Damon was more modest than I—preferring to wear a t-shirt that draped over his privates.

He led me around Gunnison Beach: From the small wooden concession stand behind the lifeguard’s chair to the long stretch of deserted beach that led down toward the next beach along the point… where you would reach the limits of “clothing optional” in view of the clubhouse, where the “real” world intruded.

Being a National Park means that it is patrolled by uniformed USPS Rangers who maintain the decorum necessary to keep it safe and suitable for families. I found this quite fascinating, considering the strange relationship our American mainstream culture has with nudity—This place felt like some sort of Shangri-La, where those culturally-imposed feelings of shame were banished.

As one might expect there was a “gay area” situated at the very edge of the half-mile stretch of deserted beach, where guys had erected tents with the flaps open toward the water… to catch the eye of passers-by. This was done most surreptitiously to avoid receiving a citation from the rangers for public indecency.

As this idyllic Sunday progressed we were walking along the beach and spied 2 cruise ships out on the ocean. We took a panoramic photo where I positioned myself between the cruise ships—Manhattan silhouette behind me…

The evening arrived as we cooled down on the beach and went into our tent to privately ”enjoy” the moment… I had rented a motel room in Lakehurst, NJ so we could sleep in comfort and shower before our 3hr return drive to Baltimore the next morning: that Labor Day Monday… Sept 3, 2001.

8 days later the world changed, as the events of 9/11/2001 unfolded in horrific detail before the eyes of us all.

That panoramic photo of me between the cruise ships on 9/2/2001 (with the Twin Towers in the background) became an eerie ‘last look’ prior to the cataclysm to occur in 9 days…

After the Towers fell, Damon and I returned to Gunnison to witness the rising column of smoke from the same vantage point. The naturists had created a prayer circle and the sky was full of prayer flags at variously scattered encampments. Some were holding overnight vigils. Damon & I did not stay overnight this night, Sept 16. I came home and found that panoramic photo and printed it as part of my own memorial…

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