Hiking Abreast
or
The Naked Truth About Hiking Nude

Perhaps it was the Park Service's warning that the Wagonwheel
Trail is a steep and difficult one, and therefore wouldn't be entertaining many hikers. Maybe that's what gave this particular young lady the green light to expose her breasts to the wilds.
So there I was, barreling down the mountain, trekking poles in hand, cranking like I was skiing. Suddenly I gazed in front of me and what did I see? A young man with his girlfriend in tow. They weren't walking together, but she was walking a breast. That's the first thing I noticed, how couldn't I?
Now, I'm no prude, and I like looking at partially clad attractive young women just like the next guy, but still it always strikes me a bit odd when I stumble upon acts of exhibitionism on the trail.

I've seen it all over the years. And frankly, this is the first time that I didn't immediately want the culprit to cover up. She was quite attractive; nice firm athletic body. Usually I get to witness overweight women sporting a cottage cheese display or a port-bellied middle age man's floury white wrinkled behind. No, this was different, she could probably get paid for that arrangement.

I smiled and made a comment like, "boy is it hot on the trail today." And she just laughed, still struggling to tuck her womanhood back under cover. I mentioned to her that a family with young children were up ahead at the lake. And while Dad may approve, Mom probably won't-and do the kids need to be exposed to this-after all they have the internet to look at breasts.

Seriously though-why is it that some people feel perfectly comfortable bearing part or all on public trails. Yes, I too have dropped my shorts in the wilderness-but at a remote alpine lake-away from public eyes unless you count voyeuristic marmots and ground squirrels.

And nudity is one thing, but I've stumbled upon public sex shows in the wild, too. Once on New Hampshire's Lake Solitude I witnessed a copulating couple and pointed out to them that its only called solitude! On a short nature trail in the Olympic National Forest I witnessed a young couple engaged in a Clintonesque act. Bad enough it was right in view-worse was that these two hornbirds were underage, making me an accomplice to an illegal performance. Sheesh, and I thought it was embarrassing watching elk do the nasty. So, again this leads me to-what's up with the public nakedness? Animals are allowed to go in the buff-but hikers? What's your take on the naked truth?

Tales from Saskatchewan II
The Thoreau of Canada

No, not me-Grey Owl, or as he was known before he became an Indian, Mr Archibald Belaney. Belaney was born in England in 1888, emigrated to Canada in 1906 and became enthralled with the natural world. He met and married an Ojibway woman, Angele Egwuna who introduced him to the Canadian Wilderness and a simpler way of life.

Belany eventually adopted the nom of Grey Owl. In 1931 he lived in a cabin in Manitoba's Riding Mountain National Park. He began publishing many of his writings at this time on protecting the wilderness. Later that year, Grey Owl, his new wife Anahareo and his two adopted beavers moved to a new cabin on Ajawaan Lake in Prince Albert National Park (pictured above). While in Prince Albert he wrote three best-selling books; Pilgrims of the Wild, Sajo and Her Beaver People, and Tales of an Empty Cabin.

Grey Owl was quite a celebrity in his time, entertaining guests at his cabin and traveling throughout North America and Europe promoting ideas of preservation and sustainability. He became Canada's first Naturalist. Sadly, Grey Owl passed away on April 13, 1938 after a bout of pneumonia.

I chose to hike the 20 kilometer (12.5 miles) trail along Kingsmere Lake to Ajawaan Lake to the cabin. Plenty of time to reflect. I was all alone except for the young black bear I greeted about halfway up the hike. As the park literature states-
A trip to Grey Owl's cabin is much more than a hike. It is a pilgrimage that may bring you closer to Grey Owl's message of conservation.
It truly was a pilgrimage and one of two cathartic moments (the other at Batoche) I experienced on my recent trip to Saskatchewan. Like Walden Pond, Ajawaan is a magical place reminding us that we cannot continue to keep living the way that we are. I hope you get the chance to experience Grey Owl's cabin in the wilderness some day. Or at least just hear and accept his messages.

Tales from Saskatchewan

Return from the great north forest

To my regular readers, I apologize for not keeping up with my postings. As many of you know, I am currently working on a guidebook to the Olympic Peninsula and Southwest Washington. It has become an all encompassing project. Let this be a warning to any aspiring guide book writers out there. Sure we get to hike all the time and go all over the damn place. But, the hours at the computer and the little money made on these projects is the price we pay!

So, naturally I have other gigs so I won't end up foraging in the forest for my daily supply of minerals, vitamins, and calories. I frequently contribute recreational content to The Weather Network's Website. For those of you who don't travel to our great neighbors to the north, the Weather Network is Canada's Weather Channel.

I just got back from a 10 day trip to the province of Saskatchewan. What a trip! Lots of hiking, a little paddling and some running. I visited Prince Albert National Park, Batoche National Historic park, a handful of provincial parks and preserves, and I got to run in the Saskatchewan Half Marathon in Saskatoon. So naturally, expect stories to be emerging on all of those places. Keep posted here to where they may show up. In the meanwhile, I have lots of postings on the weathernetwork.com