Hippies, desert rats, psy-ratchets and desert dwellers; the names are endless

No matter what you call them, they are all dedicated fans of psy-trance. And as dedicated as they are, nothing, no crazy off-road driving, or desert heat was going to prevent these faithful dancers from attending Abduction Zone.

The folks of Subterranean Dwellers teamed up with Knob Twisters to host 3 days of psy-trance mayhem in Apple Valley, CA on May 19-21. Just like back in the day, it was invite only and the directions to the venue were kept under lock and key until the time was right.

I decided to rent a truck for this campout to avoid the wear and tear on my car. It was a smart decision, as the road to get to this hidden gem was insane. A true off-road drive, it was difficult for many to make it, but the collective will of the psy-trance strong got everyone there safely. I spent the weekend camping with my best friend Vannessa. We loaded the truck, got all the supplies we could think of and took off. Of course, we arrived later than we had planned making it was too dark to set up our tent. Luckily, we poked through the darkness to find our friends camp site and were able to park next to them. We got out our jackets just in time for the chilly desert air to remind us that we were at mother nature’s mercy and we ran down to the stage.

The music was unbelievable. We danced as the sounds pulsated through the night. After a while, we journeyed back to our truck and friends camp site. We opened the bed of the truck and sat taking in the breath-taking view. We had a great spot. From the back of the truck we could see the stage and all the lights perfectly to the left. To the right, we could see all the city lights of Victorville and above was an awe-inspiring view of stars. City girls easily forget just how magical the night sky can be, but being in the desert away from all the lights was so peaceful and a reminder of what all that ambient LA light is hiding from us.

As the sun rose, so did the heat. We quickly shed our extra layers and were greeted with the amazing Sidekicks playing an early morning set. It was definitely one of my favorite of the weekend. We ran down and danced with friends as they played. The gorgeous blue sky created the perfect tranquil backdrop as I realized how nice disconnecting from the real world could be. After the set, Nessa and I set up our camp site. We put up the easy-ups first to stay cool from the heat and we blew up the air-mattress to lie down in the back of the truck. But first we grilled some turkey bacon and made breakfast sandwiches.

With our tummies full, there was only one thing we could think of to do, open up the cooler and get to drinking. Being in the company of Spencer Carey and Bakari Deal, there were plenty of jokes going around and good conversation. As the day rolled on, more friends came up and it was a great day listening to amazing music, with good company. As the sun started to set over the desert people left the relative comfort of their shade to head to the dance floor.

My favorite part of the night is when the large camp fire is going. It is like a cue for all the Poi, fire-spinners, and hula-hoopers to show off what they can do. Nessa and I participated with our flow toys and grooved with the music. As the night progressed, we decided to take to bed and get a few hours of sleep. We woke up as the sun rose over the desert landscape. The heat was already kicking in and it was definitely going to be hotter than the previous day. We decided to take down most of our camp site early while it was still cool.  The beautiful sounds of psy-trance provided a lovely soundtrack as we broke down our weekend home.

We left shortly after that and it was bitter-sweet. Looking at my phone and seeing the hundreds of notifications from Facebook and other apps had me thinking if I should stay secluded a few more hours. As we drove away from the event, I realized we really were abducted.  We were transported to a place only trance can take you. Away from the craziness of the day-to-day, and where you willingly give up luxuries like indoor plumbing. The vibes of the camp site bonded everyone, and even if the road was crazy to get there, it added to the stories and memories. It was worth every bump and dip you crossed to reach this hidden paradise, with all the desert faithful.  So again, the wonderful folks of Subterranean Dwellers and Knob Twisters struck gold and I cannot wait for their next event.

-Danielle Sanders