One Way Ticket to Sendville

It's 2:30 AM. I just booked a one-way ticket to Nevada. I leave in 3 days. A roundtrip ticket would be reassuring to secure my return back to the northeast- But I've almost maxed out on my credit card and I need the funds to pick up an extra SD card for my camera.

I'm heading towards Joshua Tree for New Years, and just like my last trip out here, I'll be getting crammed into the trunk of an automobile. Riding into the park on top of a pile of ropes and water jugs with only a backpack, some snacks and the wild lust for adventure.

This van belonged to a guy named Jake. We met when he came and solod a route I was questioning whether or not I had enough pieces to safely lead. Yea, I felt pretty wimpy after that happened. Anyways he was one of the few full-time inhabitants of Camp 5 who had a van. I remember he would get stoned and play guitar for all of us at camp and then casually sneak off to solo Intersection Rock.

Wanna know an easy way to tell if someone is new to camping? Take a close look at their stove and cook setup. When I first came to Joshua Tree I wasn't really a "let's go camping" kinda guy. As you can probably tell since I was pretty close to seeing my reflection in that kettle. I still have that setup today and I can hardly put the lid on anymore and it's been scraped down with steel wood so many times I'm just waiting for it to start leaking.

But unlike the other times- I'm actually getting paid to do this. Score. And my driver isn't a smelly hippie smoking a spliff. It's a cute girl. Double score. And I'm not going to Camp 5 to hangout with all the dirtbags of The Real Hidden Valley - I'll be hanging out with the Yoga Squirrels for some acro yoga and thai massage in the beautiful high desert of Joshua Tree National Park. Triple score.

Follow the adventure on Instagram @Smellybagofdirt for updates and check back for pictures, stories and new Stay Wild Merchandise.

If you decide to buy anything from this website 100% of the proceeds go towards funding my adventures and possibly help secure a plane ticket back to New Hampshire after the New Year.

"Stay Wild"

-Erik-