At the end of August we went on our second year to Burning Man. We bought our tickets back in February and this year we didn’t want to be living in a tent on the playa so we got ourselves a trailer. Our friend Barbara had one she was not using that much so we bought it and gave her the right to use it at any time in exchange for storing it at her ranch. As new trailer owners we set about figuring out the idiosyncrasies of trailer ownership. There were many issues we weren't even aware of - our generator was way underpowered to run the air conditioner, there were multiple mud wasp nests in various trailer orifices that inhibited ventilation and prevented the propane fridge from working, the tank gauges were malfunctioning, the batteries were not mounted securely, some lights worked others didn't, etc.
Our Mini-Max Trailer
After a couple of weeks of serious work and expense we were set to go. We had a new high powered generator, we had taped up all the windows with blue painter’s tape (the Black Rock Desert dust is notoriously penetrating), we had managed to load our bikes onto the very flimsy looking bike rack and we had food and supplies for just about any eventuality.
We left Sacramento early on the Wednesday morning and headed up the hill to Truckee and on to Reno. Burning Man had started on Sunday, but we figured we didn’t need to be there all week. Wednesday to Monday was enough time for us. We left the highway at Wadsworth, the small town east of Reno, and headed north to Gerlach and the Black Rock Desert. It was a beautiful day, blue skies and no clouds but as we headed out from Gerlach there was a cloud of white dust over the desert playa. Unlike the prior year where we spent 19 hours waiting in line to get in, this year there was hardly any traffic at all.
Entering the Playa at Black Rock
We drove off the tarmac onto the playa and made our way to the entry. We entered into the cloud of dust and quickly the visibility became seriously limited. We were following the lights of someone ahead of us, until they disappeared into the dust then we edged along the entry fence one fence post at a time. It was really quite bad. At the entry gate they stopped us for about an hour until the dust cleared. We were then allowed in and again carefully followed one fence post after the next onto the streets of the camps.
In all our diligence to prepare the trailer we had forgotten to tape the windows of the truck - a major mistake as the fine dust began to pile up and seep into the vehicle. Slowly we proceeded into camp and found our way to the location we stayed at last year at 5:30 and I - a nice location away from all the noise and heavy traffic. We found a place to park and quickly leveled the trailer and got inside to ride out the dust storm. In retrospect it might have been better to sit the dust storm out back on the highway where it was a beautiful blue sky day.
The dust continued throughout the rest of the day so we didn’t stray from our trailer. The weird thing was that at times you could look up and see blue sky above you but everything down at ground level was a white dusty fog.
A beautiful sunrise on the Playa
The next morning, the wind had died down and it was a beautiful sunrise. There were drifts of dust around everything that had been left out in the open. It is an alkali dust too, very fine and it feels very silky between your fingers and it sticks to everything.
The 2026 Burning Man
In the early morning, I went out for a bike ride around the playa while Diana rested some more. She had been quite sick with what turned out to be flu and she was not quite over it. Out on the Playa the weather was quite good, not too hot in the early morning with beautiful clouds in a blue sky. I cycled up to the statue of the Man and then over to the Temple.
The Man Structure
The Man was an impressive construction this year - quite tall and with a spiral staircase up to the upper levels. There was a long line of people waiting to go up so I gave it a miss.
The Temple
The Temple was equally impressive though unlike last year it did not have a central area where people could sit and be silent. There was some seating but it was quite limited and it was all taken when I was there. People looking very solemn and sad - some sniffling and some weeping.
I took in a few other nearby artworks before going back to our trailer - a magical treehouse, an origami bird, a huge pavillion structure.
From time to time the wind got up again and there were clouds of dust. Around lunchtime I got kitted out with my goggles and face mask and headed out one more time to the Playa.
Generally it was quite dust free but it was changeable and when it did get dusty it was hard to tell where you were and what direction you were going The advice when that happens is to stay where you are and await for a drop in the wind and a clearing of the dust. I had to do that several times.
As usual the art installations were impressive - a broken Eiffel Tower emerging out of the desert sand, a ruptured ocean liner, a giant mobile made up of 4 or 5 small caravans.
On the way back to our trailer I stopped at one of the camps, a pink camp, everything was pink. They were giving out ice cream. Most welcome on this dusty afternoon.
Back in the trailer we had a meal (dehydrated camping meals are wonderful - tasty and easy) and stayed inside all night as the intermittent wind and dust was not at all welcoming.
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| Mud on the Playa |
During the night we had rain. It was supposed to rain just a little - only 0.05 inches were forecast. However off and on through the night and into the morning it rained leaving the ground a series of puddles and everything very muddy. In such conditions it is not advisable to go out. There is no riding of bikes on the playa or driving on the roads and the mud just clings to your boots as you walk, building up and building up until you are 2 or 3 inches taller.
By late morning the rain had stopped and things were drying out and by 4:00 pm we were able to venture out. Diana and I rode out to the Playa and to the Man and took in more of the art work. So many wonderful things.
We stopped at the central area on the way back to use the public wifi there. All the camps were either covered in dust or caked with now dried mud. It is a real shame that everything gets so contaminated when the weather is like this. They construct such beautiful pavilions where you could hang out or participate in various events and then the dust and mud comes and everything gets blanketed in grime. One day we will see it in its pristine clean original state.
Barbie Death Village
Not far from our camp is the Barbie Death Village. A humorous installation with a trail of a few hundred Barbie dolls leading up to a ramp and feeding into a shredder that then spits out arms and legs and other pieces of the doll parts Of course, it has suffered from the elements and the Barbies are all dusty and brown now.
Sunset on the Playa
It was another beautiful sunset that evening. They really do have the most amazing sunsets and sunrises in that part of the desert.
The next morning, Saturday, the day of the burn, we were out reasonably early and toured the Playa on what was a perfect day - very little wind, hardly any dust and a nice sunny day and not particularly hot.
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| John's rememberance |
We continued to view more of the art works - the Pink Rabbit, the African statues, the Penguins, the Goose, the very large inflatable men, the shiny chrome statues.
The MOOP Fence
We rode all the way out to the fence - the trash fence - where any extraneous MOOP (Material Out of Place) gets caught. The fence really does its job and it captures nearly all of any material that gets blown away across the desert floor.
Nighttime on the Playa
In the evening, we got ready to ride out to the burning of the Man. It was the first time we had been out at night and how spectacular it was. Everyone, including ourselves was lit up - lights on their bicycle wheels, lights on their clothing and all the mutant vehicles were arranged around the Man. It was an amazing cacophony of sound and an onslaught of lights. Every sound system, and there were many of them and they were loud, was booming out EDM. Even though everyone was booming out their own music, the beats per second were very close and almost synchronized so one just blended into the other.
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| El Pulpo Magnifico |
We wandered all around the perimeter of the man, which, since it is loaded with fireworks and incendiaries is well guarded. There were some wonderful sights - propane blasting into the air, laser beams and colored lights everywhere and lots and lots of people. This is the main event of the Burning Man week. Our favorite installation was a repeat appearance from the prior year - El Pulpo Magnifico (the magnificent octopus). This vehicle in the form of a giant octopus has moving arms, eyes and mouth and flaming propane blasts issuing from its head and tentacles - truly magnificent.
Fireworks before the burn
Before the Man burns there are a few ceremonies going on - processions of toga clad people carrying lanterns, people twirling flaming batons and, before his demise, the Man raises his arms to the sky. Finally when it came time for the burn we got in position for a good view of the activities. It was initiated by several explosions and a magnificent display of fireworks - one of the best we had ever seen - and it went on for a long time. Then there were fires around the base of the Man and these slowly grew until the entire structure was aflame. The whole structure was engulfed in flame for a long time, before things started to weaken and then with one almighty crash the whole structure fell to the ground to the whoops and hollers of the crowd. It was simply wonderful and amazing.
The Man is Burning
Finding our bikes in the dark in the mass of hundreds of bikes after the burn was a bit challenging but we eventually found them and made our way back to our camp. A most epic conclusion to the day.
The remains
The next day I rode out to the site of the Man and was surprised how small and area debris it was - charred wood mixed with metal construction frames and nails and screws. It was still smouldering slightly and the ashes were warm.
The Temple Burn
In the evening, Sunday evening, we rode out once more to the Temple to witness its burning. This was a more reverent affair with no ceremony leading up to the lighting of the fire promptly at 8:00 pm. Uite a few people leave after the burning of the man but there were still several 10’s of thousands of people around the Temple and they were all completely silent. We sat in the dust around the Temple and watched the flames take hold and quickly envelop the entire structure.
It was actually quite moving that so many people sat so quietly to witness this event. Sure every now and again there was a lone howl like a wolf by someone somewhere and when the entire structure fell somebody played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes - not my favorite instrument to hear in such a setting. That should be banned.
With the two landmarks of the Playa gone we now had to get back to our camp. Not the easiest thing to do but at least there was no dust. There were a group of cranes and loaders near our street of 5:30 that helped us orient ourselves.
We had a little issue with our plumbing that evening. The black water holding tank of our toilet after 5 days finally filled up. Things got a bit stinky for a while until I decanted a small quantity off into a container and took it to one of the porta-potties. Not what we really wanted to do on our last night but we survived.
The Departure
The next morning we were up with the sun and hitched up our trailer and headed out. There were a few other folks leaving at that time but nothing that made us wait in line for any period of time. We were fairly quickly out to the road and on our way to Gerlach, Reno and Sacramento.
Whilst we had some tough times with the wind, dust, rain and mud, the last few days were perfect and it was another wonderful experience. The little trailer was quite comfortable and quite adequate for our needs. We will be there next year.
