this trail might be thought to be a tough challenge for a fit
young man but for me, a 51 year-old only just recovering from a foot injury serious enough
to be awarded early retirement from teaching, a six-month trek across desert, over high
mountains and through endless forests seemed like attempting the impossible.
Being a wilderness walk, with only occasional visits to small mountain villages or
mountain stores, it was necessary to carry up to 6 days food in addition to camping gear.
This made the pack heavy but with temperatures up to 100F and the drought in Southern
California meant that I was often also carrying 6 litres of water.
The guidebook warns against the dangers of the rattlesnakes, bears and mountain
lions but without doubt the most dangerous animal I would meet en route would be man.
Virtually every trail sign in Southern California had bullet holes in it and the border area
was well used by smugglers taking illegal Mexicans or drugs across the border.
In these remote areas I saw very few people and it would have been possible to walk naked
all day, but this is not really practical while carrying a heavy rucksack. However whenever
I stopped I stripped off to dry off the sweaty clothing and slowly build up an all-over tan.
Washing myself and clothing was done at the infrequent springs along the route.
I was struggling with a number of minor foot injuries in the early weeks walking
through arid mountains in unseasonally hot weather and was relieved to reach Deep Creek
Hot Springs. I had decided to take a couple of days off at this oasis in the desert. These hot
pools alongside a swimming hole in the creek were well known as a skinny-dipping site and
nudity was normal among the visitors. I stripped off as soon as I arrived and didn’t need
any clothes throughout my visit. Despite the hour walk from the nearest road the springs
were well frequented by the locals and a number of other thru-hikers also rested here. As
well as allowing laundry to be done the hot water was great for sore muscles. After
spending much of the early part of the walk on my own it was good to have people to talk
to.
Reluctantly leaving the springs I walked along the ranges of hills separating Los
Angeles from the Mojave Desert before heading across the desert and heading north
towards the High Sierra. Over this section I often walked with two veteran hikers: “Billy
Goat” and “Cloudwalker”. “Billy Goat” was a legend in US walking circles having hiked the
Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail and the PCT. Most of the thru-hikers on
the trail were known by trail names and I acquired the name “Ancient Brit”.
The trail cut across the Mojave Desert, where the only water was at a trough fed from the
underground aqueduct carrying water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Los Angeles
and then followed the dry hills bounding the Desert where the only water was at the
infrequent springs often 25 miles apart.
After 700 miles, before heading into the High Sierra I took a week off to drop supplies
ahead on the route and allow some of the snow in the high mountains to melt. During this
break I visited some of the hot springs close to the Mammoth Lakes Resort. Although
these pools were reachable by car, they were still clothing-optional and were ideal for
relaxing with magnificent views of the snow-covered mountains.
Forester Pass, at 13200 ft, the highest of the 10 snow-covered passes to be crossed
soon followed. With the trail under snow melting rapidly in the hot sun walking became
hard work. When I walked this part of the trail 2 years ago in July and August I was able
to swim naked in the many small mountain tarns and streams along the route. But now
many of these lakes were still covered in ice and the streams were very cold.
I deviated off the route to visit Fish Creek Hot Springs and had a rest day during
which I managed to get all my clothing washed in the small pools.
The route now passed through the Yosemite National Park and reached a section with
many unbridged creeks to cross. The crossing of these waist-deep snowmelt streams was
both unpleasant and dangerous. I tended to strip off for these crossings to keep my
clothing dry, but had to wear boots for increased safety.
Leaving behind the magnificent alpine mountains of the High Sierra, Northern California
provided easier walking through wooded hills passing the massive volcanoes of Mt.Lassen
and Mt. Shasta.
Eventually reaching the Californian border after 1700 miles I took another week off
Before heading for the Cascade range of Oregon and Washington. Forest fires in southern
Oregon covered more than 500,000 acres and although they didn’t directly affect the PCT
we were walking through smoke for a couple of weeks. The highlight of Oregon was Crater
Lake, which I fortunately got to when the smoke was being blown away from the trail.
Crater Lake was formed when a huge volcano blew up about 6000 years ago and the
resulting crater has filled with water. As we progressed north the trail crossed lava fields
which were only a few hundred years old and passed volcanoes which had been active in
recent years.
So far the weather had been good with only the occasional storm and plenty of sun so I
was still able to strip off during my rest periods. The biggest storm produced hailstones the
size of golf-balls and covered the ground with a few inches of hail. It was September by the
time I reached Washington and the autumn weather meant the end of naturist interludes
but the magnificent alpine scenery of the Washington Cascades compensated this for. A
week before the end of the walk I detoured to Kennedy Hot Springs. Unfortunately it was
during poor weather and I was there alone. This spring was not as hot as the springs
further south but it was bubbling vigorously and was rather like being in a Jacuzzi.
I reached Canada by the end of September. On the day I finished at least 15 other
hikers completed the thru-hike including “Billy-Goat”. About a third of the hikers
attempting the route manage to complete it. This is an amazing success rate, probably
explained by the fact that over half the thru-hikers have previously walked the 1800-mile
Appalachian trail.
This trip was a fantastic experience. By the end I had lost a couple of inches around
the waist and was getting up the hills like someone half my age. I was still getting a few
aches and pains but this is inevitable on a trip such as this. The mountains the PCT
traverses have unusually good weather so they give good opportunities for naturists. The
hot springs on or close to the trail are all clothing-optional. In July and August the lakes
are generally warm enough to swim in and in the wilderness costumes are not needed.
8th April 2002 and I’m standing by the security fence at the Mexican border at the
start of the Pacific Crest Trail, looking north along a path stretching 2700 miles to the
Canadian border. Thru-hiking this trail might be thought to be a tough challenge for a fit
young man but for me, a 51 year-old only just recovering from a foot injury serious enough
to be awarded early retirement from teaching, a six-month trek across desert, over high
mountains and through endless forests seemed like attempting the impossible.
Being a wilderness walk, with only occasional visits to small mountain villages or
mountain stores, it was necessary to carry up to 6 days food in addition to camping gear.
This made the pack heavy but with temperatures up to 100F and the drought in Southern
California meant that I was often also carrying 6 litres of water.
The guidebook warns against the dangers of the rattlesnakes, bears and mountain
lions but without doubt the most dangerous animal I would meet en route would be man.
Virtually every trail sign in Southern California had bullet holes in it and the border area
was well used by smugglers taking illegal Mexicans or drugs across the border.
In these remote areas I saw very few people and it would have been possible to walk naked
all day, but this is not really practical while carrying a heavy rucksack. However whenever
I stopped I stripped off to dry off the sweaty clothing and slowly build up an all-over tan.
Washing myself and clothing was done at the infrequent springs along the route.
I was struggling with a number of minor foot injuries in the early weeks walking
through arid mountains in unseasonally hot weather and was relieved to reach Deep Creek
Hot Springs. I had decided to take a couple of days off at this oasis in the desert. These hot
pools alongside a swimming hole in the creek were well known as a skinny-dipping site and
nudity was normal among the visitors. I stripped off as soon as I arrived and didn’t need
any clothes throughout my visit. Despite the hour walk from the nearest road the springs
were well frequented by the locals and a number of other thru-hikers also rested here. As
well as allowing laundry to be done the hot water was great for sore muscles. After
spending much of the early part of the walk on my own it was good to have people to talk
to.
Reluctantly leaving the springs I walked along the ranges of hills separating Los
Angeles from the Mojave Desert before heading across the desert and heading north
towards the High Sierra. Over this section I often walked with two veteran hikers: “Billy
Goat” and “Cloudwalker”. “Billy Goat” was a legend in US walking circles having hiked the
Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail and the PCT. Most of the thru-hikers on
the trail were known by trail names and I acquired the name “Ancient Brit”.
The trail cut across the Mojave Desert, where the only water was at a trough fed from the
underground aqueduct carrying water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Los Angeles
and then followed the dry hills bounding the Desert where the only water was at the
infrequent springs often 25 miles apart.
After 700 miles, before heading into the High Sierra I took a week off to drop supplies
ahead on the route and allow some of the snow in the high mountains to melt. During this
break I visited some of the hot springs close to the Mammoth Lakes Resort. Although
these pools were reachable by car, they were still clothing-optional and were ideal for
relaxing with magnificent views of the snow-covered mountains.
Forester Pass, at 13200 ft, the highest of the 10 snow-covered passes to be crossed
soon followed. With the trail under snow melting rapidly in the hot sun walking became
hard work. When I walked this part of the trail 2 years ago in July and August I was able
to swim naked in the many small mountain tarns and streams along the route. But now
many of these lakes were still covered in ice and the streams were very cold.
I deviated off the route to visit Fish Creek Hot Springs and had a rest day during
which I managed to get all my clothing washed in the small pools.
The route now passed through the Yosemite National Park and reached a section with
many unbridged creeks to cross. The crossing of these waist-deep snowmelt streams was
both unpleasant and dangerous. I tended to strip off for these crossings to keep my
clothing dry, but had to wear boots for increased safety.
Leaving behind the magnificent alpine mountains of the High Sierra, Northern California
provided easier walking through wooded hills passing the massive volcanoes of Mt.Lassen
and Mt. Shasta.
Eventually reaching the Californian border after 1700 miles I took another week off
Before heading for the Cascade range of Oregon and Washington. Forest fires in southern
Oregon covered more than 500,000 acres and although they didn’t directly affect the PCT
we were walking through smoke for a couple of weeks. The highlight of Oregon was Crater
Lake, which I fortunately got to when the smoke was being blown away from the trail.
Crater Lake was formed when a huge volcano blew up about 6000 years ago and the
resulting crater has filled with water. As we progressed north the trail crossed lava fields
which were only a few hundred years old and passed volcanoes which had been active in
recent years.
So far the weather had been good with only the occasional storm and plenty of sun so I
was still able to strip off during my rest periods. The biggest storm produced hailstones the
size of golf-balls and covered the ground with a few inches of hail. It was September by the
time I reached Washington and the autumn weather meant the end of naturist interludes
but the magnificent alpine scenery of the Washington Cascades compensated this for. A
week before the end of the walk I detoured to Kennedy Hot Springs. Unfortunately it was
during poor weather and I was there alone. This spring was not as hot as the springs
further south but it was bubbling vigorously and was rather like being in a Jacuzzi.
I reached Canada by the end of September. On the day I finished at least 15 other
hikers completed the thru-hike including “Billy-Goat”. About a third of the hikers
attempting the route manage to complete it. This is an amazing success rate, probably
explained by the fact that over half the thru-hikers have previously walked the 1800-mile
Appalachian trail.
This trip was a fantastic experience. By the end I had lost a couple of inches around
the waist and was getting up the hills like someone half my age. I was still getting a few
aches and pains but this is inevitable on a trip such as this. The mountains the PCT
traverses have unusually good weather so they give good opportunities for naturists. The
hot springs on or close to the trail are all clothing-optional. In July and August the lakes
are generally warm enough to swim in and in the wilderness costumes are not needed.