The Open Road

CTLST *

THE OPEN ROAD ISSUE

We find ourselves at a crossroads – yet again.

Which means that we will have to evolve our thinking, as a society or as individuals, and reconsider the paths we take in an effort to bring about the kind of change we believe is necessary in this world.

My daughter Tess (our middle child) turned 20 years old this February and I invited her to join me for a few days at our place near Joshua Tree. I had planned to attend ‘Desert & Denim’, a denim and garment tradeshow hosted at one of the area’s recently renovated motels – a harbinger of the new wave of creative professionals flocking to the Morengo Valley, which runs along the northern edge of Joshua Tree National Park. This tribe of frontier people come equipped with brand savvy and digital equipment, capable of launching their crowdfunded idea from anywhere, anytime. I have to disclose that I recently acquired a windswept five acre parcel in the region myself, including a derelict 1950’s homestead cabin in need of some TLC (i.e. walls, windows and basic plumbing) and a funky trailer. To me it’s heaven, and I know Tess shares my love of the open skies and rustic living. Sadly, she and I haven’t had much of a meaningful relationship in the past years. I sensed an opportunity to lure her away to some much needed one-on-one time in the form of a weekend at the trailer and maybe some live music at the local watering hole. The day before we left it occurred to me that I could possibly extend my trip beyond the two nights, since I had no pressing business and I sensed that an extended stay could do wonders for our strained relationship. As we were leaving I asked my daughter to pack some extra clothes and I loaded up some additional gear, provisions, and fishing poles. –

To make a long story short, my daughter and I (along with her Pit Husky mix, River) ended up embarking on a spontaneous 3 week road trip through the glorious plains, mountains, and canyons of California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. We ended up covering about 2700 miles, never using the same stretch of road twice. We slept under the open skies, in cabins or motels, even spent the night in a traditional Navajo hogan. We’d stay off the beaten path and since this is not tourist season we had most sites to ourselves. We had the good fortune to re-calibrate, tune-in, hold space for each other, sharing our challenges and goals, and in the process regain some of the trust and understanding that had so evidently eroded over the last years.

This trip has been eye-opening in many ways. What stays with me the most is an echo of the ancient ways of the Native American people and cultures that we have so sadly marginalized.

I have gained more clarity about the importance of pursuing one’s purpose and passions. The personal collection of observations contained in these pages is a first step in sharing a new vision which is part of a larger vision: CTLST* [catalyst] – a collaborative platform – creating space to share ideas and facilitate dialogue. (The *asterisk symbolizes the spark.) More than ever, there is an urgency to prioritize our needs as a society and to pursue lower impact lifestyles, based on a more localized and less wasteful use of resources.

If this pre-issue of CTLST* inspires you to embark on a road trip or journey of your own, I’d like to hear from you and share your story. – And so it starts.

With love & gratitude, Urs Baur

OPEN TO PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING

ANYTHING

“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.”

- Jack Kerouac, On the Road

19 20

18

17

21

1

2

3

4

1. Los Angeles

(Topanga Canyon) CA 2. Joshua Tree CA 3. Amboy CA 4. Lake Havasu AZ 5. Jerome AZ 6. Sedona AZ 7. Flagstaff AZ 8. Chinle, Canyon De Chelly National Monument AZ 9. Four Corners Monument Navajo Nation 10. Durango CO 11. Moff at CO 12. Great Sand Dunes National Park CO

16

5

7

6

15

6 9

10

8

14

11

12

13

13. Taos NM 14. Chaco Culture National Historical Park NM 15. Moab UT 16. Salt Lake City UT 17. Bonneville Salt Flats UT 18. Winnemucca NV 19. Healdsburg CA 20. Cloverdale CA 21. Santa Ynez CA

5 ACRES OF HEAVEN

In 1938 the U.S. Congress passed the Mini Homestead Act dividing large swaths of government owned land in the Mojave Desert into 5 acre parcels which made it possible for the common person to fi le a claim on one of the lots for as little as $10 down. As long as they improved the property within 2 years (a cabin with a footprint of at least 200 Sq. ft. was deemed suffi cient), the claim became permanent. However, it wasn’t until after WWII that a growing number of returning veterans fl ocked to the area around 29 Palms in the Morongo Valley, their dreams of land ownership fueled by the booming economy, a new found sense of mobility, romantic notions of owning a slice of the last western frontier and the promise of the ‘healing desert air’. Many of the structures they built have since been abandoned or razed. But recently a new wave of urbanites with similar ambitions are buying up these relatively aff ordable remaining Jack Rabbit Homesteads (as they’re referred to) and thus redefi ning 21st century homesteading.

DESERT & DENIM

Filmmaker (and neighbor) Leslie Satterfield in her element at the Desert & Denim tradeshow, hosted by the good folks at Juniper Ridge. – The Mojave Sands Motel, Joshua Tree, CA

desertanddenim.juniperridge.com lesliesatterfield.com

DESERT & DENIM

4

Sitting high atop Cleopatra Mountain in Yavapai County, AZ, Jerome is a lively artist colony billed as a Ghost Town – Miners, gamblers and outlaws flocked here when gold and copper were discovered in the late 19th century. Saloons and houses of ill repute sprung up as a way for savvy entrepreneurs to get a cut of the miners’ hard earned share of the riches. In its heyday, Jerome was home to 15,000 souls but when gold and copper deposits dwindled they left in droves – apparently all but 50. No matter where you look, the Wild West seems to lurk just beneath the surface of modern life. It’s clear that the people we celebrate today for their achievements and great fortunes, were initially like all the others: Adventurers, gamblers fortune seekers – only a bit tougher, maybe less scrupulous, or perhaps just luckier.

GAMBLERS, OUTLAWS AND ENTREPRENEURS

GAMBLERS, OUTLAWS AND ENTREPRENEURS ( OR ALL OF THE ABOVE )

14

13

RANDOM

ACTS OF INJUSTICE

One cannot travel through this country for any given length of time without reflecting on the darker chapters of our country’s history on the path to becoming the land of the free. Take for example this tiny dot, (in the image on the right) the size of a mole on this vast landscape, marking the point where all four states, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, touch. It appears completely arbitrary and seems to fly in the face of a way of life and collective wisdom of the people who came before us. What is it with colonizing powers and their need to settle political disputes with dots and straight lines?

In the Four Corners region one can still observe the ripples caused by past injustices comitted against the Native Peoples. After they were brutally decimated and incarcerated, they were resettled in this region – which struck me as one of the most underserved and economically challenged areas I’ve seen anywhere in the United States.

13

37.9989° N, 105.9100° W

37.9989° N, 105.9100° W

( WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAMED. )

Ahh, that new day smell...

TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME

& SHARE: #CTLST.co& SHARE: #CTLST.co

CTLST * CTLST.co hello@ctlst.co 1111 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. Topanga CA 90290 CTLST * CTLST.co hello@ctlst.co 1111 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. Topanga CA 90290 Thank you – to the many beautiful people we met on the road who showed us tremendous generosity and hospitality – we hope we can reciprocate one day – and to the team back home that kept things running on all fronts while we got to indulge, explore and discover.