ERE Fest 2023: Ft Dirtbag

[ThinkingRachel]

Thanks, @AH et al! Yes, I too would want to have some idea of who I am inviting onto my property!

@sodatrain: Thanks for the welcome! Happy to share, it's a long and winding road. I'm not actively working on ERE so much as kind of did it for a while, have a nice healthy retirement fund but am not quite FI, and am now focusing on having kid(s) which will take me further away from FI. But I got and continue to get a lot of out of the concepts and share probably 60% of the values (I am not, for instance, a Stoic). Maybe I'll do an intro post over in that area.

[AxelHeyst]

@soda at this point I wouldn't be surprised if 20-40 people showed up. I'd guess a few are waiting for more information before indicating interest, which I get. So that count estimate could change over the next couple months as I/we flesh the plan out.

[sodatrain]

Wow, that's amazing! Looking forward to it.

[sodatrain]

Hey folks - Working on some logistics for the trip.

I'll be bringing my shiny new tent etc. I'm headed to thru hike some of the Tahoe Ridge Trail after EREFest! Will bring myself a plate and a cup too. Down to do some hikes with folks - I'm way behind on training for the TRT.

Happy to help with cooking/dishes.

Not sure what skills I can offer to share while there. Happy to try and be tech support guy for people. Laptops, devices, questions about websites etc.

Couple of questions:

1) I'm flying into LAX on Sept 6th at about 5pm. Nothing really do other than head up to EREFest. Happy arrive the 7th or 8th. Anyone else coming in around here wanting/willing to team up on transport? Per your notes, @AH, I'll plan on amtrak to Bakersfield and hope for some other folks to show about the same time.

2) Will we eventually get an address to Ft. Dirtbag, @AH?

3) On the 11th or 12th, I'm aiming to get picked up along I-395-ish. Kramer Junction? My cousin will be passing by on I-395 headed northbound. What might be the best way to pull that off?

Thanks!

[sodatrain]

OK... so It looks like the LA to Bakersfield via "Amtrak" is actually a combo train/bus route? Can you perhaps clarify or provide a little more detail here.

Looks like there is actually a LAX (Union Station) to Barstow train once a day. 5:55pm -> 9:45pm. That seems preferable?

[AxelHeyst]

1) Cool, show up anytime that week!

2) There is a pw protected website that has info like the address. PM me for the url and pw if you don't have it already (soda I just emailed it to you).

3) The 395 passes within about fifteen miles of Ft. Dirtbag -- Inyokern is actually the best/closest rendezvous place to meet your cousin. We can for sure arrange a ride on the 11th or 12th.

4) There are multiple options for public transportation to get you close to Ft. Dirtbag - none of them are exactly straightforward, but there are better and worse options.

a) The Amtrak train will get you to Barstow... but that's 105miles from Ft. Dirtbag with not-great bus connections to anywhere. It leaves from Union Station at 5:55p, which I doubt you'd be able to make if you land LAX at 5p. So you'd have to take it the next day, the 7th.
b) What I would do: The Amtrak LA > Bakersfield is an Amtrak Train to an Amtrak Bus, which won't leave without you and has always been a smooth transition for me. It also goes the next day on the 7th. You can then easily get the Kern Transit 150 Shuttle to Lake Isabella and now you're 25miles from Ft. Dirtbag, an easy pickup.
c) I think it's possible to patch buses from LAX to Lancaster, from Lancaster to Mojave, from Mojave to Ridgecrest, and then either get picked up or another shuttle to Ft. Dirtbag if it lines up, but this is probably not the best option!

The TRT! That's awesome!

[AxelHeyst]

There is now a Signal group for EREfesties. DM me your signal # and I'll add you if you want (it's not required, but will make coordinating travel and gear easier).

[AxelHeyst]

You have a PM.

[AxelHeyst]

I'm taking a look at the property's accessibility e.g. for wheelchair users. If anyone with first or second-hand opinions on accessibility for mostly outdoor based events is willing to give me feedback, please DM me. No need to be planning on attending EREfest - this isn't the last event I ever want to have here and I'd like to be getting it at least approximately right from the beginning.

[AxelHeyst]

Here's an updated set of information. In about a week I'm going to send something out to get another headcount estimate. As things stand, it's looking like 20 people is going to be the very low end estimate for attendance.

The Lay of the Land

• Ft. Dirtbag refers to my compound, which is Serenity and my studio. That's where the composting toilet(s) and solar showers will likely be.
• The Main House is where my parents live, it's about 200m from Ft. Dirtbag. The main kitchen and the firstworld bathroom is in there. My parents will be out of town to attend a wedding for the weekend, but we should still only use the main house for the kitchen and bathroom.
• There's an outdoor patio with firepit and propane bbq in front of the Main House - that's probably where we'll eat the main meals.
• Tent camping and van/vehicle parking is all over the place between the Main House and Ft. Dirtbag. There's a large flattish site where people can cluster up, but there are also dozens of spots people can tuck in if they'd rather have a little privacy/not listen to their neighbors snore. I'll be making a map of all this.
• The PCT is only a few miles away for hiking and trailrunning.
• Also there is a wilderness road 200m from the site which is great for walks and runs. Also bushwalking offtrail is easy and fun - you can just pick a direction and walk in that direction.
• We effectively have no neighbors.

The Plan (work in progress)
FRIDAY: ARRIVAL AND SETTLE IN

• All Day: Welcome, arrival, setup, hang out, evening walk
  
• Evening Meal
• Campfire, stargazing, cuddle puddle

SATURDAY

• Sunrise yoga/movement/qigong/?
• Workshops/skillshares
  
• Midday Meal: Roundrobin intro/orientation
• Afternoon walk/run
• Afternoon workshops/skillshares
  
• Evening Meal
• Campfire, stargazing, dancing, cuddle puddle, live music?

SUNDAY

• Sunrise yoga/movement/qigong/?
• Workshops/skillshares
  
• Midday Meal
• Afternoon walk/run
• Afternoon workshops/skillshares/
  
• Evening Meal
• Campfire, stargazing, dancing, cuddle puddle, live music?

FOOD
Group Meals Provided from Friday evening through Sunday Evening, two meals a day. Seppia is the masta chef: many thanks Seppia! The menu is mostly vegan, I think Seppia's got one vegetarian meal with a vegan option. We're by no means militant vegan, so if you want to bring meat e.g. to bbq that's fine.

We're not providing alcohol but it's fine if you want to bring your own. (Hopefully by next year my homebrew game will be up and running...)

You're very welcome to arrive earlier than Friday and leave later than Monday morning, but being 'off schedule' we aren't planning a menu or providing food for those days. Ideally, bring your own supplies and be self-sufficient.

That said, obviously some people are coming via public transportation and won't have a good opportunity to bring ingredients or their own cooking gear. No sweat. We're all adaptable ERE people and I've got buckets of lentils on hand. No one will starve. Off-schedule days are an opportunity for realtime adaptation.

Conditions

• Elevation: 4,500ft (1,370m)
• Sunrise: 0630
• Sunset: 1900
• High temps: high 70s to mid 80’s F (25-30C), with a smaller chance it will be in the 90s F (up to 37C). Temps in the 100’s would be very unlikely.
• Daily low: mid 60s (18C) with possibility of getting into the mid 40s (7C).
• It’s unlikely to rain or even be cloudy (although this is the mountains so be prepared, and the air will be quite dry.

What To Bring
Sun protection (wide brimmed hat or cap with bandana, sunglasses, long sleeve shirt, long pants. Skin burns quickly here: don't rely on sunscreen alone!)
A jacket/warm layers for evenings, which will be cool. We have large temperature swings between day and night.
A sleep shelter system (tent, pad, sleeping bag, hammock, van, skoolie...) (OR coordinate with Axel/other attendees to borrow gear).
A bowl/plate/spork/mug/canteen.

ACCOMODATIONS
I have an extra tent or two, including a large canvas tent I'll set up, and I’m sure others have gear to share. Every attendee needs to have a Plan for where they’re going to sleep before arriving, don’t assume there is gear for you! This is part of the cooperative self-sufficiency vibe.

I’ll mark out good spots around the land for tents, vans, buses, and parking ahead of time.
I’ll have compost toilets and solar showers, and there is one modern bathroom (toilet and shower) in the main house.

We also have:

• Water
• Electricity
• Fast internet with solid wifi up to about 100m from the main house
• Laundry
• RV Dump connection to septic
• Propane BBQ
• Fire pit and firewood (if the wind is ripping, no fire, though).

Privacy and Media Policy

• The general rule is do not take pictures of people and put them on the internet.
• Also, please don't publicly post pictures of the land. I'm trying to make it at least mildly difficult for randos on the internet to figure out exactly where I live.

Pets
Dogs and cats are welcome to the property but the Main House is a strictly human-only zone. My parents have a nice couch or something. Dogs are welcome in Serenity and my Studio, but I’m allergic to cats so brief visits from them in my spaces only please.

We have coyotes here. Coyotes are known for luring dogs out into the bush and then attacking it. They’ll take out cats as well. It’s not safe to assume that this only happens at night. Mind your pets!


RISKS AND THREATS

• It could be smoky from wildfires. We typically have better AQI than surrounding areas during smoke season due to nearly constant winds blowing things out, but that’s no guarantee.
• It could be windy. It’s more likely to be breezy with some gusts, and it is typical to calm down right after sunset. Again, that’s no guarantee. The main risk here is that if you’re in a tent the wind makes it hard to sleep. (And if you don’t stake and weight your tent down, remember that it is every tent’s dream to be a kite…) Some people find wind anxiogenic, others find it energizing.
• We have rattlesnakes and black widow spiders. I’ve never heard of anyone around here getting bit, much less seriously hurt from snakes or spiders. Still, keep your eye out.
• We have cougars and black bears. They almost never come around Ft. Dirtbag because there is no standing water or animals. They lurk around our neighbors up the road who have ponds, pets, and farm animals.
• We have coyotes, which are only a risk if you bring your dog or cat. Coyotes love to ambush dogs and cats. Bears and cougars are in the area but we haven’t seen them within a mile of the main house in years.
• It could be unseasonably hot. Even if it’s only normal warm, if you’re coming from a cool and less arid location you need to be careful about staying hydrated. Tuscon homies, you’ll be right at home.
• Regardless of the temperatures you might be surprised by how much water you need to drink to stay hydrated if you’re not used to the desert. Be careful on hikes, wear a hot, cover your skin, etc.

I've got another post/discussion about workshops/skillshares/activities coming soon, stay tuned.

[AxelHeyst]

We're getting close! We need an updated headcount so as to plan food, parking, tent spaces, and toilet and shower construction.

Please click this link: no sign in required, it doesn't collect email address, the two fields are Name and Count, and will take you five seconds.

If you aren't sure if you're going to make it, but would like to if logistics work out, please fill this out. I want a roughly accurate upper bound for attendance.

[AxelHeyst]

The headcount is at 23! Stoke is high.

By the way, there is a google spreadsheet that we're using to coordinate rides to and from, gear sharing, skill/activity sharing, coordinate the schedule for the weekend, and translate our forum handles to first real names. Join the signal group or DM me for access to the sheet.

[Quadalupe]

So, that was a smashing success! I am going to post a writeup soon. But just as a teaser, two pictures that are epitome of ERE and EREFest:


Mrs. Animal with Lil' Animal and a chainsaw. Great cover art for an album


Jin+Guice showing what WL7+ looks like: nice suits, solar showers, compost toilets and that Malibu Lifestyle. Another great album cover.

These people have consented to being shown with their faces. I will edit the other pictures to allow forumites to maintain their anonimity.

Big shoutout to @AxelHeyst for setting this amazing thing in motion!

[Jean]

That was amazing, i already miss you all.

[theanimal]

That was a great time and surpassed my high expectations. I was wishing it was longer and thought it could have easily been a week long. There were similar sentiments from others. I think the format worked well and there were ideas from @mF and others to improve next iterations, such as having a group build and making each meal a workshop. Many thanks again to @AH for hosting, organizing and getting the ball rolling!

I don't want to steal @quadalupes thunder so I'll keep it brief for now. Lots of great moments and quotes, like this one from @Jean- "I think I discovered this weekend maybe I'm not an introvert, I just don't like most people."

[ertyu]

Please post more, sounds like you guys had a blast!

[grundomatic]

I'm not too worried about stealing @Quadalupe's thunder, as he is still there and has many more days of ERE hanging out to do, whilst most of the rest of us are back to the regular world, where jokes about homeotelicity fall flat, "un-ERE confessions" are just regular talk, and nobody will be asked to explain Kegan. It's just so nice to use our shared ERE language IRL. On the drive back to AZ, @DustBowl noted how easy conversation flowed. The one exception I observed was after I wore everyone out at the improv workshop. We wrapped up the session and people headed back to the patio to join those sitting there, but besides some banter between J+G and myself...silence.

[AxelHeyst]

Yes, people being too introverted to sustain conversation was one of my worries which turned out to be unfounded. Conversations flowed the whole time with the exception of the post-improv shell-shock. If we had the data the nap graph probably peaked then.

Relatedly: it wasn't uncommon to spot someone sitting apart a little bit reading a book by themselves. I loved how introvert friendly the weekend was. When people needed to take some time they just took it and there was no introvert-shaming going on. I *think* there were always enough charged introverts on hand so that the minority extroverts never felt bored (?).

[Jin+Guice]

That was the best event I have ever attended. It exceeded my high expectations as well.

I got a lot of information about my ERE journey, learned a lot in workshops (which were actually fun) and made a lot of social connections with interesting, exciting and intelligent people.

I noticed that my extroversion bar was raised massively from 50% to 150% (I swear to all of you that I need to sit alone and shut up sometimes) and I’m guessing many other people felt the same way. I was turned up to 11 the entire time.

Thanks to everyone who attended, everyone who gave a workshop, @Axelheyst for making the whole thing happen, @Quadalupe for being 2nd in command and cleaning up my kitchen messes, @Seppia for supplying me with the recipe for chef success (as well as meal recipes and ingredient lists) and to the whole forum for making this all possible!

[grundomatic]

I *think* there were always enough charged introverts on hand so that the minority extroverts never felt bored (?).

Oh yeah. With so many interesting people to talk to, I basically forgot to enjoy the also-amazing, non-people surroundings. The quality of the EREfest attendees was absolutely top-notch.