Dirtbag resources - The List

[Blake]

After a great 3 day weekend in Skaha, I returned home equally impressed with the climbing and the local Bakery we stumbled upon. It made me think that it would be nice to have a comprehensive list of the best dirtbag/cheap/good spots grouped by region or climbing area. I'm imagining a list of places with food, showers, etc and ideally not a place that everyone already knows about. The least expensive the better, with a personal bias toward Mexican Food:

 

Skaha/Penticton: Bakery - On the east side of Main Street, just south of McDonalds is a strip mall with a big sign for "Roger's Video". The back corner hosts a bakery with awesome deals on pastries, sandwiches, etc. Stuff like a hot Cinnamon Roll and Coffee for $1.95, or day-old Ham/Cheese Croissants for 70 Cents!

 

Around the west side of the lake from the Skaha Bluffs is the Branbury Green camping area, which is $7, has hot running water, soap, free showers, fire areas, etc.

 

Bellingham - On James street, just north of I-5 Exit 254 is 'Deals Only', which sells power/balance/clif bars for .10-15cents and lots of other good climbing or camping food for cheap.

 

Index/Leavenworth - Sultan Bakery, north side of hwy2.

 

Showers at the municipal pool in Leavenworth, on hwy2.

 

Where's the Leavenworth taco stand?

 

Darrington - The gas station gives away all hot food (surprisingly good selection) after 10pm.

 

Winthrop - The "log cabin" style gas station ~1mile west of town has 1/2 priced (or lower) sandwiches and hot foods after 8pm. Haggling encouraged.

 

Seattle - Just West of I-5 at the Northgate mall exit is taco truck with awesome $1 taco heavy on the cilantro. Next to the Chevron...

 

Vancouver, WA - Just east of Exit 5 on I-5, across from WinCo foods is the Super Taco Express... great burritos ~$3.

 

Moab - Hot tub at the Holiday Inn, north end of town. Accessed from parking lot directly.

 

Everywhere - Ikea stores have little restaurants inside, in which people bus their own plates and stack them on shelves when done. It's an easy way to buy cheap food and get those free chicken strips ignored by the yuppies at the next table over.

 

 

 

 

[AvlNC]

Smith-- showers at the bivy site are easily poachable; camping free a the grasslands, cheap mexican at la burrita in redmond (first gas station on north of town)..if you wish to be somewhat legit, camping at the bivouck site is $4 and that includes a day pass (normally $3, and showers)

 

Bishop -- $2 per night at the pit; Schatt's bakery 1/2 off day old rack; thrift store near Galen Rowell's gallery..real thrift prices (.50 t-shirts, $2 hoodie)

 

Moab -- free water (gearheads; spring on river road); lots of free breakfast for guests bars--just don't go in the off season, the tend to know you are poaching when there are only 3 guest in the entire hotel.... showers at lazy lizard $3? and you can stay there for as cheap as ~$7; free internet at library (yeah, i know at most of them...)

 

 

 

 

[tanstaafl]

 

Where's the Leavenworth taco stand?

 

 

It's in Cashmere.

[sobo]

Lightning Dome on the South Fork of the Clearwater River, ID

 

Camping: Free at Meadow Creek CG, 4 miles from the Dome. Has precast concrete shitter, picnic tables, fire rings and grates. Very secluded sites, just not very many of them. Second choice in Cougar Creek, also free. No picnic table but has the benefit of being only 1/4 mile from the stone. Has it's own creek, too.

 

Beer/ice: Available at cut rates at the house/store/pool hall one mile back up the road at Milepost 16. WARNING: Do not enter wearing Spandex on Earth Day.

 

Water: Creek runs right through campground. Bring a filter or hardcores can drink directly from stream.

 

Showers: Creek runs right through campground.

 

Entertainment: Real operating drive-in movie theatre outside of Grangeville. Park on side of road about 1/8 mile east of theatre and tune radio to AM 1560. Also pool at the house/bar at MP 16. Pool table's in the living room.

 

REAL entertainment: Drive all the way to the paved road’s end at Elk City and take in the locals. Real Americana in Elk City, by golly...

[dt_3pin]

 

Bishop -- $2 per night at the pit; Schatt's bakery 1/2 off day old rack; thrift store near Galen Rowell's gallery..real thrift prices (.50 t-shirts, $2 hoodie)

 

 

 

Deluxe hot springs throughout the valley satisfy your dirtbag hygine needs, if any.

[111]

SMITH - Taco stand in the gas station at the north end of Redmond(gas station is right where Hwy 97 splits into one-ways through Redmond). Get the Super Burrito, its da bomb!

 

Bishop - I second the hotsprings (but no soap, as animals use them for drinking water. Hippie juice is bad enough for them to drink.)

[Dannible]

Squamish- Free showers at the sports field place in the town to the north, looney and tooney days at the aquatic center in the town to the north. Suanas, pool, and hot tub for one or two dollars on some weekdays.

 

J-Tree- We got a big box of day old doughnuts for $4 at The Jelly Doughnut in the town of J-Tree.

 

Cemeteries make for good stealthy places to camp if you show up late and leave early, just watch for the sprinklers.

Edited April 29, 2008 by Dannible

[Reid]

Index general store -

If you're getting some of the hot foods (burrito, corndog) buy one less than the number they have available and they'll usually throw in the last one free.

[Bug]

Moab - Hot tub at the Holiday Inn, north end of town. Accessed from parking lot directly.

 

Ahhhhh Moab.

On my first trip down there, (80?), we climbed for five or six days straight then went into Moab for supplies. We were sitting on the tailgate in the grocery store parking lot eating a carton of icecream when a ranger dude rode up on his bike and invited us to his hot tub party that night.

WOO-HOO!

After a shower and a few beers, I made my way into the tub sandwitched between two gorgeous naked park interns.

My friend Kurt liked one of them and tried to get in on it so we had a little serious competition going for awhile until the one kurt liked needed to leave. Kurt graciously volunteered to drive her home and there I was with a naked Wonderwoman.

After a couple hours, Kurt returned alone and very dejected.

Her ex-husband was there when they arrived.

I dared not speak of it for the rest of the trip.

 

Dirtbag?

Only if the fit shoos.

[sobo]

So this begs the question, Keith... We understand that Kurt struck out.

What happened with you and your nekkid WonderWoman intern...?

[jordop]

On my first trip to SLC we arrived just as the Mickie D's was closing and were handed all the unsold food in four huge bags. Helps to look really forlorn I guess

Edited June 4, 2021 by jordop

[sk]

SMITH - Taco stand in the gas station at the north end of Redmond(gas station is right where Hwy 97 splits into one-ways through Redmond). Get the Super Burrito, its da bomb!

 

Sun Spot in Terribone. the food is great and really cheep and the service is down home. the sausage gravy is the worlds best hang over cure. Thanks to the tutilidge of Alpine K, i always stop at the Sun Spot when i am in the area. when Mikey Layton lived in Oregon i ran into him there more than once and shared a table. oh ya, you always share a table. the last time Badvoodoo and i were there we sat with this really nice old guy who had great stories to tell. he wasn't a climber but he was great breakfast company!

[NTM]

My favorite taco stand near Smith is called Rigoberto's, open 24hrs and is cheap. Halfway up the northbound 97 split. The Carne Asada burrito rocks my world.

Across the street is the Java Crew Girls, gets my thumbs up

[Lisa_D]

Jackson, WY:

Cheap showers are found in the northern end of the national park. But why settle for that when free ones can be found? The nicer hotels offer free showers, wireless, and continental breakfast to those who invite themselves in. The staff is too polite to question, and the pool isn't locked, so you can get to the showers in the locker room. If you come across a staff person, comment nonchalantly, "wow, the hot tub is great!" Don't try this at lower end hotels; my guess is that their security is a lot stricter.

 

Teton National Park: free camping is highly discouraged, and police are everywhere. But it can still be found in less popular campgrounds if you come late and leave early. Also check around on side roads, especially the boat launch parking area near Signal Mountain Road. Park in the woods and leave early.

 

[Lisa_D]

More info about Banbury Green at Skaha - they like climbers and let them camp for $7 per night. This is the climber rate, and I am not sure if it applies during peak season. The campground is closed to the public right now, and they only let in climbers. Nevertheless, highly recommended.

[bwrts]

Index/Leavenworth - Sultan Bakery, north side of hwy2.

 

Showers at the municipal pool in Leavenworth, on hwy2.

 

Where's the Leavenworth taco stand?

 

Bakery in Leavenworth:

The Homefires Bakery has reopened at the Prey's Fruit Barn on Highway 2 a short drive east of Leavenworth Safeway towards Peshastin. Thanks to Kyle Flick's Wife!!! Waaaay better than Sultan bakery IMHO.

FYI:The carrot cupcakes now have creamcheese frosting that uses butter. At 1.25 each, the bomb diggity crack-like addiction continues...

 

Showers:

I think you can also obtain showers at KOA down near end of road that you take to go to Marson's Lumber/Safeway.

The cheapest best option is the river, upstream from the city treatment facility near the bridge on Highway 2 if you have biodegradable soap

 

Taco stand: The old Chevron (now 76) mercantile sells somewhat cheap entrees from local restaurants and has Subway shop.

Maybe no tacos though. Taco stands have never to my recollection been in Leavenworth but if you need a not-too expensive meal go to Heidleburger near Tumwater/Icicle Junction.

 

[Argus]

Jackson, WY:

 

Teton National Park: free camping is highly discouraged, and police are everywhere. But it can still be found in less popular campgrounds if you come late and leave early. Also check around on side roads, especially the boat launch parking area near Signal Mountain Road. Park in the woods and leave early.

 

 

There's a place just to the east of the park called Antelope Flats that has legit free camping.

Edited April 30, 2008 by Argus

[woodchips]

 

Bellingham - On James street, just north of I-5 Exit 254 is 'Deals Only', which sells power/balance/clif bars for .10-15cents and lots of other good climbing or camping food for cheap.

 

Also in Bellingham: Barganica, on State street and also on Cornwall, not as cheap as Deals only, but often has cases of bars for <$5 and more of a full grocery. Oh, cheap beer and wine and 25% off produce on Sundays. That is, for dirtbags that eat things like vegatables.

[wfinley]

Jackson - is free camping E of the park in the National Forest. Look at a map for Shadow Mtn Road. There are also warm (not hot) springs in Kelly.

 

Squamish - there is free camping E of town but you need a high clearance vehicle to access it.

 

Lake Louise - there is an awesome bakery that has day old pastries for half off if you get there before the other dirt baggers. You can camp for free at Yamnuska and it's only 20 minutes from Canmore.

 

JT - if you drive to Palm Springs there are a number of hotels that will let you soak in their pseudo hot springs for a few bucks.

[AlpineK]

Seattle - Just West of I-5 at the Northgate mall exit is taco truck with awesome $1 taco heavy on the cilantro. Next to the Chevron...

 

Sorry I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. There is a great Taco Truck on NE 145th just east of 15th Ave NE (remember east of 15th at a gas station on the north side of the road. Don't go to the one on 145th west of 15th) They have cheap tacos.

 

There are also a few good ones on Aurora south of 150th... and a ton down in the south end of the city. Try Rainier Ave.

[texplorer]

Karsten's "secret" Yosemite beta

 

1 Camping

-DO NOT CAMP IN YOUR CAR, if you do, don't come out no matter what a ranger yells or how much he bangs on your car.

 

-Under El Cap or in the forest up near the Awahanee are good places since you can park nearby.

 

-DO NOT LEAVE FOOD IN YOUR CAR, the bears will get it. I have seen alot of cars peeled open like a can of sardines. In addition if a Ranger finds your car like this you'll get a ticket on top your car repairs.

 

-Use bear boxes at "camp 5" in the parking lot in front of the mountain shop at curry village or the new ones below el cap

 

-Showers - the ones at the housekeeping camp (really a campground) or the ones up in the cabins behind curry village are easy. Just walk in like you know what you are doing.

 

-Food - knowing someone working there is always a benefit as they get reduced rates. You can also claim you left your card back in your cabin and try to get the reduced rate.

 

-If your a true dirtbag, hanging out at the cafeteria at the lodge is a good place to score some breakfast from a touron who gets up after their eyes were bigger than their stomachs.

 

-Don't forget free coffee in Camp 4 on sunday mornings during spring/summer

 

 

 

 

[Lisa_D]

 

 

There's a place just to the east of the park called Antelope Flats that has legit free camping.

 

--good to know.

[illbelayya]

Posting a list of ways to live like a 'dirtbag' is inherently a bad idea. Because, if regular people learn about how we procure things, then for sure, they will do whatever they can to make sure it is not available to people like us. I.E. "Smith-- showers at the bivy site are easily poachable". If you can pay for a service, please do. If you are more than a weekend dirtbag, please don't post your secrets here. Thank you very much.

[AvlNC]

If you are more than a weekend dirtbag, please don't post your secrets here. Thank you very much.

 

i understand your concern and I think this is a forum for climbers to resource. if you are a true dirtbag living on the road, poaching caves in Y, and grubbing on leftovers at the pizza deck in J-hole then you are not likely wasting you time on this site anyway..you are actually out climbing and living. i don't think any real secrets are being exposed here and I really doubt too many "regular people" even know of CC.com..they are too busy googling for the results of Amirikan Idol. let's use this forum for what i think it is designed for...a climber's resource. besides it is pathetic for sure, and it makes me smile when i think i got away with something like stealing a $2 shower, call me childish....i know and i don't care

[summerprophet]

Bakeries? Showers? Ikea?

 

It appears that the climbers around here have no idea what dirtbagging is. It is about stretching your dollar to last as long as possible. If you are enjoying a table in a diner, then you have failed at dirtbagging my friend.

 

Cooking for yourself, washing in creeks, and trading rather than paying are all signs or the extended dirtbagger.

 

Oh, and if you are a "weekend dirtbagger".... you aren't a dirtbag, you are just a cheap bastard.