7/23/19. 8am. NSJ. “Kirtan Night.”
Back on the land in North San Juan for a few days. It’s been an adventure here with the Guitarfish crew. Kirtan jams last night lead by Haribol in the cabin and trips to the Yuba river were all very nice. Dobko, Josh, & Chloe all stayed on the land.
7/25/19. 7:48am. Cisco Grove, CA. “Forest Festivals.”
In the camper at Guitarfish. The venue is a forest of cedar and pine. One stage. One music bowl surrounded by campsites. It reminds me a bit of a festival I vended at back in ’09 in Oregon called Emerg-N-See. Not the music, though, which was a heavy dubstep line-up, but the forested venue: A grove set into a small canyon at the base of a mountain.
I got here yesterday, driving up Hwy 20 from Nevada City where there was an accident that made the drive a bit longer than an hour. I arrived around 5pm and dropped the trailer in its spot by 6pm, and the rest of the crew arrived just around then.
After setting up camp, we went down to the Yuba, which runs along I-80. The elevation here is 5600 feet.
7/26/19. AM. Cisco Grove, CA. “Dreams in the Trees.” “Dal.”
Heavy dreams last night. Must be the trees. Thunderstorms in the forecast for today. Yoga today to get into my body and clear my head. The altitude is getting to me and making me sleepy. Love my camper. So comfy.
The dal is selling so well already that I’m slightly concerned we’ll run out of propane and bread. We’ll see how today goes. We’re stocked for a Jtree Fall Fest level, but this weekend might prove to be busier.
The crowd seems mature. Bay Area people coming out to party in the mountains. And High Sierra fans as well as a strong Tahoe representation. Should be nice vibes today.
PM. At the Booth. “Sattvic Dal.” “Festival Family Camping.” “Love Finds You.” “Yoga at a Festival.” “Love for the Toast.”
I think that the dal has been popular here because it’s one of the few warm, savory vegan options. The other options are crepes, Mexican, and pizza. The dal is organic and sattvic. I’m surprised that so many people here know what dal is. It’s mostly a Bay Area crowd here with their families. Their camps are dialed in, so lots of food being made at camps. Need to come up with another dal recipe, maybe search the recipe books.
People here are super nice. I’d love to come to this festival and not work; just spend the day hanging with friends at camp and by the river, then come out for a few shows at night. The venue is especially beautiful.
It’s a great location, I just heard the BuddyPops vendor say. They’re our neighbors. I think from LA, but they doubled up on two events here at the Grove. Last week there was a biker festival here called Sierra Steak Out.
I keep talking up the love life possibilities of small campouts to Dobko. He’s the only single person on the crew. But he says that he’s not really into finding love this weekend, or rather he’s not seeking it. There’s a difference there. Love finds you am-I-right. He says that he’s into doing “lots of yoga” this weekend.
Classes throughout the day too. I did a class this morning: gentle yoga. It felt great. Been a while. Yoga is such a great addition to festivals. It’s balancing to the partying, to the socializing. Something for the introverts too, a space to recharge.
Josh said that a customer said that our avo toast ruined all other avo roasts for him, because it was so delicious. He had it Wanderlust last weekend. Our toast is so simple. That’s why it’s delicious. More isn’t always better.
Good food is really about the spices, salt. A balanced level of sweet, salt, and spice. Texture also plays a big role. On a deeper level, how it digests and sits in the belly is important. Consciously so of the healthy Californians here. Dal is sattvic with the 5-spice blend. Maybe a fall spice mix with sweet potato?
Sweet potato tacos would be awesome, but the prep and transport weight, plus storage would be too much.