Thanks awpangle! It's our first time with naturism too, but I suspect having that big group of them on the 9th might be some encouragement!
By the way, I TOTALLY get what you mean by enjoying the challenge: my favorite hike is Mt. Wilson, 16 miles and 5000 ft of elevation. That'll kick your butt and give you a new reverence for the mountains in the area!
I have a water filter for the water (just because I don't want to risk anything!). I plan to record the GPS track of the trail (I'll try to share that) and maybe a few good camping coordinates if I can manage that level of effort while still enjoying myself.