June 7-9
and
July 4-7
1997.
Much of the travel along the canyon is wading through the shallow
portions of the stream, or swimming the deeper portions, alternated
with patches of boulder scrambling. Along the lower stretches, there is
as much swimming as walking, with one pool after another. We will
encounter several waterfalls; once we will have to climb down through
a waterfall, or jump 25 feet, possibly
using a rope brought along for this occasion.
The canyon grows so narrow at one point that you can touch both sides
at the same time. The rock walls go up vertically for nearly 50
feet. At that same point, you are also floating in 35 or 40 feet of
water. At another point, you can slide down a
natural slippery sluice before splashdown in the next pool. The
sculpted granite of the canyon floor is spectacular. The hot weather
in July makes the river particularly delightful.
With the possible exception of the Forest Service campground, we can
be nude the entire trip (apart from our feet). This is in fact the
recommended attire, as any clothes you choose to wear will be soaked.
Textiles take
over the lower (best) 4 miles on weekends, so we'll come through that
stretch on Monday. At weekdays we will not meet that many other
people, and a greater percentage of them will be naturists.
The first 7 miles of the trip go through a remote area, where we are
not likely to encounter (many) other people at all.
For best enjoyment, your pack should provide a degree of flotation for you, as well as itself. A dry bag such as available at R.E.I. will keep your stuff water-free, while allowing you to lounge on top of it in the water, as you drift through the idyllic pools. Or, you can throw your pack in and jump after it. I also recommend that you wear good covered shoes (not sandals) for traction in the stream, ones that can stand to be wet all day. And take an underwater camera! For a complete checklist click here.
The Ventana Wilderness is located south-east of Monterey, California. The meeting point is about 2 hours driving south of San Jose, or 2 hours north of San Luis Obispo. We could meet on day 1 at 4pm at the endpoint of the trip, leave half of the cars there, and carpool to the beginning (a one hour drive). That night we sleep on a remote forest service campground (no water), from were we start hiking the next early morning. The second (and possibly third) night we sleep along the banks of the river. As it will be difficult to find many good sleeping spots on the way, a group size of no more than 8 participants would be best.
Depending on your interest, two
possible trips through this fascinating area are planned: from
Saturday June 7 to Monday or Tuesday June 9 or 10 by Rob van Glabbeek,
and from Friday July 4 to Monday July 7 by Michael Turk. The June trip
will take place only if it is sufficiently hot. If
not, Rob plans a second trip later in July, possibly on weekdays.
Please convey your interest in these trips as soon as possible.
The June trip will be two or three days, depending on the wishes of the participants. The July trip will be three days, so as to allow ample time for breaks underway. In July the chances on really hot weather (and pleasant water temperatures) are better, and the water levels will be lower (making the waterfall we have to descend through less of an obstacle).
There is no fee for this trip from our side, and neither do we assume any responsibility. You'll have to pay a few dollars for the campground, and take care of your own food and equipment. A good condition, and the sense of equilibrium needed to hike on slippery boulders are required. During the 11 mile hike there are no other ways for leaving the canyon than going back to the starting point or continuing to the end. The last time the South Bay Naturists did this hike was in June 1995. We didn't check the area since, and there may be new obstacles on our path. Like all wilderness expeditions this trip is not entirely without risks, which each participant carries him- or herself.
For further information and registration contact
| June 7-9 | resp.July 4-7 |
|---|---|
| Rob van Glabbeek
1752 West Selby Lane Redwood City, CA 94061-3430 1(415)723-4405 or 1(415)366-4112 rvg@cs.stanford.edu. |
Michael Turk
1445 Prefumo Cyn. #15 San Luis Obispo, CA 93405-6164 1(805)541-1340 slocpl@aol.com. |
| Checklist | 1995 trip report by Michael and Beth | Photo's of the June 1997 trip | Photo's of the July 1999 trip |