The desert is one of the most hostile environments on Earth—a no man's land, where civilization ends. The names on the map testify to the hardship that has been a way of life for 150 years, from Death Valley, CA to Boneyard, AZ. Those who choose to live in this barren landscape operate by a simple motto: adapt or die. It takes a special breed to survive the crippling heat, stealthy predators and volatile weather, but those who make these badlands their home find freedom and for some, escape. Survival here requires ingenuity, grit and self-reliance.