Living on the edge...

Parker AZ, Where pristine Beauty meets Conspicuous Consumption

In many ways I draw on the resolve of our species, for eons humans lived off the land and life was constrained by the resources available to them. This struggle is what we are have come to embrace on this journey across America, granted we are only a car ride from a city and the perks of modern living. And, every few days when we reach a town of some size we indulge and cherish the comforts of modern living. Nonetheless, we are channeling the spirit of our ancestors - we are living close to the land and the elements and are taxing our bodies and emotions to the limits (at least that is what it feels like). Yet, at the same time there is a satisfaction and reward that is indescribable because at night when I lay down in my super cozy Big Agnes sleeping bag and integrated air sleeping mat, I melt into a deep sleep that is so satiating that I am refreshed each day and filled with a sense of wonder for everything around me. A decade of participating in Burning Man has given me some desert skills; it in no way prepared me for this adventure. Like our earliest ancestors I am setting my rhythms to the clocks of nature, rise with the light and sleep with the dark. Hydrate your body in the rhythm of the heat of the day and the effort of the ride. Feed your body to sustain your effort for the day. Embrace the challenges of the day without judgment or preconception - and Lord knows, everyday has its own challenges.

Desert Camping

Challenges come in many forms and require different skills to resolve, the skill that works with all challenges is PATIENCE. Flat tires, and there have been many, comes in many varieties - the snake bite (under pressured tires), miscellaneous thorn/glass, and my favorite the self induced flat (pinching the tube when putting a brand new tube or not putting on a patch properly).  Another challenge is the wind, it can be an ally or enemy. On balance it has been our friend. For example, we had no intention of going to Palm Springs yet we caught a tail wind that was pushing at 22 miles an hour and we did not want to stop so we road that wind all the way to Palm Springs, the next morning we faced a head wind for 10 miles. On a good day this is a lot of work! Packing and unpacking is its own challenge as everything we carry has a specialized use and needs to be packed and unpacked twice every day.

Functioning on the margins brings it own challenges as in keeping hydrated in the face of 105 degree heat going uphill for hours at a time. Yet, it is proving to be one of the most remarkable experiences of my life. I am coming to appreciate the desert, to relish the vast expanses, to embrace the challenge of being here. And, most importantly to share this unique experience with my team mates. We have become a tribe of travelers - supporting each other in adversity and share elation in accomplishments.

~Shogan