When I had first started college I decided it was time to finally give social nudism a try. At that point I had known for a long time that I enjoyed nude activities, I would hang out nude when no one was home and had been on many nude hikes in secluded wilderness areas.

Lucky enough for me, in southern California there is a place called deep creek hot springs which has a long standing tradition of nudism which is respected by the local law enforcement so it's all legit. It seemed like a great option because from what I heard online it was common for people to be nude from the trailhead all the way through the hike to the springs, and nudity was perfectly legal even beyond.

So I arrived bright and early a few days later not really knowing what to expect, but getting to the trailhead and paying my 5 bucks for parking. I had been hoping that I would feel confident enough to strip at the trailhead and hike nude but probably like a lot of first time nudists I had no intention of breaking the ice and was hoping there would be other nudists there already.

Unfortunately there were none to be seen, just about ten cars and a group of textile teenagers starting the hike down to the springs, so I reluctantly started my hike in a shirt and gym shorts. However, I told myself I would strip down at the first sight of another naturist. I later learned that groups of teens such as these were common on the weekends/holidays and they mostly came to smoke/drink, not exactly the best naturist environment but you get what you get when it's open to the public.

The hike was enjoyable, but what I was really interested in was what I would find at the springs. What if there were no naked people when I got down there? I had never been naked in front of another person since I was a small child, there was no way I could do it if there wasn't anyone else to lead the way. If no other nudists had turned up today, this whole trip could be a big waste of time.

As I reached the springs, my worst fears almost came to fruition. Every new person which came into view relaxing in the hot springs or swimming in the river was wearing a bathing suit, it seemed this trip was going to be a bust. But then, as the last pool next to the river came into view, I saw a guy about my age standing in the shallows chatting with a couple people, acting not at all dissimilar from anyone else there except that he was nude. I sighed in relief as I finally, for the first time in my life, saw living proof that social nudity existed and was not just some fantasy thought up in dark corners of the web.

Even though he was only one nude person out of about ten or so there his presence gave me the confidence to resolve that I would get naked. Still too shy to do so in the open I stripped down to my boxers and started swimming in the river, and only after anxiously making sure no one was looking at me did I slip off my boxers and quietly leave them on the shore. Having become an avid nudist since then It is sometimes easy to forget the feeling of that first nude swim, just the freedom and disbelief of "I'm really naked in public right now". A little later I swam by the nude dude and he gave me a sort of wink as if to say "my man".

I later went on to have a great day as more nudists showed up soon after and we hit what I like to call the "nudist critical mass". This is a phenomena which occurs when there are enough naked people at a place that people who would have normally remained textile either leave or join in now that it's in style, and you end up with practically everyone nude. By the end of the day I had met all sorts of interesting people including two girls my age from the UK who had wanted to experience California culture, and an older hippy guy who told me all sorts of tips and tricks about the springs.

In the five years since then I've been back to the springs at least 40 times and you'll never catch me with a stitch on from the time I pay for my parking to the time I drive out at the end of the day.