Welcome to the Playa of Black Rock City, home of Burning Man.
I am drawn to the event, held in the desert of northern Nevada for the awe inspiring and often interactive large-scale art. I made the promise to myself that this would be the only way I would return and attend another Burning Man - For the purpose of creating sculpture on the Playa, a gigantic open canvas of expression.
I was the chief engineer of our shade structure, and what a ride that was. After a group consensus, the structure was plotted out 50% longer than originally planned, increasing the deadly surface area of the sail-like structure.
A de-commissioned hot air balloon served as the shade, although it acted as a heat barrier and soon we were baking inside the structure. Vents and multiple layers of fabric were the logical solution...However this had its downfall which was unpredictable by us 'virgins'.
Low and behold, Black Rock City is privy to the extreme and unrelenting forces of the desert climate. Far away in the deep playa, on a art appreciaiton journey, a dust storm hit. The air was as thick as black coffee with dust and 50 mph winds, and it was soon painful to open an eye behind sunglasses. Thankfully, we hitched a ride with a hardy art car equipped with a live band on the second story. It serindipidously headed back to its home base, a mere 1/4 mile from our camp. The winds had run amok in our camp, and the vents cut just that morning to relieve us from the heat had bled wind into the structure, ripping and tearing the middle section away. If it wasn't for quick thinking and haggard knife hacking, we might have lost the entire structure.
In another endeavor, hammock bikes were fabricated for the playa. We chopped a bike in half, flipping the back and putting it in the front while placing the front in the rear for steering. All in all a chillin ride.
All in all the event was a spectacular experience in self reliance and problem solving, mixed in with a deep respect for nature and the 50,000 crazies that convene in the desert to share their energy, projects and company for one week. The image above tells it all, with a formation of planes that departed from the airport in Black Rock City, to display the icon of Burning Man in the sky for all to see.
5 comments:
c'mon, buzzy. Compromised on multiple levels? we deserve a little more credit than that. The structure rocked, it was the shitty balloon attachment that gave out on us. Plus, I liked our two-bedroom post-storm skeletor structure anyways.
agreed agreed...the post storm skeletor structure was an improvement from the gypsy tent
oh man bland,i love reading your blog, its so helpful for those who think you are freaking awesome and are totally inspired by all of the stuff that you do. i love to read about your adventures and all of your ideas intrigue me and compel me to go on adventures too
Interesting to know.
...please where can I buy a unicorn?
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