100 Degree Naked Tandy Hills Hiking In Deadly Air Pollution

In the photo you are looking at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, as filtered through a Level Red Air Pollution Alert, viewed from the western side of the Tandy Hills, near the I-30 freeway.

This afternoon I was feeling cooped up and cranky. I'd been to the Kemah Boardwalk, near Houston, virtually, this morning. After that I went north to Southlake, non-virtually.

The past two days I did get in my morning swim, but yesterday the 100 degree plus outdoor oven had me not feeling it, or wanting to feel it.

By early afternoon my physical therapist, Dr. L.C., was telling me, despite the warnings from the National Weather Service that the elderly should not go outside in this dangerous air, that she thought I had to, or my crankiness could turn ugly.

So, sometime after 4 in the afternoon, with Mother Nature heating it up to 101, I took off to the Tandy Hills Natural Area to be natural. I wore cooling mesh shorts, not my usual cargo shorts, because my intention was to try the Naked Hiking thing again. I knew there was absolutely no chance that there would be any other idiot in this 6 million person Metroplex, so deranged, as to be out hiking in killer temps in killer air, so there was no more chance of running into another human, whilst sans outerwear, than there is where I am right now.

I gotta tell you, I've decided there is something to this skinnyhiking thing. I ended up hiking for well over an hour. I did not overheat. The only time I broke out into rivers of sweat was when I stopped to get a drink or look at something.

Abrupt subject change.

We appear to be building to a possible storm. There has been one short burst of hail and some wind. High temperatures wreak havoc with stability, both weather-wise and mental-wise.

Tomorrow morning I think I'm heading to New Braunfels and a place called Schlitterbahn. That should be interesting. Jammin Mole has volunteered to do some of the driving and buy some gas. I told her that was not necessary.

See you tomorrow.

Naked Hiking Day At Tandy Hills Natural Park

In the blogging previous to this one I blogged about this coming Sunday's Summer Solstice Naked Hiking Day.

There have been articles in various media today about the naked hiking phenomenon.

The New York Times had an article in which a machinist from Warren, PA, Andrew Williams, 28, said, "There's no way to explain it until you experience it. It's not about being lewd and crude and all that. It's just enjoyment."

Well. Now, I have used some basic photo-chopping to fake that I've gone hiking at the Tandy Hills, au naturel, previously, just to amuse myself with the reactions of some. Some did not disappoint.

And then today, with Naked Hiking Day looming 2 days hence, I decided today I was going to see if it actually is true that hiking in the buff is a fun thing.

Now, I've long been a fan of skinnydipping. That just seems natural. One does not wear shoes when one skinnydips. So, there is a basic problem with naked hiking, in that one needs to wear hiking boots.

I got to the Tandy Hills Natural Area around noon. I knew there'd be no one there. This time I was going to test if Naked Hiking is enjoyable. I took along a backpack to carry my water, cameras. And, eventually, shorts.

As soon as I reached the point where I was no longer visible from the road I doffed my shorts and stuck them in the backpack. And then started hiking like I usually do. Only in Naked Hiking mode.

Well. It did not take me long to feel totally ridiculous. I did not see anything remotely enjoyable about it. Yes, it was a bit cooler. But it quickly became apparent that skinnyhiking is not like skinnydipping. I don't worry about going through brushy areas when I'm skinnydipping. I did not like feeling exposed to something poking me.

And then there was the issue of areas being exposed where normally the sun does not shine. I had not thought to sunscreen those areas.

I did maybe a half mile of naked hiking before I decided this was one of the stupider things I've done in awhile. It was not in the slightest enjoyable. I don't know what that Williams guy from Pennsylvania is thinking. From this day forth, when I am hiking, I am keeping my shorts on. My shirt, not so much.