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Renee Lake

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Trying to put into words what Wasteland Weekend is

Trying to put into words what Wasteland Weekend is to me always feels impossible the day after we get back to civilization. For one thing, it's not just a weekend: We volunteered to help a main camp (Unkle Zeke's) build their venue this year so we spent a full week on site, putting in a couple of long days of physical labor with incredibly kind, talented people before the main event. It was hot, occasionally painful, very sandy, and hot (seriously, it was the hottest weather on record for the event).

But I wouldn't change any of it, this was our sixth year at Wasteland and it was by far the most fun I've had yet. We rode on a war rig through the gates at the opening ceremony, a first for us and one of the most exhilarating things I've ever experienced there. We watched an election take place for city sheriff, which is a completely made-up position that has no actual responsibilities or connection to any event staff, yet nevertheless had almost a dozen candidates giving emphatic (and extremely funny) stump speeches to a crowd of potential voters one afternoon. Running our little barter table at camp netted us some of the best trades we've made along with a lot of great conversation with lovely new faces and some familiar ones. I bribed a corrupt casino worker named Mr. Privilege to literally put their thumb on a spin wheel so I could win a car (of the Hot Wheels variety). When Crossbreed, a band I loved as a kid, played the main stage and their vocalist saw me singing along to their older stuff, he shoved the mic in my face several times during their set so I could scream full lines for him in the most unexpected teenager metal fantasy come to life.

There was a hot sauce contest, a retro arcade we lost an hour in, a *completely unexpected* (to us) Magic Mike-style show at the venue we built where the men we worked with actually performed, a dedicated hockey fan brought us Dirty Henry to win our silly game this year, and so many more moments I could never describe all in one post.

I will never get tired of doing this, it's soul-cleansing and our little Cult of the Cup feels like a real part of the community now. I can't wait to be back in the sand again. ❤️

It's that time of year again: The 2025 Wild Kooten

It's that time of year again: The 2025 Wild Kootenai calendar is now available for pre-ordering at the link in my bio! Shipping is expected to start around mid to late October.

These calendars feature my photography of the Kootenai National Forest, and as always, I'm proud to say that they are once again 100% made in Montana.

Please note that my stock will be much more limited this year, so get your orders in as soon as you can. Thank you to everyone who has picked them up in the past, I can't express enough how much I appreciate all your support.

Sunset over Clark Mountain and the Yaak Valley. Ko

Sunset over Clark Mountain and the Yaak Valley. Kootenai National Forest, Montana.

Summer evening on the trail to Vinal Lake in the Y

Summer evening on the trail to Vinal Lake in the Yaak Valley. Kootenai National Forest, Montana.

A hazy late summer sunset on Alvord Lake. Kootenai

A hazy late summer sunset on Alvord Lake. Kootenai National Forest, Montana.

Ibex Peak (7,676'), Cabinet Mountains Wilderness.

Ibex Peak (7,676'), Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. Kootenai National Forest, Montana.

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