When I was a younger girl….

Kris about age 17.

Trip has posted many a post on skinny dipping and it reminded me of a time in my life when bathing outside was the norm. Often we’d wear swimsuits, other times we’d be bare. In the early 80’s on the Kenai, the YCC (Youth Conservation Corps) was not the program it is today. As a YiCC, we spent the summer in absolute fun and hard work. Our fun was coed and not what would be proper in this generation! Many times after a long day of carrying canoes and making trails, we’d gather in the girl’s tent (the flap would be open) and massages on bare skin would commence. Other times males and females would steam separately in a sauna we had made and jump into the nearby river or lake (generally, we’d have on swimsuits for the water part). Twice, however, I remember experiences which were a bit more. Or less……

The first was so funny. There were 3 girls on the YCC team and one female adult leader. We had gone to a lake to bathe. We were all bare. The boys decided to play a joke on us and take our clothing. They were so sure no one was going to notice them. Well, we did and as one, three of us dropped to our shoulders in the water, screeching! Our leader did not. She stood up as tall as she could and ordered them to drop those clothes right now or else. The three of us watched the boys, I don’t recall how many there were, drop both jaws and clothing before they ran back into the woods. I don’t recall what happened after that, but the three of us were pretty sure our leader was the most amazing woman in the world!

The second experience I remember was also funny. We were at a favorite lake making trails and we were filthy. Not only did we make trails, we picked up trash. Gods, people are slobs when they are out in nature! My intense dislike for litter stems from the summer I worked as a YiCC. Anyway, the guys had hiked off to swim and a couple of us girls were going to follow them. We were often allowed to wander off with buddies and one of my friends and I were sure we knew where the boys were. We got to the rocks and climbed up to discover naked boys jumping into the glacier fed lake! Suddenly, they noticed we were there and freaked out. One of them asked if we had ‘seen’ anything and the two of us denied noticing any slender teen boy bodies with pubic hair and interesting bits. Thankfully, we were believed and after turning our heads while the boys ‘dressed’, we all splashed ourselves clean.

Memories like this are what make a summer job well, memorable!  It was truly a summer I’ll never forget. The fake ‘black bear’, fishing with a 2×4 and a nail, my first Christmas in July party, and so much more.