Alternate accommodations

I’ve spent many nights sleeping in this yurt, always at the turn of the season when the rains start to begin. Weather patterns are shifting though.

Without those rains to feed the springs, the rationing is required year round. This adds a layer of austerity measures already in place on the mountain. Existence always requires a keen eye on resources — water, electricity, and the amount of megabytes squeezed through a small satellite dish.

This is my first extended trip in the summer and it is interesting to see firsthand this pendulum of variables — more sun in the summer means solar power, but it is limited. One must eye each appliance that draws a current and determine where to spend the energy. Me? I can be frugal with lights if that means I can run a fan while sleeping.

Luckily amid this heat there is respite. The creek is perfect for swimming and soaking this time of year, unlike the winter months when it’s frigid — when we’d stoke the wood stove to keep the yurt somewhat cozy at night.

Summer months also bring a variable I’ve not yet had to face — the threat of wildfires… So it’s an educated gamble, always.

Yet apart from these extremes, this way of being inspires a deep appreciation — of the land, the seasons, one’s needs, and how it all fits together.