Proceed at your own risk
Coachella returns for 2022, a Sheriff's deputy dies after gunfire, and the Celluloid hosts a student-led film festival
Hello from California’s high desert. Happy belated Memorial Day to all those who have served, and Happy Pride Month to the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies.
We are under an extreme heat warning through Friday evening, the first true sign of summer in the Mojave. I’m not exactly sure of the science behind it, but I always feel the sunrises are much more impressive when the daily high is set to eclipse 90 degrees. If someone knows why that is, I’d love to learn!
I am an avid hiker, which may or may not come as a surprising revelation if you’ve been getting these emails regularly. I am by no means a backcountry expert, but I’ve done a fair share of hikes and summits that require a permit and extensive training before hitting the trail. I used to work at a non-profit that worked for the National Parks, so I have learned to adopt Leave No Trace and other essential principles of recreating in the outdoors.
Which is why, every season, I am floored by the unprepared masses I see crowding some incredibly technical and challenging hikes. Desert hiking is an entirely different beast than, say, mountaineering, and comes with its own set of unique challenges and difficulties. If I see another pair of flip-flops attempting the Ryan Mountain hike one more time, I might lose it. Yes, the hike is short. Yes, you might be in okay shape. But did you bring way more water than you think you could ever need? Do you have a plan to avoid the sun on the extremely exposed hike? And how on earth will your sandals hold up on the descent?
Our society has rewarded outdoor adventure-seekers with movie deals, book deals, and general celebrity. There are entire shows about taking risks in the outdoors where, even with fully outfitted camera and production crews, the participants barely make it out alive. We don’t hear much about the extensive training someone goes through, sometimes for years, before summiting Mt. Whitney or completing the Cactus to Clouds summit of San Jacinto. We see the Instagram picture and think, well, why couldn’t I do that?
That’s how you get into dangerous situations, for yourself and others. So far this season, one person has died on Mt. Whitney and at least two have died attempting Denali in Alaska. Two others were seriously injured on Denali, which had no deaths for the entire 2018 and 2019 seasons. Park Service officials confirmed Wednesday that they responded to eight rescue attempts over Memorial Day Weekend alone, and one hiker died from a fall in Sequoia National Park.
When I hiked Half Dome in Yosemite a few years back, I was horrified at the number of people who showed up to the sub-dome without knowing that they had to ascend cables in order to officially summit. That season, a hiker died when she slid off the cables while attempting to turn around mid-ascent.
Look, I’m not going to tell you not to go outside. But as we all emerge from a year-long hibernation and eye some impressive summer season goals, I implore you to take a painfully honest assessment of your recreating abilities right now. Have you trained for Whitney, or did you just get the permit and are now just starting? Have you completed a wilderness first aid course? Can you read weather patterns and a topographical map?
Park officials told the San Francisco Chronicle that they expect this summer to be “extraordinarily busy” and are urging visitors to “understand completely that you may need to be self-sufficient in the event of an emergency.”
“There is never any guarantee that rescuers will be able to reach you quickly. Understand your own limits, take care of the people in your party, and always be prepared to turn back,” officials said.
For your own safety, and for those of the dedicated Search and Rescue teams that will have to brave the elements to come get you, please do your research beyond just reading forums on the internet and looking at Instagram ads. Build a training program, do training hikes, and know before you go.
And now, onto this week’s news:
Coachella, the massive festival that takes over the entire desert for two weekends in April, is officially back in all its former glory for 2022 after a COVID-induced hiatus sidelined the last two planned events.
Mark your calendars and start planning your weekend escapes. The festival will run April 15 through 17 and April 22 through 24 next spring.
Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. PT if you are eager to brave the crowds. Based on this summer’s festival lineups, I’m willing to bet this will be an extremely good show.
People that bought tickets for 2020 will have passes honored for the 2022 show and will be contacted by organizers to confirm the weekend in which they will attend next year.
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner John McMahon announced the death of Sgt. Dominic Vaca, 43, in a video posted to the department's Facebook page Monday night.
Around 12:30 p.m. Monday, Morongo Basin station deputies were patrolling for off-highway vehicle violations and spotted a man riding a street motorcycle with no license plate, McMahon said.
In an earlier tweet, the department said deputies "attempted a traffic stop" near Paxton Road and Imperial Drive, and the driver "failed to yield,” the Desert Sun reported.
Deputies attempted to stop the motorcycle but the driver took off and a pursuit ensued, McMahon said. The suspect "bailed out of the vehicle" near Dumosa Avenue and Sunnyslope Drive, and "ran into the desert," the department said. Deputies located the motorcycle, with no rider. As they searched, "the rider started firing at the responding deputies. One of our deputies was struck by the gunfire," McMahon said.
The Institute of Inquiry students have made the most of distance learning by creating, producing, and now showcasing a group of silent films for a good cause.
The Institute is hosting a screening at the Celluloid Stardust Theater first created by Joshua Tree Music Festival organizers together with Cliffhanger Guides as a way to provide COVID-compliant entertainment during the darker days of the pandemic.
The show is next Thursday, June 10. Doors open at 7 p.m., screenings start at 8 p.m. and will go until 9:30 p.m.
According to the Institute’s webpage, enrollment declined 52% during the pandemic. Tickets are donation-based starting at $30. The program intends to sell roughly 100 tickets to help shore up its financial situation prior to the fall semester.
Pupdate of the week: We’ve traded our daily walks for runarounds in the backyard now that it’s too hot for puppy feet. Oliver has taught Alice just how nice sunbathing can be, but we’re still working on moderation. I don’t think they quite know how much summer we have left!
Trail tip of the week: It’s prime time for dawn and dusk hikes in the desert. I’m more of a sunrise person, so I prefer to scramble out of bed at some unseemly hour, pack up my headlamp, and head out before the birds are up. It’s an awesome chance to see those magical desert sunrises and has the added benefit of hopefully not being too hot just yet.
Book of the week: If you, like me, have been following the craft beer #MeToo saga, I recommend revisiting She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. The book follows the two reporters as they investigate and report on the initial allegations against Hollywood star-maker Harvey Weinstein. For me, it represents a how-to guide for reporting on topics as sensitive as sexual harassment, but it’s also a testament to the bravery of the women who have decided to make their stories heard.
Show of the week: There is a great new series on HBO about scam artists called Generation Hustle that I cannot get enough of. While it’s extremely cringe-worthy to watch the scam victims recount their experience, I am fascinated by the people that think they can pull these scams off. It’s a bit of a guilty pleasure watch, and each episode focuses on a new scam so it’s incredibly bingeable if you aren’t careful.
Small business of the week
This is a huge shoutout to Mine Train Smokery. The BBQ is to die for, and the take and heat meals were a lifesaver while we were oven-less. We placed a family order last Thanksgiving since we weren’t traveling, and boy was it one of the best non-homecooked Thanksgivings we’ve ever had! I could have survived on the macaroni and cheese alone if I had to.
Mine Train Smokery is working on getting its brick-and-mortar location up and running, but for now, you can place orders via its Facebook page or check them out at the weekly Twentynine Palms farmer’s market on Saturdays. They offer delivery in the Basin with 24 hours notice. They are also catering the Comedy Chuckwagon this weekend in Pioneertown.
That’s it for this week! If you’re getting outside this weekend, be sure to stay cool!
- Megan