"I won't lie, the first year I sat in the parking lot for about an hour getting up the courage to go in," Brookfield resident and event regular Chelsey Fay Ostrander, 32, told The Post about her first visit in 2021 - even with a newfound sense of confidence after losing 100 pounds. "In the cave, you have to de-robe - or you can't go."
Ostrander admitted that the event, which starts with participants changing into a complimentary robe in the cave's upper lobby area, was "very nerve-racking" because she went by herself. However, after working up the chutzpah to bare all, she said the chilly 52-degree temperature below the surface - plus equally frigid water dripping from the cave ceiling - was barely noticeable. Her adrenaline had taken over during what she called a "very exhilarating experience."
"It really wasn't that big of a deal - there were naked people everywhere," said Ostrander. "I never got stared at; it felt really freeing and supported by others in a non-judgmental environment."
This year's sold-out, self-guided walking event west of Albany is expected to be bigger than ever, luring in approximately 350 nude visitors, 21 and over, each paying $85 for what's been touted as a celebration of body positivity.
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