Mad Monk From Slab City

[Mad Monk]

Seasons Greetings to everyone at Cheaprvliving!
I'm Mad Monk but you can just call me Monk, I'm a full time resident of Slab City and have been almost 3 years now, so I guess I'm what is known as a Slabber. I'm 53 years old and live in a travel trailer with a solar panel and generator for power. I've done 3 summers out here so I can tell you, this is no place for softies or beginner boondockers.
I look forward to talking to you all and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

[dfh]

Merry Christmas and welcome.

 

[sl1966]

Hi and Welcome Eddie.&nbsp;<br><br>

 

[bk2valve]

Welcome MadMonk...good to have you with us....<br>Bri

 

[Elf]

Welcome!

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I'm pretty sure he means the horrifying unrelenting heat of summer in slab city <img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" class="bbc_img">&nbsp;

 

[blkjak]

welcome .... blkjak

 

[SirJoey]

<br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Welcome aboard, Monk!&nbsp;<img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/wave.gif" class="bbc_img"></strong></span><br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I hope to visit the slabs someday. Maybe we'll meet up!&nbsp;<br><br></strong></span>

 

[Bodhi]

Hello MadMonk!<br><br>Awesome...&nbsp; so glad to have a Slabber here.&nbsp; I am definitely going to make it out there within the next couple of years.&nbsp; <br><br>I envy the lifestyle for sure, but the summer heat might be difficult... willing to give it a try though!&nbsp; Shade and a fanning contraption would be called for... absolutely!<br><br>Peace,<br>Bodhi

 

[Mad Monk]

Thanks for all the welcomes everyone. I'd be happy to answer any questions about life in Slab City. This time of year the living is easy at the Slabs, but come summer it is just survival. I spend most summer days sitting in front of a fan with my spray bottle and a book. I have done 3 summers here and I can tell you it's no picnic. I have a neighbor who came out last winter and told me he was going to spend the summer but left at the end of May cuz he couldn't take the heat. I told him not to come back till the end of October because coming from Oregon he would not be acclimated to the heat. Some people don't listen and what does the idiot do, he comes back in August and was here less than 48 hours and I had to call 911.
Unless you can tolerate heat and are prepared for desert boondocking, please heed my advice...do not come here during summer.

 

[HoboBerg]

Welcome to the group Mad Monk! Ill be out there in a few weeks.&nbsp;

 

[gadgetMe]

he comes back in August and was here less than 48 hours and I had to call 911.

<br><br>As in the words of one of my favorite comedians (Ron White) SOMETIMES .....YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br>Welcome<br><br>Putz

 

[Varmint]

Monk, as I recall, the Salton Sea lake is within a few miles of the Slabs, and there are other places one can go during the day to stay cool. Not sure of the condition of the water there with all that fertilizer runoff...I hear it's saltier than ocean water. Still, I'd think it's an no-brainer to go somewhere and take a dip to stay cool in the heat of the day. I guess you really can't fix stupid. Last summer I hardly ever had a shower at all, as I spent my days in the lake up here, especially when I planned on riding my bicycle to get there (40-mile round trip). I loved the 96-100 degree weather, but 120-130 might do me in as well unless I can acclimate first. This means NO AC...exhaust fan only to drain off heat in the trailer and lower the temp. I've noticed my dad runs the AC here at his house 20-30 degrees cooler than outside, and he nearly collapses when he has to go outside. I don't, since I refuse to sit in here all day. My room vent is blocked to keep out the AC, and I leave a window cracked open and my door closed to keep my room WARM, which helps me acclimate. You can't do this very well with AC.

Come to think of it...just what IS the summer temp down there in the slabs?

 

[Mad Monk]

Summer temps average around 115-120 but it has gone as high as 130.
Believe me though, you would not want to take a dip in the Salton Sea, the water is filthy. We do have the canal but the problem with that is that it's posted no tresspassing and the sheriffs dept. does patrol the canal road.

 

[Varmint]

Sorry to hear that water is so filthy. That alone would make me wanna' pack up and leave. As I mentioned elsewhere on this forum, I didn't even bother with a shower or bath from last spring to late fall as I was spending most of my time in a local lake. The water there tests out at about 16ppb, which is way cleaner than most tap water. Of course, the green (algae) and brown (rain silt) tints make it APPEAR dirty when it isn't. The fishing is very good, and edible, unlike all rivers here in Ohio.

I tend to wonder why the canal is marked off like that, too, but I suppose an online search would tell the tale. I've done that locally when I saw an interesting water source, and I avoid almost ALL streams & rivers, as well as anything attached to them, preferring sites that are fed by springs and woodland hillside runoff. Neighborhood, farm and industrial runoff makes every alarm in my head go off. Your mileage may vary, and some places still continue to surprise me in spite of that, but not often.

All that aside, I'm surprised that you'd want to stay in such conditions, but everyone has their own niche. Enjoy your place!

Varmint

 

[windymichelle]

@ mad monk i was wondering when it starts to get really hot there. im in albuquerque right now and was thinking of heading to the slabs for a while until it gets too hot

 

[Mad Monk]

Windymichelle, June is bad, July is worse and August is hell, it all depends on your personal tolerance for heat, but you will be okay up untill the end of May.

 

[offroad]

getting used to heat needs to be emphasized. &nbsp;people say its pizza oven heat. which is true for months at a time. in the southeast it gets hot and humid. &nbsp;the air just holds the heat. at night its still hot.&nbsp;<br><br>but every afternoon a tropical like rainstorm hits, and the rain cools it down some.<br><br>does it cool down at night in the desert? &nbsp;rumors say it does.&nbsp;

 

[highdesertranger]

the salton sea is an ugly stinking mess and i mean stinking.&nbsp; if you are down wind you can smell it for miles.&nbsp; we need to keep in mind that the sea is not natural it's a accident.&nbsp; when they were building a dam on the colorado river (laguna dam i believe), the river had been diverted through a levee and the levee failed.&nbsp; the river flow into the sink for over 100 days while they tried to repair the levee this formed the sea it would have dried up by now but for agriculture runoff.&nbsp; also it gets dam hot during the summer&nbsp; very hot at night too, &nbsp;it's a dry heat though. &nbsp;highdesertranger

 

[DeeLugton]

Seasons Greetings to everyone at Cheaprvliving!
I'm Mad Monk but you can just call me Monk, I'm a full time resident of Slab City and have been almost 3 years now, so I guess I'm what is known as a Slabber. I'm 53 years old and live in a travel trailer with a solar panel and generator for power. I've done 3 summers out here so I can tell you, this is no place for softies or beginner boondockers.
I look forward to talking to you all and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

How can I find you.  I am going to slab city in February.  Planning on staying for a while.  Maybe you can show me the Ropes.  Still really new a this full-time living in a car (Silver Pontiac) and tent.