What to know before you go to the PTJ this summer! (also SKIP or a future PDC)

Hey there,

I'll be one of the instructors at this year's PTJ, you can join me there by clicking this link
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp/?f=720

The few posts I've written have all been massively long, so if you need to pee, take a break first.

I’d been on permies.com for several years before I finally managed to make it out to Wheaton Labs for the first time in 2023.
Since I was traveling from afar, I signed up for all three courses, and was at WL for over six weeks last summer...
and I loved my time there!
However, there are some practical aspects that would have been beneficial to know before I got there.
If you’ve been there, and I’ve missed something important, please add to the list! Also, there are several old threads like this one on the forum. I've added things I didn't know from reading them, and would have liked to know before I went - so, this is an exhausting but not exhaustive compilation.



I’ve lived in the Rockies before, but here’s a reminder: it’s as dry as British wit.
Downing a gallon or two of water and tea each day, I still couldn’t keep up with how dry and flaky my skin got – it looked like fish scales just a couple weeks in, so away to the Farmers Market I went, getting the fattest salve I could find. For those folks flying in, it’s good to know to plunk the cash down for some skin care, because it quickly got to the point of any scratch tearing my skin, so if you’re usually coastal like me, this is something to consider. If you’re driving, bring some of your favorites from home.

Just like on long distance hikes, foot care is of optimum importance. The ground at basecamp and the lab is covered in what closely resembles moon dust… low in organic matter, it is small, sharp, and works its way into EVERYTHING. So, stop by a thrift store before you come, and buy five pairs of socks for as many dollars, because whatever you bring, probably won’t recover. I like $30 socks that last for a decade or two, but this summer, I’ll bring the cheapest of cheap and won’t be as upset when they’re decimated.

Usually, I like to go barefoot in summer, and it’s super nice that there are no tics to consider! With that said, I recommend wearing shoes and socks as much as possible, if nothing else then for moisture retention and avoiding the small scrapes the dust will inevitably create. Bloody toes aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

I brought a DSLR camera with me last year, but quickly decided to leave it sealed in several bags, because - moon dust.
I used my cell phone for pictures, and if you’re going that route, just get a good case to protect it. It’s a harsh environment out there!
Computers, kindles, iPads etc. are best left in the cubbyholes in the classroom at basecamp, if you want them to survive the stay.

Basecamp is three miles from the lab, so 45 minutes if you're walking downhill (the lab is up higher), longer if walking up.
There are electric bikes that are primarily available to volunteers, but if there are extras in working order, it is my understanding that they can be used if you're given prior permission. It is good to know that this is a mountain environment, and although the roads are wide, they are dirt roads, very steep at times, and the roads are full of gullies and bumps, and it’s not a beginner’s ride either up or down, so either have your own vehicle, bike, know how to ride one well or plan for walking – a lot. Or do like most of us, and go with the van, but as I said, that also means you’ll be an hour early for breakfast…

Housing – if you’re attending a course at basecamp (like the PDC), I recommend that you stay at basecamp. There are ample spots to pitch a tent, string a hammock or park a car, but basecamp is where all meals are served, there are showers with hot water, and two willow feeders (toilets). There is also the possibility to stay for free on the balcony above the classroom. Surprisingly, I found this to be the most comfortable of the housing options, having tried the Dog Star, camping, and the Teepee as well. Drawbacks are that you are woken up early, but no sooner than if you were catching the van down from the lab… also that people are there very late, so if you’re a light sleeper, this might be a problem. Remember, you’ve got to undo your bedding each morning, and store your stuff somewhere else so everyone has access to the balcony for naps or group projects. Like I said, the PDC was completely at basecamp, and I made the mistake of renting a cabin at the lab for that course, which hardly allowed me any time at all in the cabin, as I depended on the shuttle. It left early and came back late, so I would have been much better off if I'd had my own transportation, or stayed where the course was at, to maximize sleep (I was also suffering from jetlag, so...).

At the lab, there is one willow feeder, and it is in a thicket of trees, and it is far from some of the rentable cabins and camp sites. Squatting in the outdoors is fine, but if you’re adverse to that, just plan ahead for those midnight hikes to the loo. If you're not comfortable navigating through dense shrubbery at night, or wanting to walk a half mile or more to get to the one willow feeder up there, staying at the lab is not for you.

If the course you’re taking is at the lab, food will still be served at basecamp. There’s a van that runs from the lab to basecamp every morning, but as it is primarily for the volunteers who help set up breakfast, and thus it leaves way earlier than breakfast is served. This gives you ample opportunity to help set up breakfast, but it’s rush hour for the showers, so don’t count on getting one then.

Logistical differences between courses:
The PDC takes place almost entirely at basecamp, while the PTJ and SKIP are at both basecamp and the lab.
Housing options at basecamp are either renting the Love Shack (the only cabin there available for rent, instructors have the other one during courses), renting a bunk in the Solarium bunk house, staying in a tent, hammock, car or RV.

WL provides a few tents, pads and sleeping bags available to borrow or rent, which was exceptionally nice for my middle course, when I stayed in a tent at basecamp.
You can also rent a cabin on the lab, there are a few different ones with varying a price range available, depending on what’s already occupied long or short term. If you’ve got a bad neck or back, just be aware that in the teepee, the door space is only about 3 ½ ft tall, so it’s best suited for those who already practice capoeira, or are more agile than I felt after a long day’s work.

During the PDC, we were at the classroom at basecamp all day every day, often until 11 PM, then we’d catch a ride to the lab, sleep and then get up before 6 AM to head out to catch the van down again. I splurged on private accommodations for two of my three courses, feeling that I needed a little bit of time to myself to get over jetlag (worth mentioning twice?) and just get away for a bit.
But I honestly didn’t have time to enjoy the Dog Star much at all, it being three miles away with limited time to get to it. My lunch-time naps never happened.
Hiking up to a tent at basecamp, or renting the Love Shack, would have been preferable to staying at the lab for the PDC, or other courses that primarily take place at basecamp. The descriptions of the different cabins for rent didn't clue me in on the importance of placement, so that's why I am reiterating it here.


I spent the next two courses, the PTJ and the SKIP, up at the lab working on the Third Space Sauna.
For the PTJ, I was living in a tent at basecamp, so there was still a lot of travel between the two sites, and I opted to skip some meals in order to keep things going with the project at the lab.
This meant that I missed some meetings and conversations, but I loved being more focused on staying in one place.
There is so much going on at basecamp for the PTJ, and I am sorry I missed several of the super cool projects with skilled builders, growers and makers, but we were having such a great time with our own build, so I have no regrets.

When it comes to communications, AT&T has the best connectivity in the area.
There is also very decent internet in the library and Solarium bunkhouse, but don't count on having any internet in the classroom, unless you're lucky like we were last year - one of the attendees brought a Starlink and set it up in the classroom. We sure missed it when he left!
There’s next to no internet connection or phone service up on the lab, so prepare through downloading your audiobooks and podcasts before you arrive, and don't rely on being able to text or call anyone from up there. For young millenials and gen-z, this means you have to plan ahead and decide when and where to meet up before you go up there. Can be confusing, but stick to an elderly friend and you'll catch on quick.

Water is a scarcity... a lack of ponds, creeks and showers on the property. Well, there are two showers at basecamp, and if you dare figure out the rocket heater with semi-faulty safety vents, you're set. I'm more of a cold-water person, so I'd just use them when the water was cold, or if someone else had run the rocket heater. I didn't take the time to listen to the full security spiel about it, so I didn't feel like I should run it.
Once we built the Starlight Shower on the lab, next to the revamped Third Space Sauna, that was absolutely my favorite place to go and get really clean. Hot sauna, cold shower, hot sauna, cold shower, rinse and repeat. Break for a s'more at the fire pit, then back to the shower, well, you get the picture... loved that place.

If the temperatures are really high, people with water jugs and spray nozzles come and hoze everyone down. Don't worry, you can bow out. There's also a cool-pool in the shade at basecamp, which is super nice if you're nearby.

There's access to the river nearby, but it's a seven minute car ride away.
Some of us went several times per day, but it takes coordination and vehicles, unless you've got time to hike or bike there, which will take much longer.
There's a pullover by the river, then you hike down a minute to where you can either go to "the culvert", which is a stone-clad pool just thigh deep, with VERY cold water from a culvert under the road, or wade into the river, where you can actually swim. Sure, rivers are dirty and it's downstream from Missoula. I'm still alive though, and I spent a ton of time in the river.

Good to know: There are beavers and otters and bald eagles and lots of other wildlife along the river, it's absolutely gorgeous, and one of the best days we spent last year was floating the river for two hours, about 20 of us on all sorts of air mattresses, donuts and paddle boards.

Okay, I am sure I'll add to this list, but I'm at that sweet spot in the day after the rain but before dusk, so I will go out and get some actual work done!

Just remember, if you want to join me and some fabulous instructors, click the link and get your ticket!
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp/?f=720

Thank you for sharing your experience while at the Lab.

I have always wanted to make a trip there though it just has never been the right time.

I agree about drinking water.  No matter where a person is that is great advice.  So it would be good if everyone brought lots of water and cool things to drink.

I enjoy hiking and that is one of the aspects of Wheaton Labs that appeals to me.

Have fun at the PTJ!

Anne Miller wrote:Thank you for sharing your experience while at the Lab.

I have always wanted to make a trip there though it just has never been the right time.

I agree about drinking water.  No matter where a person is that is great advice.  So it would be good if everyone brought lots of water and cool things to drink.

I enjoy hiking and that is one of the aspects of Wheaton Labs that appeals to me.

Have fun at the PTJ!

Hi Anne,

thanks for your well wishes!

Yeah, I am a huge believer in chugging water, never really realized how important it was until I moved to the high desert in Colorado... there's good reason that Nalgene bottles are a favorite accessory, huh?

Well, my favorite hikes during last summer in MT were in Glacier, no surprise there, but it was absolutely beautiful going up to the huckleberry patch a number of times, too. It's a ways up there on this super sketchy forest service road, but so very worth while, I could have spent days there, not hours.

Like I've said, it's taken me years to get out to the labs, but I had such a good time last year and hope you can come out soon too.


Until then, I will pick some huckleberries for you!

/K

That sauna can really cook!

Brian Doherty wrote:That sauna can really cook!

Nice!
Glad it's being used, and that the insulation we worked so hard on works!

Thanks for posting, Brian.