This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A naked hiker escaped a criminal citation Tuesday after authorities couldn't catch him in the buff.
Davis County Sheriff's Sgt. Susan Poulsen said a man in his 40s was hiking naked on Firebreak Road above Farmington in the Forest Service area when a woman encountered him in the nude. The two never spoke to each other or made contact, Poulsen said, and the woman called police.
When deputies arrived, the man was still on the trail, but by that time, he was wearing shorts and flip flops. Since the woman didn't leave her contact information or file a formal complaint — and the deputies never actually saw the man naked — Poulsen said the man wasn't cited, but was advised that hiking naked is illegal in Utah.
Poulsen said the man didn't appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but apparently just likes to hike naked.
Deputies are "occasionally" called out to complaints of nudity, Poulsen said, but the culprits are often under the influence and the situations usually don't have a non-confrontational ending.
"We would caution the public if they come in contact with anyone naked [in public], don't make contact and call police," Poulsen said.
Twitter: @jm_miller