What Do Nudists Really Do? Part 17

5K Series Continues at Oaklake Trails Naturist Resort

John Steinbeck had Charlie. I have LouLou, a north Texas rescue that a vet in Weatherford, Texas, put down as a blue heeler. She’s been my traveling companion for the last 7 years. She really likes going to nudist places, because a lot of them have doggie parks or other places where she can be off the leash, run, and do other doggie things, and because I seem to relax better nude.

What Do Nudists Really Do?

We run (or walk) five kilometers naked. Last article, I introduced you to Amanda, who had a lot of firsts at Wildwood: first race of any kind; first nude 5k, first time nude in public; first medal of any kind (she finished 1^st among all women runners); first time at a nudist resort. At OLT (Oaklake Trails Naturist Resort) I was only able to visit with Amanda briefly. There were other first timers to make contact with, and I had to get back to San Antonio to work on Sunday (LouLou and I got home at 5 a.m.). So, the high-tech guy that I am, I conducted a Zoom interview with Amanda the next week to get her experience in the aftermath of the Wildwood experience. Here’s some of what she said about the period after the Wildwood race. “I was really amped up on the drive home. When I got home, I felt really good. A lot more nude treadmilling. More nude time in the house. More relaxed at home and work. I would never have thought the after-effect would last that long, the freeing feeling.”
 
When I asked her if she had shared the experience with others, she said that on the drive home, she had stopped by her dad’s house to tell him. Later, she shared with her mom and sisters and with one of her friends. They asked a lot of questions, like what it was like and what the people were, and they were more open than she had expected.
 

 
She experienced excitement during the two weeks leading up to the OLT race. “I knew what to expect and was really amped up about that, but, most of all, just relaxed.’ As soon as she had set up her tent at OLT, she took a solo naked hike: “Never felt so relaxed and free.” While at OL, “Got to talk to more people, longer conversations, everyone was really nice. Once the clothes are gone, nothing to focus on except the other person. Conversation was more focused on the real talk. It’s a game changer, real connections with people.”
 
I met two other couples and one individual who were first-timers. One couple I had invited. He had been nude in hot springs 25 years ago. She had never been nude in public. I met them at the office as they were checking in. They followed me to my campsite in their car. When they got out of the car, her asked her if she was OK with being nude. With ever so slight a pause, she said, “I guess so” and off came the clothes. In a brief email exchange, they said they’re ready for more. A school teacher in the Dallas area, who’s been a nude runner and participant in Young Nudists of Texas United, (YNOTU — “We get naked, why not you?”)  invited two of her teaching colleagues. The male, who was totally nude when I met them just minutes after their arrival, said he was not so concerned about being nude, as he was concerned he might be the only black person there. He experienced considerable relief when checking in to find that the office manager at OLT is black. And, unless it’s really cold, the entire office staff is always nude, giving the great first impression that here nude is normal. His mate was working on being topless, though, again, they’d only been there a few minutes.
 
The individual first-timer was a member of a hasher organization (kennel), a 43-year-old woman, a software developer from a small Oklahoma town. Her hasher name is “Quiver in the River.” She had participated in one clothing optional hasher weekend at a campground the Kennel had rented. She said some were nude, most were not. And she had attended a nude marriage renewal, where she was just topless. Everybody else was totally or partially nude. “It was nerve racking, a little difficult at first. It was interesting.” She described the clothing optional hash weekend. “Hash camping was amazing. I don’t know what changed. All outdoors, freeing—didn’t feel ashamed. It was really nice. Being locked up by COVID may had had something to do with it…ready to live life without boundaries and be more free.” About her experience at OLT, she remarked that she was impressed how it was “family friendly, kids, everybody was so respectful and normal.” She told me her husband had intended to come but something came up. (Author’s note: both Amanda and Quiver spent their first night camping at a nudist resort alone. I don’t think I’d recommend that at “regular” campgrounds, but at AANR (American Association for Nude Recreation) campgrounds, everybody is watching out for everybody else, to keep all safe.
 
When I asked Quiver what got her interested in a nude 5k and OLT, she said the friends who renewed vows had been to OLT lots, and have tried to get them to 5k’s. Until now it hadn’t been convenient. She registered her husband without asking. He said: nice, cool. Hashers do 3-5 miles on weekends. Quiver usually walks and wasn’t worried that she could finish. She said she hopes to make the nude 5k’s a regular thing.
 
Having participated in two hash runs, I knew a little about hashing before I interviewed Quiver. I knew it is a group of “drinkers with a running problem.” Armadillo Resort, where I was a member as long as it existed, hosted a Fort Worth area hasher group on a regular basis. The Armadillo owner told me that they policed themselves and left their area totally without trash. Once a member of the group got drunk and belligerent. Usually, the club owners would kick the person out. In this case the hasher leaders kicked their member out. As for leaving a site clean, they have a slogan, “Hashers not Trashers.” There is even a website by that name, and kennels often organize days which are devoted to trash pick up at some public park, trail, beach, etc.
 
So, I asked Quiver to enlighten me about hashing. You can Google “Hash house harriers” to get some of the history. Q told me that there are hares and hounds. The hares historically made paper trails. Now they make trails with flour and/or chalk. Using the flour hints, the group makes its way to a location where there is beer. One of the hashes I was in there was a keg of Shiner Bock plus a bar and snacks at every stop. At each stop there are ritualistic chants and songs, and occasionally one of the non-members is give a hasher name. (I have yet to get a name, “Elderly Dull Guy,” just doesn’t have the ring of the hasher names with which I’m familiar.)
 
Q said every group abides by four guiding principles:

• Physical fitness
• To get rid of weekend hangovers
• To acquire a good thirst and satisfy it in beer
• Persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel

Q also remarked that recently commercials are representing a lot more body types and different people in general. “I love that people are becoming more accepting of these body types. A few years ago, I might have left my panties on. I think we’re turning a point where people are a lot more accepting. I feel better about my body, even though I think it’s different.”
 
At OLT I had told Quiver about AANR, that a big group of people in AANR analyze every bill presented in every state of the U.S., every province in Canada, and in both federal governments, looking to see if any of these could adversely affect the rights of family friendly, social nudists. In our Zoom interview, Quiver asked me what she needed to do to join AANR. I believe our primary mission is the awareness and acceptance of social nudism. A secondary mission is encouraging people to join at least one of the organizations that advocate for this awareness and acceptance