Beyond Fear with Potter Wonderland, “The Cadillac Dirtbag”

Image credit: Emilee Jensen / Static Nomadic

Potter Wonderland (The Cadillac Dirtbag) talks fear, flow, 8,000 pitches, and intentional microdosing on the wall.

1. For those in our community who haven’t followed your vertical adventures yet, introduce yourself? How did this adventure manifest and where did the moniker "The Cadillac Dirtbag" come from?

I am originally from Kansas, where I did not know rock climbing even existed! In 2019, I moved to Long Beach, CA with one of my childhood friends. I moved there to start hiking more and train to hike the PCT or JMT. One night, I was watching a documentary on the PCT when I finished, Amazon autoplayed “Valley Uprising”

“What is this!?” I thought to myself. 

That night, I packed up a bag and loaded up my Cadillac STS. The following morning I drove to Joshua Tree National Park. I camped by myself and went around the boulders trying to learn to “climb.” Looking back at it, it's pretty funny as those were absolutely not rock climbs but I was like "Oh yeah, I am a climber! Ha!"

The next morning I woke up to a group of climbers at my campsite. They asked if I minded if they climbed on my campsite as there was a route located there.

“Mind? Can I please watch!?”

They did more than that. They let me borrow a harness and shoes.. The rest is history!

From the moment I was first on the wall, I knew this is the feeling I had been searching for my entire life. After this trip, I returned to my apartment in Long Beach. I told my friends to get me off the lease and that week I quit my job and moved full time into my Cadillac and drove to Yosemite for the first time.

The term "Cadillac Dirtbag" came from my original dirtbagging days. The first 3 years of dirtbagging for me, I lived in the front seat of my Cadillac STS, packed to the brim with everything I owned. During these years, I lived on a budget of 277$ month. Thus, the Cadillac Dirtbag was born.

2. You’ve logged over 8,000 pitches on rock—a mind-boggling number to most people. What keeps your fire burning to chase 10,000, and what has climbing thousands of feet above the deck taught you about mental endurance?

From the moment I began climbing I knew this is the feeling I had been searching for my entire life. So, it is actually quite easy to keep the fire burning!

As far as the mental endurance, this is actually why I like climbing as much as I do. Climbing has helped my relationship with fear the most. I use to be afraid of everything.. I was afraid of how much money I had, what my future looked like, what people thought of me, pretty much everything.

I also struggle with anxiety\depression. Building this relationship with fear through climbing & adventure I have become a new person. I am able to see fear as a friend, a friend that is teaching me lessons for the better. It overall helps with anxiety and depression. It's pretty easy to not get anxious in a grocery store when you are used to hanging out ropeless, thousands of feet in the air. It helps me control my mind and be in the moment.

3. Rock climbing is a head game as much as a physical one. When you’re high above your last piece of gear and the crux gets spicy, how do you manage fear, stay present, and force yourself into that hyper-focused "flow state"?

As mentioned in the previous question, myself and fear have a really good relationship. In fact, I joke a lot and tell people fear is my best friend.

Fear is very interesting. Most people see fear as a bad thing or scary thing.. That is not at all what fear is. Fear is an emotion, fear is part of us, and fear makes us who we are. Without fear, we wouldn’t even be human. So why is fear always looked at negatively?

I personally believe we as humans have created this image of fear that is actually really hard to reverse. When people feel fear, they shut down, they freak out. When I feel fear, it's beautiful. It is an experience and a learning moment.

I typically only feel fear on runout routes, when I am well above my gear and climbing at my limit. When I am free soloing I do not feel fear at all, If I do something is going wrong. When I am free soloing, I am in a flow state that is hyper focused. Colors are more colorful\vivid, sounds are louder, life is slower, everything is just in this exact moment.

I wouldn’t necessarily say I force myself into a flow state, it comes naturally. Using ATHLETHC however, the flow state does come quicker!

4. Outdoor culture has always had a casual relationship with cannabis & hemp, usually associated with kicking back at camp after a long day. How does your use of microdose THC differ, and why is "intention and function" so important when you're active?

THC has always been around when I have been in the wild and to be honest it has been around my whole life. From ball sports to adventure sports, THC has been there.

Now for me, I use THC in two ways, and first things first I am a firm believer in THC. I use microdose THC (2-4mg) during the day. This helps me feel “lighter” and enter flow state quicker.

I mainly climb alone, whether that be rope solo, free solo, or in the mountains so I am typically always in a state of motion. It is easy to lose flow state when you do this on a regular basis. Now that I have been using ATHLETHC I can tell the difference in being able to enter that flow state each time, and in a timely manner.

I also have really bad GI problems in which microdosing helps with this. The other thing I use THC for is sleep\recovery. I smoke at night and yes around the campfire! The difference being, this is more for sedation rather than flow and I believe that is the major difference in macro vs micro dosing with THC.

5. Climbing requires total body awareness and sharp focus. How do ATHLETHC mints fit into your routine—are you popping one at the base of a route to set your intention, using them for sustained focus on long multi-pitch days, or to wind down after sending?

I use ATHLETHC in 3 different ways. Now, I have only been using them for a couple weeks so I am still perfecting how I like them but right now I am enjoying using the Power formula for performance days.

For instance, some days I climb hard. I push my limits on grades or I do a lot in a day ranging from a bunch of pitches to big walls. I've noticed I like the Power formula when doing these activities, which makes sense because they are the more “power” activities.

I enjoy using the Flow formula when doing mountains. Typically when I am doing mountains, I do them in link-ups. This usually comes with many miles, lots of gain, and multiple summits. When I do these I am in the mountains for long periods of time and I like to enter the flow and flow throughout the day. So again, it makes sense that I enjoy this formula for these things as it is more of a flow activity.

The Rebound formula I have been using every day, no matter if I am doing power or flow activities because I mean who doesn’t need to recover?

6. What would you say to other adventure athletes (climbers, kayakers, mountain bikers, etc) who might be skeptical about microdosing during active pursuits?

I’d say the main thing to think about when deciding to microdose during activities is why you are microdosing? Are you microdosing to get high? Then probably not the product for you.

I can see some athletes being skeptical in the sense that they will lose their thought process or the ability to make the right decision. That’s the difference with microdosing though. When I am on 2-4mg microdose, I do not feel a weed high and I do not lose sense of reality at all. I only get the benefits of THC. For instance, I feel happier, lighter, hungrier, and coincidently more in control.

Ask yourself why you want to microdose and why THC would help you. I am a big believer in the benefits of THC and its benefits to different people in different ways. 

7. Lightning Round (Quick Pitches)!

Favorite climbing destination of all time: Tuolumne Meadows

Favorite ATHLETHC mint flavor: Gosh.. flavor probably Cool Mint.

The ultimate crag snack in your haul bag: With my GI issues I don’t eat much during the day but I do have a Leaft Blade every day and it comes with my in my pack.

One song or album that gets you hyped before a big climb: You know this one is a tough one, I listen to different music depending on what I am doing. Like the mints! I listen to classical music when I am free soloing, my favorite is Joep Beving and Phillip Glass. I listen to electronic music when doing power activities, my favorites being Zeds Dead and Tipper. I do listen to a lot of Motley Crue while doing power too. When just hanging out I listen to a lot of folk music and reggae. My favorites being Cat Clyde, Gregory Alan Isakov, Tribal Seeds, and Stick Figure. 

8. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to anyone looking to push past their comfort zone—whether that’s on a 5.10 slab or in their everyday life?

The thing I always tell everyone is to follow their happiness.

This could be a 5.10 slab, trying a new sport, taking a trip, or ANYTHING.. It could literally be anything. But I believe too many of us worry about what-ifs. Don’t worry about what-ifs. Is this going to make you happy? THEN DO IT!

This all begins with changing your relationship with fear.. And that, my friends, is my biggest advice. Stop seeing fear as a negative, see it as a positive.