April 7, 2020
I had to stop and look at the calendar: I’ve been in this beautiful spot for 13 days! And three nights before that I had a different spot down the road. So that puts me at 16 days since I left a city (Phoenix) and I am not missing it at all.
I’ve not been alone though. Some jeeps with trailers came and went in my area. Then on day 4 my pandemic pal Christo joined me with his awesome dog Loop. A few days later some more excellent people and paragliding friends of Christo’s came out also: Beau and Sonna with their dog Bello, then Joe with his girlfriend Katherine. We’re all dirtbagging in our vans/trailers and it’s really great to have like-minded people to hang with.
Ah, that morning view. Almost as good as these.
For many days we also shared our cul de sac with some cool and chill people we affectionately called “the hippies.” They also lived in their vehicles: two in a van with their dog and cat, and two in a schoolbus with their dog and 3(!) cats. They wore fun clothes and often played with their hoops, staffs, poi, and rope-darts. At night, their hoops lit up in mesmerizing LED color sequences and a few times someone brought out the fire-dart. They inspired me to play with my own fire staff, which I had tucked into the van but lay disused. It was exhilarating to spin fire again, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.
It’s easy to get into a slower mode when you’re not going anywhere. There’s not much else to do besides preparing food and eating, hiking during the day, cleaning things (and occasionally yourself), then sitting around a campfire at night. You’d think I’d be catching up on my blog posting but this is the first time I’ve sat down to write this whole time (shame on me.) My typical day has consisted of waking up between 8 and 9am, making breakfast, and chatting with others or puttering on my phone until 10 or 11. If it’s a hiking day, then I’ll make lunch and get going by 12 or 1pm, but there’s really no schedule. The solid hikes have been in the 3-5 hours range, some requiring planning but most just setting off on an adventure to see what happens.
Some days, I only collected downed wood for fires or took a nap in the middle of the day. After watching the sunset, many of which were spectacular, I would start making dinner around 6:30 or 7.
Many nights with the crew together, we would sit around the fire to eat and talk until about 10pm.
After turning in for the night, one of my guilty evening pleasures has been watching pre-downloaded episodes of “The Office” on Netflix.
I try to go into town as little as possible these days, and when I do I suit up with a cloth mask and rubber gloves before entering any grocery store. I can last about a week on fresh food, depending on how long my ice stays solid. Sometimes the need for wifi lures me into town when I could make do for a few more days. Either way, I think I’ve only been into town 3 or 4 times over the past 16 days.
There’s a cool place in Sedona where water from an artesian spring is piped into town and available for free! Outside the ChocolaTree Organic Eatery.
Since paragliding is now frowned upon due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve been finding other ways to enjoy the outdoors. It’s lucky that I love hiking, there are many places that I have explored starting from our camp. Be careful though: everything in the desert is out to get you from the ruthless “cat’s claw” briers to the numerous long-needled prickly pear. Bushes that don’t have thorns might have spiky leaves! Cactus thorns have micro-barbs that make them hard to extract, as my foot can attest after an inadvertent step into a prickly pear. Luckily, when there aren’t roads or trails, dry stream beds or “washes” can make easier traveling if you pre-plan the route.
The most exciting hikes have including scrambles up the red grippy sandstone cliffs that the area is known for.
We may not be flying but kiting on the ground is still good fun.
Given that my mission has been to fly as much as possible, it has been especially tough not paragliding. (My last flight was on March 21st, over 2 and a half weeks ago.) In order to be responsible in this pandemic, nearly all pilots, clubs, and flying organizations have been urging the community to stay grounded. Not only does a pilot have a chance of contracting or spreading the disease, but also to end up in a hospital during these overloaded times could be especially bad (both from quality of care and from the increased chance of catching the disease.) I have begun some soul-searching: since I can’t fly what should I do instead? Hiking and preparing for future adventures is fun, but I am considering what I can do now to set myself up for success when this COVID craziness blows over.
Your blog is like reading a novel adventure story but it’s real life with meaning and thoughtful depth.
Thank you so much for sharing your true thoughts and pictures and experiences.