The River

The sun was setting, creeping down the rim of a side canyon across the river. It allowed a wedge of sunshine on the sandbar that was otherwise already in canyon shade. In my little slice of heavenly light, sitting in a small mesh river chair, the fading blast of the sun’s heat bathed my body in delicious warmth. I had just showered in about a quart of water from a handheld solar shower. Exposing my body directly to the last sunlight dried me quickly and left me feeling warm and toasty and randy. I desperately wanted to touch myself.

Precious moments on the river like this are part of my camp routine. Sometime between rigging the boats, setting up camp, cooking duties, camp games, campfires, and storytelling, I find moments to be with the canyon, the sky, the stars, and myself, nude. There is a peace to be found, away from the passengers, listening to the sounds of the river and wind, an occasional bird, or a jumping fish -- just me among the stone of the canyon and the freedom of the sky. My anxiety, my fear, the agitation of my spirit flow out of me. When it is gone, as a well-known litany of fears says, only I remain.

Cory, one of the 12 participants in our six-day river adventure, drags a river chair over to share my little patch of sun. She’s maybe 30, not quite as petite as I, and a well-muscled triathlete. She isn’t pretty in a girly sense, but her long dark hair and androgenous features fascinate me. I was drawn to her from the moment I saw her at the welcome dinner the night before our trip launch.

Cory plopped her chair down in the last of the sun next to me, sat down, and shivered. The one-piece swimsuit she wore was still wet. She tried drying the suit with a camp towel. She didn’t react to my nudity.

“I should have taken my swimsuit off for the shower,” she said.

“Why didn’t you?” I asked.

“Peer pressure. None of the other girls were getting naked,” she replied.

“Shower nude tomorrow. The others will follow,” I offered. Then, I couldn’t resist. “You can take it off now,” I said, smiling innocently.

What a quizzical look came over her face. She hesitated only slightly, then shed her suit and quickly dried herself before sitting, nude like me, in the warm sunlight.

“Better,” she said, “thanks.”

The sun lasted another ten minutes or so. We soaked up the last of the sun’s glow together, naked as when we were born. It was just enough time for us to connect. Cory and I were definitely on the same wavelength.

With the sun below the canyon walls, it was time for me to help prepare dinner with my trip leader and get our passengers organized for the evening activities. Cory and I walked back to camp together, attracting curious looks and smiles as we found our campsites and got dressed.