The Beauty of Cedar Trails Nudist Retreat in Ohio

Here are some photos I took this summer at Cedar Trails in Ohio. I'll let the images speak for themselves.

Canadian Freehiker Beats Indecency Charge

The law did everything in its power to prevent a man from hiking nude in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, but this week indecency charges were dropped, thus potentially making this a landmark case for nudists and naturists in the Great White North.

Gleb Bazov, a Toronto-based lawyer who represents the man, believes the decision sets an important precedent.

"It is a landmark case in the sense that the law has been applied to nudists and naturists. Now there is a clear pronouncement that a naturist is not engaging in an indecent act." 

The reason for the dismissal was due to the fact that the man's naturist activity was determined to be of no harm to the public.

Reactions from residents are typical, ranging from expressions of personal offense to allegations of harm to children for seeing a nude man, but these are fears and misconceptions based upon centuries of societal restrictions and religious dogma, and have nothing to do with reality.

Congratulations to this unnamed man who has been freehiking in Canada for years, and who can now practice his naturist activities without fear of further harassment from the police. It might take time for the general public to become accepting of freehikers, and hopefully many others will exercise their freedom and experience nature without the unnecessary restrictions of clothing.

UPDATE: Another story on the dismissal is here.

Stephane Deschenes, director of the Federation of Canadian Naturists, says naturists are just embracing their “natural self” and shouldn't "have to fear being out in the public.

"We, as a society, have a real phobia about our own body. We are so incredibly uncomfortable that we find our own image embarrassing, shameful and offensive."

This story was covered by us previously here.

Freehiking Barefoot, Part Two

I enjoyed my barefoot hike so much on Thursday that I decided to try it again on Saturday. It was a chilly morning in the high fifties, but after a few minutes I was feeling pretty comfortable as I started the climb up the trails.

When I got to the horse meadow I again took off my shoes, and probably did about a mile barefoot, around the horse meadow and the overlook trail. It had rained the night before, so the ground was cold and damp, with squishy leaves. It was completely exhilarating. Feeling all the sensations of nature through the soles of your feet adds more than merely another dimension to the hiking experience, it transforms it.

And after the second barefoot hike, my feet once again showed no signs of abrasion, and were not tender. Maybe I'm already toughening them up.

This morning about 8 AM I decided to go for another hike, but the temperature was only about 50 degrees, probably colder in the woods. I went for it anyway. Initially I was pretty chilly being completely nude except for hiking sandals and a fanny pack, but as I began the climb up the trails, I began to warm up, and jogged part of the way to fire up the furnace.

I went about three miles, and when I got back, only my hands were a bit chilly. The above photo was taken about an hour after I got back to the trailer. Again, completely exhilarating.

Next year I will be helping with the maintenance of the paths at Cedar Trails and will keep barefooting in mind for anyone who wants to try it. Again, be careful before you try something like this, because injury is a real possibility, especially on public paths.

Freehiking Barefoot

It's something I've long wanted to try. While walking the wooded paths of Cedar Trails in Ohio, I've often been struck with the thought of removing my shoes and hiking barefoot, but one look at the many twigs, leaves, dirt, plants and who knows what else, the thought soon passed.

Not today. The trail was very dry from extreme lack of rain, and I was by myself for a little afternoon exercise. With temperatures soaring to the mid-nineties, I was very appreciative of being able to be nude and let what little breeze there was keep me somewhat cool.

Now the paths here at Cedar Trails are very clear, wide and well maintained. The trailmaster, who unfortunately recently had to relinquish his membership for personal reasons earlier in the season, had the goal of making the couple of miles of paths suitable for barefoot hiking. His efforts are clear to see, but the dry weather has caused the trees to shed many branches and leaves, making it very noisy underfoot.

So when the barefoot idea struck me at the very beginning of the walk up the perimeter path to the meteor crater overlook and the horse meadow, I decided to carry my shoes along with my small fanny pack in case my feet could not withstand the path surface.

Now I'm not necessarily recommending this to anyone, but I was somewhat surprised and pleased that my feet held up quite well. I made it all the way up to the horse meadow, whereby I decided to leave my shoes and fanny pack at the side of the trail and proceed without them. I was naked as the day I was born.

The perimeter path at Cedar Trails, meteor crater to the left.

It was a glorious feeling, being completely nude in nature, and all alone. My pace was somewhat slower than usual due the fact that I kept my eyes downward to avoid any obvious obstacles. I was pretty certain that I would not escape without some cut or abrasion.

I think we don't give enough credit to our feet, which are quite capable of functioning on nearly every type of surface. The sensation of being able to feel each and every leaf, twig and texture of dirt was remarkable and added immensely to the hiking experience.

Now I thought I was pretty special with my barefoot hike, but it turns out that it's really quite popular, as evidenced by a New York Times article here.

The hikers of the barefoot world tramp not only through mud and dust, but also over rocks, tree roots and the frosty ground of autumn (though they usually draw the line at snow). Yet although they may bring to mind tales of fakirs or extreme-sports enthusiasts, barefoot hikers are neither ascetics nor thrill seekers. Almost universally, they say they go shoeless for a sense of communion with the earth and for the sheer pleasure of feeling more of the world with their feet.

I completely agree. The barefoot hike will now become part of my regular routines here at Cedar Trails.

I made it all the way back to the bottom of the trail, still barefoot. I examined the soles of each foot, and other than a little dirt, there was no damage. A little tender, perhaps, but hours later writing this post I don't feel any the worse for wear.
Still, there is some caution to take if the urge to hike barefoot strikes you. At Cedar Trails, which is all private property, the chances of finding a nail or broken glass on the trail are slim to none, but on public trails it can be hazardous. Even so, I'm hooked, and cannot wait to experience hiking shoe-free once again.

Why not here in America, too?

An 11 mile trail has been set aside for naturist use in Germany.

Canadian Freehiker Perseveres

Interesting article from Orillia, Ontario, Canada, about a man who has been freehiking trails in that area for years. A recent encounter with cyclists provoked the following reaction:

"He was like anybody else," said (Guy) Aubin. "He just gave us a nod. If he had clothes on, you wouldn't think he was weird or nothing."

Still Aubin felt compelled to call the Orillia OPP to report the bizarre encounter. "It doesn't bother me personally, but if kids are out there, I'd be worried."

"He should get a fine to encourage him to put his clothes on."

This sort of irrational response isn't anything new to the unidentified naturist. He has been charged with public nudity and committing indecent acts but never convicted on either charge, and in 2007 authorities managed to harrass him with a "mischief" charge.

"He's been doing it for years," Severn Township mayor Phil Sled said. "We asked him not to do it any more, but he thinks he's within his rights. We passed the matter on to the police, but they couldn't do anything.

"It's just one of those things. It is kind of humorous."

Orillia OPP Sgt. Robin Moore said the hiker is not committing an indecent act if he covers his genitals, however skimpily.

Four questions. 1) If the man is within his rights, why do the authorities continue to harass him? 2) If the mayor finds the man humorous, why continue to pass the matter on to police? 3) What exactly is it that makes even the skimpiest covering of the genitals "decent", and the uncovering of them "indecent?" 4) What specifically is it about the mostly nude freehiker with one arm that is dangerous to children?

There are no good answers to these questions. This freehiker is being persecuted simply due to people's ignorance of the law, and of naturism. Has the Federation of Canadian Naturists come to the support of this man, or has he been fighting this battle alone?

I have been fortunate enough to freehike at Ohio's Cedar Trials, which has 5 miles of paths, and after feeling the freedom of not having sweaty clothes clinging to my skin, and feeling the cool breeze instead, I think it's weird that anyone would ever want to hike wearing textiles.

Freehiking could be one of the keys to getting the next generation interested in naturism. Next to sunbathing, swimming and beach volleyball, it's the recreational activity that makes the most sense being done in the nude.

The Sunday Newds 5/3/09

• Adelaide is hosting its first body painting championship.
• The photographs of 1200 nude people that Spencer Tunick took in Ireland last year will not be exhibited in that country.
• Historic Wyre Hall will be the site for British Naturism's annual Nudefest.
• A man who purchased a family nudist video claims he was tricked by the Feds into purchasing real child pornography. The site from which he purchased the nudist video was under investigation at that time. Previously I warned about web sites selling photos and videos of nude children because it's obvious that the intent of these "merchants" is to appeal to pedophiles. I think anyone selling or purchasing child pornography needs to be stopped, but the idea of our own government peddling smut seems equally reprehensible.
• Mike Redding of Carolina Traveler profiles some local nudists and is one of the few journalists able to clearly understand the philosophy.

  Think about it, businesses use sex to sell everything from deodorant to cars to beer to razors to shampoo. I don't know what the percentage is but sexuality is prominent in what Americans consume in advertising. So maybe it's weird the nudists are one of the few groups NOT using it. They seem hell-bent on getting you past seeing the body as just something sexual. Who knew that standing around naked would make their point? Or in this case, running around naked.

• The Ocean Angels, rowing across the Indian Ocean in the nude, are also in the lead.
• An art exhibit in Columbus, Ohio, focuses on the work of three women artists and their depictions of the human body.
• A restaurant in Duluth, Georgia, is set inside Jeju Sauna, so patrons can get naked before they order.
• An editorial wonders if SCOTUS is going to give automobiles more constitutional rights than it will grant to teens.
• The BBC covers the Swiss nude hiking controversy, and it turns out that the ban on naked hiking in Appenzell could be illegal.

  "I estimate there are only around 20 to 25 naked hikers in the whole of Switzerland," says lawyer Daniel Kettiger. "So really arresting them and fining them is a bit silly. And our courts do have better things to do." What's more, Mr Kettiger points out, Appenzell may have over-reached itself legally in deciding to introduce a prohibition. "The Swiss parliament voted to remove public nudity from the penal code in 1991," he explains. "So at a federal level, naked hiking is not punishable, and Appenzell's laws are not higher than the federal ones."

• The BAC's BURST Festival features Nic Green's Trilogy, "an uplifting celebration of the female body which ends in a big naked dance, including volunteers and willing audience members."
• The governing body for Ultimate Frisbee supports the decision of the University of Oregon for ending the season of its highly-ranked club sport team because five players went without pants and underwear during sectional play.

Perpetuating Myths

It's frustrating to nudists and naturists when society perpetuates myths about the lifestyle.

Columnist Barry Lewis manages to invoke just about all of them.

International Nudist, a Web site "dedicated to nudists and naturists," says you haven't lived until you've hiked naked.

Looking down at my thumb and considering the possible hatchet job I could accidentally perform on other body parts, I'm not sure I'd still be alive if I hiked in the nude. At the very least, I'm sure I would be scarred for life, as would any of the hikers I'd pass on my journey.

The implication is that freehikers are stupid because they hike nude through thick brush and uncleared trails, and that the sight of a nude human body is a ghastly experience.

My wife and I freehiked the beautiful 5 miles of trails through the woods and fields of beautiful Cedar Trails in southern Ohio. No scratches, no discomfort, no sweaty clothes clinging to the skin, no bug bites, and not a care in the world.

Personal aside to Barry: Psst! Nobody gives a damn about your own body phobias. You might not like your belly, your legs, your chest, whatever, but the whole point of being nude is coming to terms with your own body. People are way too obsessed with their own body image, this is why teens are bulimic, plastic surgery is a booming business, and people live in abject fear about getting into their swimsuits every year. This is no way to go through life, Barry. Throw off the clothes for a day at a nudist venue and only then will you begin to understand.

Barry then tries to soften his stance by bringing up his own streaking experience 30 year ago.

It was spring. It was a fad. We were young. Stupid. And back then, I ran a lot faster. Especially without clothes.

So I'm not a complete prude.

Just a realistic one.

Nude sun bathing.

Nude swimming.

Nude volleyball — I get it. Although I'd be worried about someone spiking the ball.

Again, perpetuating the myth that nudity is "stupid". Yes, it can be stupid because there are laws against "indecent exposure", laws which are man-made and stem from a Puritanical background. And what exactly is a "realistic prude"? Is that like being "somewhat pregnant"?

And no matter what Barry says, he doesn't really "get it" when it comes to nude recreation. He might accept it, he might tolerate it, but until he takes the plunge himself, he cannot truly understand. Running around nude and drunk on a college campus 30 years ago might be a commendable resume item, but it does not qualify him as a nudist.

Hike nude in the woods, and there's a good chance you'll embarrass someone other than Mother Nature. Like some mother walking with her 6-year-old kid who now has to explain why a funny-looking grizzly bear had on a hat, boots and said, "Hi!" to them.

This is the mother of all myths: how do we explain to the children?

From the 205 Arguments and Observations in Support of Naturism,

15. Children are not born with any shame about nudity. They learn to be ashamed of their own nudity.

Barry needs to read all 205 arguments which show that nudism is a healthy practice for families, fostering better self-image and healthier sexual attitudes. Children are natural nudists, they throw off their clothes with pure abandon, and they could care less about the body phobias developed by adults.

Finally, Barry bares his true feelings.

I think there reaches a time when we have to admit that clothes — any clothes — can make the man a better-looking man. Same for the woman.

For even if you can survive the ticks and the bites and burns, you can't escape reality, age and gravity.

The "realistic" prude proves that he has an aversion to the human body, especially his own, when he professes that "any clothes" are an improvement over one's given skin. Again, read the 205 arguments, which point out very clearly that clothing only serves to accentuate body flaws, especially swimsuits, and that most people actually look better in the nude. Older people often look younger once all their skin is exposed. It really is true.

Ultimately, if what Barry says is true, that "you can't escape reality, age and gravity", then why stop fighting the unwinnable fight? Get naked, Barry, and get in touch with your true self.

Same advice for Kelly Kazek, who opens her column about nakations by stating, "If it weren’t for the extra pound or 30 I’m carrying around, I might just consider taking a nakation this year."

Kelly, nobody cares about your extra 30 pounds! Embrace your body, surround yourself with other nude people who all have normal human bodies just like yours. People are brainwashed with airbrushed images in magazines, and perfectly made-up faces in the movies and on TV, so when normal people look in the mirror, they are seeing something far different that what is portrayed in the media. Hell, even supermodels need makeup and airbrushing! Nobody can compete with that sort of artificial ideal.

Kelly then goes on to make snide comments about various nakation venues, showing her own immaturity.

Nudism is no joke, folks. In fact, it could be a big factor in combating pornography, developing healthier attitudes, building stronger bodies, fighting teen pregnancy (as argued by British Naturism), and generally relieving stress and strain from the pressures of modern society.

Setting aside all the myths, and getting past all the giggles, nudism and naturism are seriously good things for society, and more needs to be done to counterract the immature columnists who don't know Jack.

The Monthly Newds Part Three 3/28/09

More catching up...

• More and more columnists are making the argument that sexting teens are NOT sex offenders and should not be punished for taking nude photos of themselves. Read here, here, and here.
• British Naturism has offered its advice on how to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in Scotland.
  

  In a submission to the Scottish Government, British Naturism said a less prudish attitude to the naked body would help take away the mystique that it says contributes to high pregnancy levels in teenagers.
  
  A less "censorious" attitude to the body would also give youngsters a better understanding of their own bodies and prevent eating disorders, it said.

• Some women disagree with language in the new North Dakota breastfeeding bill which requires a nursing mother to act "in a discreet and modest manner" in public.
• 100 women disrobed in Paraguay to protest nuclear weapons.
• This article does its best to sensationalize the teen sexting phenomenon, using the following words to create hysteria: porn star, provocatively, alarming, pornography, horrify, disturbing, shamelessly, hard-core, damaging, long-term effects, explicit, obscene, illegal, horrifying, breaking the law, consequences, humiliation, prosecution, police, not for the faint-hearted, totally inappropriate, topless, naked, nudity, sex acts, murders, at risk, vulnerable, horror, stomach-turning, sexual violence, outlawed, etc. The entire article is nothing by hyperbole, dwelling entirely on all the perceived dangers and never making any attempt to understand what is really happening.
• Some people collect stamps, others collect nude photos of celebrities.

  “A friend of mine spent nearly thirty years collecting a complete set of nude photos of the original Magnificent Seven, for instance. Charles Bronson was the most difficult to obtain,” says Buffage. “Whilst there were known to be a couple of shots of his bare arse snapped by a tourist when he mooned at Richard Attenborough during The Great Escape, for many years it was believed that no full-frontal pictures of Bronson existed. Eventually my mate heard of an illicit picture taken by a technician during the shooting of The Dirty Dozen. He ended up paying £3,000 for the picture and the negatives - a real bargain!”

• A critic feels that Nancy Feliciano spends "way too much time nekkid" in the film "Into the Woods".
• The New York Times covered the story about nude hiking in Switzerland.
  

  Mr. Hepenstrick, 54, is an architect who loves to hike in the altogether. In winter, he said, he has hiked for hours in temperatures well below freezing, though he does concede the need for a hat and gloves. He has hiked in the nude for about 30 years, he said, and has crisscrossed the hills and mountains around Appenzell, as well as in France, Germany, Italy and even the Appalachians.
  
  His companion, a schoolteacher, also hikes, though she will not do so au naturel, he said. So why does he take off his clothes? “There’s not much to discuss,” he said. “It’s freedom. First, freedom in your head; then, freedom of the body.”

• A columnist understands that most teenage sexual confusion and curiosity stems from the fact that society bombards them with adult sexual imagery just when their hormones begin to explode, while at the same time expects them to remain innocent and pure.
• In Vietnam, artists releasing nude photos online is a "phenomenon".
• Wearing only well-placed shamrocks, 400 people stripped off in London in order to win free flights with Aer Lingus.
• Mark Simonson recalls the heyday of streaking in the 70s.
• About 50 nude men and women took part in the Australian leg of The World Naked Bike Ride, and police reported no complaints. Riders stopped and posed for photos with some newlyweds.

The Monthly Newds Part One 3/27/09

• Dropping the word "naked" from "naked mole rat" on a Washington state high school t-shirt was not enough, apparently, because parents are objecting on the grounds the words could be slang for female genitalia.
• Swimsuit model Joanna Krupa is not worried about being topless in a photo shoot because Pope John Paul II approved of nudity.
• Critics of Australia's proposed Internet blacklist to control child pornography say that such a filter is nothing but censorship. The proposal has sparked protests across the country. A similar outcry is happening in the UK over a new bill which could define even a comic book like "Watchmen" as being child pornography.
• Nashville is the latest city to try and control the dress codes of minorities.
• After more than 50 years of seeking young women to pose in the nude, Playboy magazine is still stirring up controversy on college campuses.
• CNN covers the "nakation".

  The economic recession is "doing us a lot of favors, maybe because there's the idea that if you've lost the shirt off your back, you should go nude," said Erich Schuttauf, executive director of the American Association for Nude Recreation.

• Posters of nude women could be banned from Scottish prison cells because prisons should not display "anything which is offensive to other people". One presumes that ax murderers and bank robbers on display behind bars don't fall under the definition of "offensive".
• In hard economic times, more and more women are turning to stripping to support their families.
• Freehikers in Switzerland are threatening to sue the canton of Appenzell if a law is passed banning nudity on the trails.

  To the authorities' argument that naked hiking should be banned because it could be detrimental to children, Kettiger responds with incredulity. "Oh, please. In this day and age, when kids have access to the Internet and where images of naked people are on every newsstand, how can they be shocked?" he asks. "Is there really a child out there who hasn't seen a naked person yet?"

• Robin Lord recounts his visit to a nude beach in the Summer of '71, and the perils of not wearing sunscreen where the sun don't usually shine.
• The Supreme Court is about to hear a case where a 13 year-old girl was stripped searched six years ago by school officials because they suspected she was in possession of some ibuprofen pills.

  In Ms. Redding’s case, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, ruled that school officials had violated the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches. Writing for the majority, Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw said, “It does not require a constitutional scholar to conclude that a nude search of a 13-year-old child is an invasion of constitutional rights.”

• Officials at a Brooklyn public library have apologized to a woman who was scolded for breastfeeding her child in the children's book section.
• Jennifer Dempsey feels more comfortable about her body since she began working as a nude artists' model.

  Instantly I became someone new to myself. The mere act of standing on that platform made me someone who was confident to let people draw her nude body. When I struck my first gesture pose, the artists heads bobbed up and down, looking frantically from my body to their sketch pad, trying to capture the pose before the timer went off.

• To be continued....

The Daily Newds 2/11/09

• The Leeds City Museum is offering "Designer Body", a piece of performance theatre which celebrates the beauty of the human body.

  Over the course of 50 minutes the seven dancers will slowly disrobe until they each end up completely naked.
  
  Christine Grimwood, company manager, said: "The piece consists of dancers revolving on plinths that go in different directions and at different speeds.
  
  They start off in quite elaborate costumes and over the course of the performance they strip away layers until they end up like sculptural nudes."

• Strippers in Michigan are being targeted with special work permits and excise fees.

  An attorney who has advised the Michigan chapter of the club association expressed concerns about the constitutionality of both aspects of the legislation.
  
  "In regard to the head tax, everyone that has pursued one of these has had it overturned," said Brad Shafer, based in Lansing.
  
  "There are all kinds of constitutional issues - freedom of speech, freedom of association, Fourth Amendment, privacy issues. For it to be lawful, it has to comply with all those constitutional requirements," he said adding that he has played a role in overturning similar licensing laws in other cities, including Louisville, Ky.

• Nudists and naturists are always saying that total nudity is less sexy than the presence of some clothing, and a theatre blogger agrees.

  The best – and most erotic – sex scenes in the theatre are often suggestive rather than explicit; they frequently come fully clothed. In Phil Willmott's canny production of Fucking Men, the sex has always just taken place or is about to take place. We never actually see it. In Akhe's Faust at the ICA a couple of weeks ago, Faust's sexual conquest was brilliantly indicated by a tiny spinning top.

• The controversy over an artist who paints nude portraits of his 23 year-old daughter is representative of the confusion in China brought about by the sexual revolution of the past three decades.
• Hugh Jackman declares that he is planning on doing his stint as Oscar host in the nude.
• New Zealanders gathered to celebrate National Naturists' Week.
• A photo of a nude man was projected onto a museum building in Britain to break the taboo of showing the male form.
• After their request for a nude beach was rejected, the Nambucca Valley Nudist Group is continuing their search for a clothing-optional area.
• Backpacker magazine is inviting comments from readers who have hiked in the nude, or would consider doing so.
• Columnist Mark Patinkin doesn't seem to have a problem with all the violence at The Super Bowl, but he's really upset about all the sexy ads.
• Cynthia Manning has been posing as a nude artists' model since 1998.

  Everybody has character in their body. There was a model here, she weighed 350 pounds. People clamored for her. You have to figure out where the skeleton is, what the body is doing under the flesh, body type-wise. That’s what you go for, to teach you how to understand human anatomy. Foreshortening is critical. You have to understand a bent leg.

• A blogger attends his first nudist event.

  I had the feeling that I was doing something illicit, that I was part of a small group gathering in secret to do something that society tells us not to do. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but exhilarating at the same time. I couldn’t wait to get inside and meet these new people...I had a chance to talk with several members, and they all were friendly and approachable. I wonder if being naked with all these strangers forced me to be more social?

• Meet the best nudism writer in Canada.

  After a couple lengths of easy breast stroke, I screw up my courage to talk to some nudists. Dog-paddling naked is one thing, but doing interviews? I had no idea journalism would present such personal challenges.
  
  I survey the pool area. Lee was right, everyone is doing ordinary things. Talking. Swimming. Hugging. Wait -- hugging? Naked?
  
  "Body contact is not a big deal," says Jill, who has asked not to use her real name. "It's not sexual. It's like hugging someone at an office party. 'Hey, Merry Christmas, how have you been?' It's the same."
  
  I begin to worry Jill is going to hug me. She doesn't, but takes a few minutes to tell me why she is a nudist.
  
  "Swimming naked is absolutely wonderful," she says. "It's a bit of who I am and I'm not worried about my body. And it's fun.
  
  "We're not showing off, we're swimming."

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked