It all started when I met a member of Earth First! in an AOL chat room back around 1993. (And no, they weren’t recruiting me to chain myself to bulldozers and firebomb humvee dealerships).
We were discussing Newt Gingrich's "Contract on America," and how they were trying to wipe out so much environmental progress. She mentioned a mysterious hot springs at the base of Mt. Tamalpais, but it was hidden, and only accessible at a negative tide.
Well, I am a knight who loves a good quest and what better quest to undertake than trying to find a secret, hot springs? In the end it took ten years to find the hot spring, but I had many adventures along the way.
One in particular stands out in my mind. I hiked down the coast from Stinson Beach. Although I didn't find the hot springs, I did find a colony of naturalists sunbathing on a secluded beach. For the first time ever I had seen a group of naturalists.
I thought I might be returning to the innocence in Eden, in that secluded cove. I was sort of right. There was no shame on that beach. However, it wasn’t quite a return to Eden. A gaggle of fully clothed migrant workers was ogling the Frisbee football team, drinking Budweiser, enjoying the cheap thrills.