Return to Hidden Pond

(August 2000)

My last barepacking trip (May 2000) really piqued my interest in the Hidden Pond area. There are a number of campsites and several hiking areas to check out. My last trip my feet were too sore to do much but sit in camp and swim in the pond.

In August, I had 4 consecutive days off work due to a schedule change, and since there was a hurricane moving our way decided to go backpacking rather than boating. Since Hidden Pond is at most a couple of hours hiking to get out if bad weather threatened, I decided to go back there for this trip.

When I was at Hidden Pond before, I could tell from the large number of campsites, and the "wear and tear" of the main campsite, that Hidden Pond gets heavy seasonal use (most likely the cooler months). By going in August, I figured I would either have the whole place to myself, or if I did meet anyone, they would understand my desire to hike and camp nude.

I was originally going to park at Juniper Springs recreation area, but they want $10.00 a day to let people park and hike!!! (I will be writing a complaint letter to the Forest Service. They only charge a carload of people $2.50 to spend the day there using the facilities, but then they ask a hiker who is not using any facilities other than a parking space to pay four times as much!) Instead, I parked at a small parking area where the Florida Trail crosses Forest Road 10. There was another pickup truck parked there already. So much for having the whole place to myself. I looked at the footprints and saw it was a large, wide hiking boot. Most likely an adult male hiker.

During my May 2000 hike, I had not taken ANY clothes with me. I only had a towel to cover up with for crossing roads, etc. I thought that it would be neat to start a tradition of never bringing any clothes into the Juniper Prairie Wilderness Area. On my last hike, my towel had been in easy reach between my pack and my back. Since this was going to be just a 3 1/2 mile hike, I figured I didn't need the extra padding. I was pretty sure there was only one other hiker in the area, and he was male so I wasn't too concerned about someone "freaking out" if we met on the trail. So I left the towel inside the pack. After putting on my socks, hiking boots, and baseball cap, and leaving my clothes on the front seat of my truck, I started hiking South into the wilderness area.

Only about 20 minutes into the hike, I met the other hiker returning to his truck. He had a small "day pack" rather than a full backpack so I now knew he wasn't camping. He looked a little surprised to see me naked, but didn't say anything until we passed. Then he stopped and asked how far the road was. I told him about 20 minutes. Then he said the ticks were really bad, and I told him that was one of the advantages of hiking nude (the ticks can't cling to skin as easily as cloth when you brush past them, and when they do get on you, you can see them before they burrow in). We both continued on without another word.

I had to keep from laughing during the encounter because of a strange symmetry I had noticed. Both of us had packs, but he had no hat, he was barefoot and was carrying his boots in the pack, and he had on a college fraternity T-shirt and knee-length sweatpants. I ONLY wore what he didn't - a hat and boots. (I usually wear a hat in the sun because sunscreen above my eyes always seems to sweat into my eyes and burns.)


I didn't encounter anyone else before reaching my destination - Hidden Pond. In the photo above (obviously made from two photos), the main campsite is just visible at the far left.

I did have the campsite to myself. I arrived Friday afternoon, and stayed through Sunday. I was actually a little surprised that NO ONE else came out because the weather was actually a little on the mild side for August. It was breezier than usual, and after a major rain storm Friday, not all that hot. I explored the area more thoroughly than I had the first time I camped there, and generally had a nice relaxing time. See Hidden Pond for more details of the campsite.

' There was one "fly in the ointment". Since I could not afford to park at Juniper Springs, and had left the truck unattended on FR10, I was antsy about leaving it a third night. (I have several hundred dollars worth of Ham Radio equipment in my truck at all times and didn't want to find it broken into.) I decided to hike back out Sunday, and spend the last night in the forest somewhere near my truck. (Next time, I will remove all the radio gear before heading to the forest.)

It was just after lunch time Sunday when I started hiking back. About 1/2 way back to the truck, I met another hiker. This guy was dressed in a DARK BLUE SWEATSHIRT and HEAVY FATIGUE PANTS! (Remember, this is August in Florida.) I was sweating pretty good in my birthday suit, and this guy is in heavy dark clothes. He looked up and saw me, and said "Yep".

Since he was going uphill and I was going downhill, I stepped off the trail to let him pass. He had some kind of harness on, and about six bundles of stuff hanging from the harness. The bundles bounced and swayed a good bit as he walked. I figured he was trying some "get into shape quick" technique, since he was clearly doing everything the hard way. I asked if he was going to Hidden Pond. He answered "headed that way". The whole time he never broke stride.

I can only speculate what the "Yep" meant. Not hi, or how you doing, etc. Just Yep.

I met no one else on the way to the truck, and didn't even bother dressing before driving to my next campsite. (I figured if someone got close to the truck I could cover up with a T-shirt. No one did.) I drove to the area near Sellers Lake. It was now around 3:00 Sunday afternoon. Each of the small drive-in campsites I checked out were empty, so I got brave and checked out a site with a good swimming pond. (In the past, I have always seen campers there, but I had never tried it in August.) As I turned into this area, I saw a man and woman in a pickup truck. As I turned my truck around, they left.

So I picked out the farthest campsite from the road that my truck could drive to. I then walked back toward the main road and placed one of my "Nudist Area Today" signs out so that anyone coming later would be forewarned.


The next day, a couple of forest rangers pulled into the first campsite by the main road. Someone had left an old boat in the pond, and they were discussing (rather loudly) how to get the boat out. They were not coming over to my campsite, but I had already been packing up to leave, and decided now was as good a time as any, since my peace and quiet was sort of gone. I reluctantly dressed, and drove back toward the road. I stopped to get my sign, but it was gone. I exchanged small talk with the rangers, but they didn't mention my sign or my having been nude. That sign had seen better days anyway, so I decided to just forget it and make a new one for my next trip.

All in all, it had been a nice four days nude in the forest. Can't wait to do it again.

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