ScenicBoys

Honey Badger House

WHOO! Our First Adventure Post of the Year!

Last weekend we enjoyed a crazy fun adventure with a handful of our close buddies. Ten of us drove down the Oregon coast to a beach front vacation home in Lincoln City. We spent three nights in a massive house (named after our mascot of the weekend, the Honey Badger) and got all kinds of rowdy at night, and enjoyed the sun and sand during the day.

This place was like the set of a Bel Ami movie, with a beautiful indoor pool and hot tub over looking the Pacific Ocean and steam sauna big enough for all of us to enjoy. We were running around that place like a bunch of adolescent boys without supervision--in other words, lots of fun!

On Earth Day we hiked 4 miles to the top of Cascade Head, with breathtaking views of the Salmon River estuary, Liconln City, and the Pacific Ocean. The trail was moderatly busy on this sunny day, but the views proved too tempting to pass up a Scenic Boy opportunity. So we set a lookout and Dusty stripped down for a few shots.

This weekend we're celebrating Beltane, the spring fertility festivil, and Garet's (30th shhhh!) birthday! There will be plenty of fun stories and photos to come! Who's excited for the camping season to begin?!!

Happy National Parks Week!

The National Parks are like magical time machines, established "for the benefit of the people." Step through the entrance of any National Park and you are taken to a place in history that has been preserved for future generations to also learn from and enjoy.

North Cascades National Park, Washington

This week (April 16th -24th) all 394 National Parks are fee-FREE to allow anyone and everyone to enjoy these great places. Independence Hall, Gettysburg, Mount Rushmore, The Everglades, Glacier and so many other diverse and inspiring locations are there for You, for Free! Follow this link to find The National Parks Near You.

Yosemite National Park, California

We have visited only a small fraction of what the Park Service has to offer, but we're eager to explore, learn and blog about the awesome places we have yet to visit.

These are the Parks we've had an opportunity to explore through out the four years of Scenic Boy Adventures:

1.     Olympic National Park (WA)
2.     Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
3.     North Cascades National Park Complex (WA)
4.     Ebby's Landing National Historic Reserve (WA)
5.     John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (OR)
6.     Lewis & Clark National Historical Park (OR)
7.     Redwood National Park (CA)
8.     Point Reyes National Seashore (CA)
9.     Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA)
10.     Yosemite National Park (CA)
11.     Craters of the Moon National Monument (ID)
12.     Big Hole National Battlefield (MT)
13.     Yellowstone National Park (WY)
14.     The Grand Tetons National Park (WY)
15.     Saguaro National Park (AZ)
16.     Montezuma Castle National Monument (AZ)
17.     Cumberland Island National Seashore (GA)
18.     The Statue of Liberty National Monument (NY)
19.     Virgin Islands National Park (USVI)
20.     San Juan National Historic Site (PR)

Olympic National Park, Washington

Hot Springs Etiquette

Hot Springs are one of nature's geologic mysteries and one of our most enjoyable forms of relaxation. As water percolates deep into the Earth's crust, it comes in contact with hot rocks and turns to steam.  Super heated water dissolves minerals as it raises back to the surface and pools in natural or man-made tubs. It's commonly believed these popular thermal oasis offer therapeutic benefits for weary hikers.

A large number of the world's hot springs are concentrated in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Over the past few seasons of Scenic Boy Adventures, we've dabbled our toes in three geothermal pools, from three different states. Both Olympic Hot Springs in Washington and Slate Creek Hot Springs in Idaho were accessible only via trail with camping areas nearby.  Peaceful, rejuvenating, and relaxing, these pools are perfect for the day-tripper or over-night backpacker looking to get away from the crowds. At Yellowstone National Park we saw the biggest hot springs in the world, but had to stay out of the tranquil pools because they're highly acidic and extremely hot.

With nice weather fast approaching and the opportunities for warm soaks in the backcountry fresh in our mind, we'd like to share some Hot Spring Etiquette that will make your next (or first!) backcountry spa day a little more enjoyable.

1. R.E.S.P.E.C.T. People hike deep into the wilderness to escape the fast paced routines of city life. They come to relax, unwind, and enjoy nature. Loud voices, music and delinquent behavior disrupt the peacefulness of a stress-free hot springs. Leave the partying where it belongs... in the city.
2. Clean up after yourself. Water bottles, beer cans, wrappers, and clothes should all be packed-out with you; this is one of the fundamental rules of Leave No Trace Camping. Also, don't leave human waste, including semen, anywhere near the springs or any water source for that matter.
3. Expect nudity (unless signs indicate otherwise). You should strongly consider being naked yourself whenever in or near hot springs. Soaps and laundry detergents cling to bathing suits and may harm the micro-organisms and ecology. Just be sure to keep your clothes handy, incase a group of unwitting grandma's want to join you.
4. Be welcoming of other's who arrive at the hot springs while you're there together. Most bathers are kind and genuine people, full of stories and fascinating personal histories.  You don't have to jump into your clothes and leave just because you have visitor(s).  Strike up a conversation and see what you might have in common with your new hot spring buddies. Some of the coolest and most interesting people I've ever known, I met while unwinding in stinky sulfur pools. :)

Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy natural hot springs as if they were the first to step in the warm water. Be quiet, courteous, and respectful of others.  Clean up after those who've come before you and leave the area pristine for those who will surely come after you. 

Flash Back!

Our Scenic Boy Adventures started in the summer of 2007 with a handful of fun trips to some very awesome places. We made our first trek to Shi Shi Beach (which has become our favorite place to camp in Washington), hugged some HUGE trees in Mt Rainier National Park and made three road trips through California, Idaho and Arizona.

Then in the summer of 2008 we made it our mission to camp more, backpack longer, and travel further. We succeeded in spending 22 nights outside, backpacking the Ozette Triangle and Eagle Creek trails, road-tripping to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and by making our second trip to the Caribbean island of Saint Marten.

This video montage was made in the winter of '08, but was never embedded in our blog. The video is set to Tommy James & the Shondells' song "Dragging the Line," with lyrics that we love. It features the two of us along with a bunch of our fellow adventure buddies. We hope you enjoy this look back at the first two years of our Scenic Boy Adventures.

'07 '08 Flash Back! from scenicboys on Vimeo.

Nudity in the National Parks

Nudity and Nature just go hand in hand. Many Native Americans lived their daily lives wearing next to nothing and everyone knows the biblical story of Adam & Eve frolicking around Eden in the buff. But in modern times nudity has become so taboo that in most areas it is outright intolerable.

So as hikers who enjoy the feeling of nature on our bare feet and skin, we decided to do some research and give some guidelines for enjoying our great Parks au naturel.

Currently there are no federal laws that concern nudity in National Parks. But since there is no overriding federal law, it then becomes a state issue, and some states do have laws against nudity. It is a good idea to check Your State’s Laws before deciding to go skinny-dipping in a National Park.

In our experience we have found a few great places to skinny dip, sun bathe or run naked through the forest in Olympic and North Cascades National Parks in Washington; and also Cumberland Island National Park in Georgia. The trick is to get far from the crowded Visitor Centers, pick lesser used trails and to the best of your ability, make sure there isn’t any other campers around that might be uncomfortable seeing your dangly bits.

Picking a good spot is the key to having a carefree naked afternoon, but no matter how careful and discreet you are there is always a chance of encountering unsuspecting clothed hikers. For example, after spending the night high up Chilnualna Falls in Yosemite National Park (California), we decided to strip down and bathe in the warm granite pools and beautiful waterfall. We played for about an hour until we noticed a Park Ranger standing 30 feet from us. We quickly put clothes on as he walked to us and said “Sorry to interrupt your swim, but there is a few other hikers on there way up here. Please keep your clothes on for the afternoon.” He was very polite and we respected his wishes.

It's easy to enjoy nature in the nude and to also respect other hikers on the trail as well. Look for seclusion, obey signs and Park Ranger requests, keep clothes handy and don’t be overtly sexual out in the open; reserve that kind of naked fun for after hours inside your tent.