From: middleto@poincare.ucsd.edu (Tom Middleton ; System Manager)
Newsgroups: rec.nude
Subject: Trip Report - Big and Little Caliente
Date: 20 Dec 1992 01:18:23 GMT
Organization: Institute for NonLinear Science, UCSD
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: poincare.ucsd.edu


     While Bill Clinton was relaxing in Summerland I doubt
if anyone mentioned to him that just a few miles away over a
couple of mountain ridges about a dozen Camping Bares were
enjoying the natural hot waters of Big and Little Caliente
wearing only the clothes they were born in.  I'd like to
think that if he had known we were there he would have
joined us for dinner and an evening of au naturel soaking.
I don't know when Bill arrived in Summerland but I do know
Joyce and I arrived at Big Caliente about 2:30 p.m.
Thanksgiving day.  We soaked awhile and then went in search
of other Camping Bares who arrived before us.  We found Al
and Debbie at Mono Campgrounds near Little Caliente.  Others
(non-bares) were there and after a short discussion we
decided to relocate to a smaller campground which was
unoccupied when we passed it earlier in the day.
     
     P-Bar flats was where we ended up.  Only four campsites
and one taken by a non-bare.  I talked to him and he didn't
have any problem with nudity so Joyce and I took one
campsite, Al and Debbie another and later Steve and Larry
joined us and occupied the fourth campsite.  This gave us a
Camping Bares lock on the campground so we knew we could run
naked and free without anyone complaining.  Even with all
four campsites occupied there was plenty of room for other
bares to join us.  And, the campground we selected was about
halfway between the two hot springs.
     
     After Thanksgiving dinner we all popped into my trusty
Toyota Mini-Van and went to Big Caliente to soak and unwind
from the long day of driving.  Even though Big Caliente is
not officially nude we liberated it every time we went
there.  Usually there were people already using the tub but
each time we just asked if anyone would mind if we went nude
and no one ever objected.  Big Caliente is a big cement tub
with natural hot water piped in.  There is a changeing room
nearby but I never saw the inside of it.  You can drive to
within 10 feet of the tub and a small creek runs about 20 feet
behind it.  Across the parking lot are mens and womens
outhouses.
     
     Friday morning Jim C. and his brother and nephew joined
us as we enjoyed Little Caliente and explored the area
around it.  Little Caliente is known as a clothing optional
spot.  A manmade dam holds the water in and there is a wood
deck by the soaking tub.  But it is much more rustic than
Big Caliente.  Only the dam is manmade, the rest is natural
rock with only a small pipe directing a small waterfall of
hot water into the tub.  There are no changing rooms and no
toilets and you have to park almost 100 feet away.
     
     Friday evening Jim C. and his group returned to Santa
Barbara.  I hope they felt the almost two drive was worth
it.  Bob, Jim D. and Richard joined us around dinner time
and we got a nice campfire going.  However, the real warmth
was provided by another trip to Big Caliente.
     
     Saturday morning we discovered two new vehicles had
showed up at the campground we were in.  One we discovered
was that of David and his two children, they had arrived at
3:30 in the morning after driving all the way from the Los
Gatos / San Jose area.  The other vehicle was an unknown
group who didn't stick around long enough to get to know us
and let us get to know them.
     
     Saturdays entertainment started with a nice hike along
the Santa Ynez river bed (dry at the time) and along a trail
to a remote campsite by a lovely meadow.  Here we enjoyed
lunch, wine, beer and hors d'ouevres and then cavorted and
gamboled in the meadow.  (We could have used your video
camera here Jim.)  On the return trip we stopped at a small
pool in the creek and Richard, Debbie, Tom and Joyce hopped
in for a quick cooling off.
     
     Saturday afternoon while a few Camping Bares were out
gathering firewood the local Ranger drove up to our
campsite.  He didn't get out of his car, he just looked at
us standing there in our Camping Bares uniforms and
commented, "So, you're the Camping Bares" (obviously, he had
seen our signs).  I said yes and he asked if everyone at
this campground was a Camping Bare.  I explained that all of
us were except for the one guy I had talked to already.  The
Ranger seemed satisfied that no one was being offended and
he hadn't received any complaints so he just shook his head
and drove away.  While many of us were hiking and gathering
firewood David and his brood were working on building a
second soaking pool at Little Caliente.  I haven't got a
status report yet, so David, how'd it go?  Are there two
pools there now?
     
     Late afternoon found us making another trip to Little
Caliente where we soaked until dark.  Jim D. walked the 4.5
miles from the camp to the springs and upon arrival was
heard to say "You didn't tell me it was hilly, I thought I'd
be walking on level ground".  Live and learn Jim, live and
learn.  While at Little Caliente we met some Camping Bares
we knew from Deep Creek who were camped at a different
campground from the rest of us.  A few of us returned to our
own camp to prepare dinner while some of the group stayed
and partied with the Deep Creek contingent.  Later, after
dinner, we all got together around a blazing campfire at our
campsite where we told stories, jokes and yes, limericks.
     
     Sunday morning was a sad-glad time.  We were sad
because it was time to pack up and leave, glad because we
had all had such a good time and made new friends with good
people.  Of course, we couldn't end it cold turkey and
stopped off for a final soak at Big Caliente on the way out
of the valley we were in.  We will be back and I hope all of
you reading this who missed this trip will join us when we
return.
     
-- 
===============================================================================
Thomas Earl Middleton				Camping Bares
middleto@poincare.ucsd.edu			P.O. Box 81589
aka Happy Bare					San Diego, CA 92138-1589