The Slabs

I was very much looking forward to seeing Slab City and glad that I made the trip. This abandoned WW2 Army base, and its remaining concrete foundations (slabs), now resembles something more like a Mad Max, apocalyptic vacation resort. There are outlaws, vagrants, hippies, loners, lost souls, tourists, retirees, and yes, even Canadians, many of which are squatting in dwellings and vehicles barely fit to called such. Some folks simply tell me they like it because it’s free—both literally and figuratively, I presume. I saw some pretty strange stuff, the ingenious and the desperate. No sewer system, no water, no restrooms, power or sanctioned services of any kind. Though I could, standing atop Salvation Mountain, get a faint cell phone signal. There was a distinct odor permeating this place, despite the wilderness surrounding it. Seemed like you might want to be careful who you talked to, but then again, that’s exactly what you should do. There’s some interesting stories to be heard here. Unfortunately, my time here was much too short. I enjoyed my best nights sleep in more than a month, and now look forward to coming back.