Maple Canyon

Our first night in Maple Canyon found us tired and road-worn. Our Garmin GPS (or just Garmin, as we call her; i.e. “Be quiet Garmin.”) had taken us on the scenic route through acres of farmland and fields of goats, cattle, sheep and even one plot of about a hundred little llamas. After Moab, Central Utah seemed exotic, with its grassy lushness and pastoral beauty. We must have seemed pretty exotic as well, because the good people of the Beehive State stared at us wherever we went.

Anyway, we were in Maple Canyon to connect with Spencer McCroskey, a proud dirt-bag climber and, as luck would have it, excellent camp chef. Spencer graduated from Fort Lewis College like Allie and Greer, though we could never quite figure out how we knew him. Our closest guess was a sort of fraternal bond between he and Allie – they had both, at separate times, lived in the same house on historic 3rd Ave.

Spencer lives in Las Vegas now and makes his money rigging lights. He escapes the city whenever he can to climb, which he was doing when we caught up with him. He came to Utah alone, but quickly ran into friends and camped with them. We spent some time with him in the Canyon, and around every corner was another group of his climbing buddies- a perfect example of the outdoor community’s bond that we are exploring in the film.

Maple Canyon is a unique place to climb, with towering walls made out of cobblestone-sized conglomerate. We tried it out ourselves, with varied success. I had never climbed before, and Spencer patiently taught me about knots, technique and the life-preserving physics of belaying. I watched Allie and Greer work up the wall, sticking to the surface like salamanders. When it was my turn on the rock I could hardly believe how challenging it was, and felt every inch of the mere five feet I gained.

Greer rockin' the rock

The campfire that night found us all as friends, and we talked and ate and relaxed together. We’re heading to California next, but not without going through Vegas first – luckily Spencer gave us some tips on dirt-bagging in sin city.

Moab

Moab, a tourist haven infused with the dusty bizarre, is as strange and startling as the very desert. It was by supreme coincidence that we found Linus and Angela, a pair of nomads living in school buses in a river canyon. Linus has lived in every manner of temporary homes, and has a deep understanding of what living simply really means. We spent some time with the two of them talking story and even attended Angela’s yoga class at the Moab Arts and Recreation Center.

Linus sharing video tips with Allie

We also spoke with Bill Groff, Moab lifer and founder of Rim Cyclery. We sat with him in his backyard one evening at dusk, enjoying his stories of old Moab and the fist-fighting miners that used to work the land for uranium. Before we left he poured us shots of anejo tequila with salt and lime, sending us away relaxed and happy.

On our last day we decided to ride down to Gemini Bridges, one of Greer’s most favorite places. The road is a smooth and drivable downhill, but as a first-time mountain biker, I found extremes in the wide corners and spits of sand. We indulged in too-fast turns, bouncing giddily on the suspension of our bikes.

Enjoying the view at Gemini Bridges

Gemini Bridges is iconic Moab, all red dirt and weird form. We sat for a long while on the edge of a bridge, marveling at the how human the desert is – the earth’s skin stretched and baked in the rock, her bones twisted up in the limbs of trees. We left in the early afternoon with story leads and unanswered river-running invitations still sucking at our ankles, but we were ready to move forward. I felt like we’d been there a thousand years.

We hit the road again, headed north. I knew Moab had crept into my heart when every man-made cut in the rock felt like a personal affront. By nightfall we found our next temporary home, Utah’s Maple Canyon. I thought I’d never be cold again after trying to fall asleep in the desert heat, and the tucked-away damp of the canyon is a welcome relief.

We are searching for Spencer McCroskey, dirt bag climber and fellow Durango export. He lives in Las Vegas and is here to indulge his climbing lust, and I can’t wait to ask him about the contrast of living with casinos and crags. There’s a chance we might be driving through Vegas on our way to Ventura, CA – we’ll see how we adjust to the bright lights and asphalt after all this luxurious open space.

– Lisa

First stop – Silverton, CO

So much love and very special thanks to everyone who made it to 23 feet’s first stop in Silverton, CO, for the 4th of July. We exercised our rights to sit in the sunshine with friends, play horseshoes and indulge in mid-afternoon tent naps.

We got some shots of the area, and had the chance to catch up with Rachel Mueller, a one time project consultant turned dirtbag. She fell in love with ice climbing one season in Ouray, CO, while on vacation from her consulting job in Chicago, and was so enamored with the sport she picked up her life and moved there the next winter.

Rachel stayed in Ouray until the ice melted, then began a five year stint of traveling and living out of her car. She spent time in Asia, in the Pacific Northwest and in Colorado, indulging her passion for climbing and living simply. She told us about teaching yoga and working at a local health food store to make ends meet, and how she quickly learned the difference between a “need” and a “want” – a distinction that is simple in theory, but complicated to apply.

Rachel is entering a new phase of her life, buying a house and growing some roots in Ridgway, CO. We shared our different perspectives of a nomadic life, we in the beginning stage and she in the final.

Next stop is Moab, to search for desert wanderers.

23 Feet Launch Party

We couldn’t have asked for a better farewell party or for more support from the Durango community!

Big shout out to Serious Texas BBQ for hosting the event on their beautiful riverside patio and to Ska Brewing for their generous beverage donation.  Music by The Gentlemen charmed the evening as we feverishly awarded many familiar faces with top of the line outdoor gear provided by 23 feet sponsors Osprey Packs, Sterling Rope, Keen, Alite Designs, Pine Needle Mountaineering, and Papa Wheelies. We were delighted to meet and learn new travel tips from numerous Durango locals who shared adventure stories of their own. 23 Feet Tee-shirts benefiting the Surfrider Foundation were purchased with enthusiasm to help oil spill clean-up initiatives. The night was rounded off with endless high fives and the celebratory christening of the 23 Feet Airstream with a bottle of champagne.

Kick in the pants, shot in the arm, slap in the face, or, inspiration.

Being inspired is sort of a funny thing. It’s strangely unsettling, like the beginning of a storm. The sky darkens and the air chills, but you don’t know the storm is upon you until a rogue gust of wind flings open your front door. That’s what being inspired feels like to me – the throwing open of a closed door.

There’s been a lot of talk flying around between the three of us about what this project is, where it is going, what we want it to mean to people. Those answers will come, eventually, as we move along the road and our project leaks into the empty corners that only experience can fill. For now, we can share how we got here, what inspired us to inspire.

Allie has been shooting film for the outdoor industry for two years. Every so often she would disappear to participate in some industry convention or film festival and return elevated, full of stories about amazing people she’d spent time with. One such person is Nick Waggoner, director/producer of Sweetgrass Productions. When I met him, he was in Aspen to attend the Powder Magazine 2010 Powder Video Awards at the Winter X-Games. He walked away with the award for Best Cinematography for his film “Signatures,” performed an impromptu harmonica solo as his acceptance speech and shook Warren Miller’s hand, then took us back to the candy-colored short-bus that he calls home. That night we slept five across in the back of the bus, protected from the Colorado cold by body heat and down sleeping bags.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Nick Waggoner on the harmonica.

I was absolutely floored. Nick’s life seemed so contradictory– rubbing elbows with the skiing world’s glitterati then returning to his home on wheels, eating stale Raisin Bran and musing with us about the poetry written on the bus’ haiku wall. It wasn’t long after this that Allie started talking about her Airstream, how she yearned for a home with wheels. “I could never do that,” I marveled to myself when she left Durango in her newly bought veggie oil-converted truck, en route to buy an Airstream in Boulder.

And as there are bumps in every country road, Allie’s road held some unseen dips and holes. Only a few miles outside of Boulder on the return trip to Durango, her veggie engine seized. She ended up stranded for a month, refiguring her dream and reworking logistics. She eventually hitched a ride to 5point Film Festival in Carbondale, CO, then to Durango to empty her room before her lease was up. She invited Greer and I over to share some beers and keep her company while she packed. We’d received a few cryptic text messages from her while she was in Carbondale, and were thus curious as to where this meeting would go.

Elvira, Allie's doomed veggie-oil truck, being hauled off in Boulder

We learned that when she was at 5point, Allie screened “180 South,” a film about Jeff Johnson’s re-creation of Yvan Chouinard and Doug Tompkin’s 1968 voyage to Patagonia to climb a new route on Mt. Fitzroy. Yvan and Doug traveled by van through South America for months, and they made a film too, called “Mountain of Storms.” Jeff’s voyage was a passion project ten years in the making, a trip by land and by sea. “180 South” weaves his trip together with South America’s ecological devastation, a cause that Doug Tompkin has devoted his life to. Allie told us she was so inspired by all this that she’d decided she ought to document an adventure of her own. She said she wanted to make a film about the ever-roaming community she was about to join in her Airstream, while taking a stand for her country’s environmental woes.

I had never heard of Yvan or Doug or any sort of Patagonian adventure and was completely perplexed by the idea of “dirtbagging,” but Allie had the fire in her eyes. From the minute she pitched us the project, it was a done deal. She stormed into my life and flung open a door that I had never even noticed before. I was inspired, and that day I was given license to be a filmmaker, adventurer and the writer I’d always fancied myself to be.

I hope this experience will ultimately yield a film about what can happen when people get inspired. Every person we are searching for is doing something courageous – railing against the status quo and pushing for their passion. We hope to discover what motivates them, what pushes them, what unlocks the hidden doors in their hearts.

And what about you? Are you inspired? Has anyone ever pushed your limits? I want to hear what that was like. Let us know, you can connect with us on our facebook page or here, on the 23 feet blog.

-Lisa

23 Feet Tee-Shirts

BE A FAN OF 23 FEET, HELP PROTECT THE WORLDS OCEANS, AND LOOK DAMN GOOD DOING IT.

23 Feet Tee-Shirts

Stylish, Comfy, 50/50 Recycled/Organic Cotton

$20.00 Sizes S M L

To purchase your 23 Feet Tee please send us an email request with your name, address, and shirt size. We hope to have Pay-pal on this site soon!

23 Feet is proud to announce that 100% of the proceeds from tee-shirt sales will benefit the Surfrider Foundation, the leading protector of our nation’s oceans, waves, and beaches. Show your mutual support by purchasing a 23 Feet Tee.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 member and 90 chapters worldwide. Check out more about the Surfrider Foundation’s initiatives at www.surfrider.org.

Greer & Lisa wearing 23 Feet Tees

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

We are lucky to have our friend and favorite artist, Amee Hinkley, donate her artwork to help benefit the Surfrider Foundation.  Amee embraces our vision and message…appreciation for wild lands, living simply, and chasing your passion. We also wanted to pay tribute to one of the most inspiring landscapes on our route…

As a world traveler and outdoor enthusiast, Amee draws from memories of Yosemite National Park for the 23 Feet Tee. Amee takes a less is more approach in her work, leaving room for the viewer to remember a time, place or experience from their past. Amee lives her life simply and in motion, with a natural desire to move with ease. This fluidity and simplicity is evident within her expressive landscape paintings. To view other works by Amee Hinkley please visit her website at www.ameehinkley.wordpress.com

23 Feet Tees are produced locally in Durango, Colorado by Gestalt Apparel. Gestalt specializes in high quality, super comfortable, and artistically expressive clothing. Founder, Jason Davis, strives to make every piece as environmentally and socially sound as possible. www.gestaltapparel.com

Q&A With Videographer Allie Bombach

As the launch date for 23 feet nears, we bet you want to know a little more about just what we’re up to. Well there’s nothing better than a Q&A with 23 feet’s very own videographer, Allie Bombach, to learn a little bit more about the project.

Big thanks to our friends over at Under Solen Media for putting this Q&A together!

Airstreams are hot these days. What was the first thing that happened that made you think, “I should get one of those?”

Being an outdoor videographer, my job keeps me on the road. I think the moment of realization came when my roommates were surprised to see me at home, and when I could sleep better in my car then my own bed. I have had a crush on old Airstreams since I was a kid and after traveling from place to place and only spending a few days a month at the room I was renting, it just made sense to get a home on wheels. I love the classic look, and that they are light and aerodynamic. Lasting through generations, they are meant for the roads and not the landfills and to me it resembles buying an old historic house verses a cookie cutter – more funky, fun, and the ability to have restoration creativity. I also love simple living. I’m excited to have limited space, so only the necessities are inside.

Did you think about buying the Airstream and then figure out the idea for the film, or vice versa?

I bought the Airstream first and was planning on moving to Portland, OR in the summer of 2010. After attending the 5point film festival and being overwhelmingly inspired to create by the filmmakers, I felt the story I wanted to tell was already there, it just needed to be set it in motion.

How did the idea for 23 Feet evolve?

At first it was about challenging myself. I am happily addicted to change, risk, and putting myself out of my element and the undertaking of living full-time on the road was a welcomed adventure. After discussing the challenges with others who had been on the road pursuing their passions, I realized that a lot of the conversations came back to community. It’s easy to feel alone out there when you’re always showing up in new place without knowing a soul. But, people who are passionate about the outdoors and getting outside are usually a pretty easy group to approach, and it’s hard to leave that new place without making a friend or two. So, it evolved into a story about the traveling community. A big theme of the film is enjoying our wild lands which, ultimately, go hand in hand with taking responsibility for them. Every day we are reminded that we cannot take these spaces for granted – every day we lose more and more precious wilderness. We are striving to stir people to action by reminding them of how lucky we are to have access to nature, and to bring awareness to conservation efforts throughout the West.

Who’s involved in 23 Feet?

When I offered to take friends with me on my trip across the West, I really didn’t expect anyone to say yes. After all, taking over a month off of work isn’t really something most people can do. And it’s not like this would be a vacation! Filming production is a lot of work, especially on the road. But Greer Glasser and Lisa Montierth not only said yes, they are drastically changing their own lives in the name of this adventure. I love that these two ladies are willing jump onboard, let me throw them into some pretty hairy situations, and at the end of the day crawl into some pretty tight quarters for some shut-eye. Greer is a long time friend and a very solid gal to have at your side. I’m sure I wouldn’t have made it out of many a foreign train station if it not for her savvy travel skills. Not to mention, as our designated events manager, she knows how to throw a damn good party! Lisa is also a welcome companion on this trip because as a talented writer she is able to see the beauty and fun in almost any situation. When the travel days are long and Greer and I are about to put on our cranky pants, Lisa will be there to help us appreciate our surroundings. As Red Reel Video Media’s writer, she’ll have a vital role in telling the story of 23 Feet, and she’s also going to teach us some well needed Yoga skills…

Tell us what it’s like to take on this project as a group of three women?

It’s easy to see this project as three young ladies headed out for an adventure, and part of that we embrace. However, our true dedication lies in telling a story that has not much to do with gender, but the inspirational stories of many individuals and their passion for the outdoors. Taking on any film project presents some unique challenges and we are so lucky to be backed by a diverse community of rockstar people who understand and care about the story we are striving to tell. The fact that we do happen to be three young women is, of course, part of that story. I think it will be really interesting to see what that will ultimately mean to the project and how people will respond to us throughout our travels.

“Community” is a common theme in your idea for this film. What’s your own definition of community and how do you think this adventure might change that?

Community to me is really a bond where people share a similar passion. I think what pops into my head first is physical locations, like the community of a town. Although, when I think of my own community, I am unable to name just one place. I’d say that my community is defined more by a feeling then a location and I hope that this adventure proves it to be stronger then I thought.

Since embarking on this project, what’s one of the main things that you’ve learned? What do you think you’ll learn over the next several months?

There have been a lot of hurdles up to this point in the process of making this project a reality. While rebuilding the 40 year old Airstream I kept asking “Is that possible?” in reference to things like plumbing and electricity. My step dad, who has been a HUGE help in the restoration, always replies without hesitation or concern “Allie… nothing is impossible”. At first, I thought he was talking about installing solar power or having a collapsible rain barrel, but I think his simple reply has had a deeper meaning to me in the last few months. I’ve come to realize that many of my friends and family have traveled in their lives for extended periods of time. My grandparents traveled the United States for 10 years while I was growing up. From Vancouver, BC to New Orleans, LA, visiting grandma’s house was an adventure because it was always somewhere different. I have come across many people that not only live on the road, but work full-time in converted Euro vans or trailers. It’s becoming more and more apparent that many have taken on this lifestyle if not now, at some time in their lives. Every now and then I hear from friends that they too would love to travel, but it’s just not possible. I can hear my step dad speaking up at this point. I hope to learn more about how people perceive what is possible, and what is pushing them forward or maybe…holding them back? ….And I hope Lisa will teach me some Yoga skills.

What’s the plan for the project?

Our dates aren’t really set in stone, but we will head out from Durango to Silverton, CO on the 4th of July for the famous firework show. Then, through the month of July we’ll head through Utah, Nevada, California, and Oregon. We’ll pull into Portland OR in early August and will premier the film in later in the Fall. We encourage people to follow along on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/23feet as well as on our site www.23feet.org. We’ll be keeping in touch through words, photos, and short video clips. We also encourage people who are out there right now to let us know their own stories and meet up with us for a high five!

We will be having a 23 feet launch party at Serious Texas BBQ in Durango, CO on June 30th as a farewell and a high five to the Durangatang community. Local music, tacos, and brewskis will be on from 4-8 pm and the Airstream will be there to tour!

You’re making a film that’s certainly about inspiration. What inspires you on a daily basis?

Inspiration comes in so many forms for me. Something that keeps inspiring me lately is what happens after inspiration has taken hold of others; the drive in people who are determined to take what inspires them and turn it into action. One talk motivates someone to be active in a nonprofit, one film pushes someone to change their purchasing habits, one person challenges another to take on life as a precious gift, it’s endless. I feel so lucky to have such a great group of friends that inspire me in this way on a daily basis; people who are taking charge, setting goals, and making change.

Discovering the Soul of Wanderlust, Just say “Yes”

It’s not going to be easy to leave Durango. This little town in the Colorado Rockies is a veritable life love-fest, brimming with bicycles, rafts, local craft beer and a vibrant young community.

I moved here on a whim after I graduated from college in Northern Idaho, seduced by stories of happy, open-minded people, easy access to the mountains, and the brightest stars I’d ever see. It wasn’t love at first sight, but somewhere in the past two years, Durango won me over. This is my home.

So when filmmaker and friend Allie Bombach suggested I leave my beautiful mountain town, sell all my possessions and hit the road to make an adventure film, I was unconvinced to say the least. But the thing about Allie is that when she talks, you listen. And when she says that she is going to buy a vintage Airstream, fix it up and live in it, one month later she’ll be knocking at your door with an itinerary for the road trip of a lifetime, and a proposal to film the whole thing.
On July 4th, 2010, I will load into a revitalized 23-foot 1970 Airstream with Allie and Greer Glasser, and head into the thick of the American West to find a new community – bound not by shared space, but by shared passion. We’re giving up steady paychecks and personal space to make “23 feet,” a Red Reel Video Media production about the worth of wild spaces and the ever-roaming community that depends on them. We’ll travel 2,600 miles, combing the most beautiful areas of Colorado, Utah, California and Oregon for “full-timers,” people living out of tents or cars in order to do what they love – whether it’s scaling cracks in Moab or protecting ancient Redwood trees in Sequoia.

It is this community of dirtbag adventurers that inspired “23 feet.” These vagabonds are thriving in the lonely corners of our wild lands, sacrificing comfort and convention, sleeping alone in battered vans and tents, pushing themselves to their physical limits every day. We’ll explore the connection they have to one another, the loose but important ties that bond them. We’re hoping to push ourselves, too, and try our hands at climbing, surfing, mountain biking and skydiving, tasting some of the thrill that can possess entire lives. We are not professional climbers or alpinists- we will be trying many of these activities for the first time. No matter how daunting or uncomfortable a situation may be, we’ve committed ourselves to say “Yes,” and try our hardest. We’re hoping to inspire others to take risks – if we can do it, so can you.

“23 feet” is also a story of conservation. We’ll be filming the most arresting landscapes of the West, places that foster both epic adventure and peaceful escape. Exposing our young generation to the power of our outdoor land is essential to it’s preservation. We plan to advocate activism and awareness of conservation through promoting organizations that dedicate themselves to preserving these wild lands, and encourage people to get outside and see these places for themselves.  Also, our Airstream is currently being remodeled by Santa Fe local Certified Green Builder K.M. Skelly, who will use recycled and reclaimed materials and solar power to make our silver bullet green.

We’re striving to make our travels as accessible as possible and we want interaction. Keep in touch with us via the 23 feet blog at www.23feet.org or our facebook page at www.facebook.com/23feet. And if you’ll be on the road pursuing your passion, let us know! We’d love to track you down and hear your story.

– Lisa Montierth

Dirtbag Diaries: The Shorts — Yosemite’s Next Top Idol

We do love dirtbags… Here’s a little excerpt from our friends over at Dirtbag Diaries.

“Yosemite has always been a crucible of hard climbing and big egos. Every year the sport’s stars, die-hard dirtbags and hungry youngsters flock here to throw themselves at the big stone. Only the great will become legend. There is Surfer Bob, Mr. Magoo and Platinum Rob. James Lucas had dreams of rock stardom. He wanted to cast a shadow longer than El Cap. He wanted to live forever in camp fire conversation. He wanted to be Yosemite’s Next Top Idol. What would it take? He would have to chisel his body into a granite monolith, learn to suffer through storms and develop swagger. He turned to the legends for advice and they welcomed him with open arms. Turns out nobody can resist sandbagging a young hungry climber.”

Click here to listen!