Hiking - Part 69

Summer Solstice
Naked Hiking Day

Naked Hiking Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated on the summer solstice, which is usually June 21, but the solstice falls on June 20 in the U.S. this year.

Today we look at another hike by Jim Bornholdt, above.  A few years ago, after a cancer diagnosis, Jim decided to embrace the idea of naked hiking, which he had done a few times before.  For him, shedding his clothes was symbolic of shedding fears and negative baggage.  He calls it "forest bathing", and he relishes the freedom of going into and out of the sunshine and feeling the forest energy across his skin.

He lives in Connecticut, but he found that public nudity is legal in Vermont (as long as you don't engage in "lewd and lascivious conduct"), and Vermont has many wonderful hiking trails, so he began hiking the Vermont trails naked and publishing photos of his hikes on his blog called Baring It All in the Woods.

Jim did this hike on June 21, 2023, which was Naked Hiking Day.  The hike went along a section of the Appalachian Trail.  Above, Jim with buddies Scott and Dana at the trailhead.

Because it was Naked Hiking Day, a whole group of people accompanied Jim on the naked hike.  Above, the group in the parking lot for the trail.

This section of the Appalachian Trail is also part of Vermont's Long Trail, which runs the length of Vermont from the Massachusetts border up to the Canadian border.

The goal of this hike was to hike to Little Rock Pond, about 5 miles, and back again.

Here's part of the group of naked hikers refreshing themselves after they reached the pond.

And here's more of the group.  Happy Naked Hiking Day!