I lucked out during 2010 and 2011 by not being blasted by dust storms while tent camping on a dry Pleistocene playa lake bed - Lake Lahontan - AKA Black Rock Desert / City. Winter 2011 - 2012 was drier than average which resulted in a very dusty Black Rock Desert playa. Camping alone and having to deal with the dust was a challenge. I don't know anyone who camps on dry lake beds except the people who attend Burning Man each year. Right after setting up camp I endured a nine hour dust storm that piled up about four inches of playa silt on the parachute that pushed down on the tent almost collapsing it - see below. During a spell of low morale it occurred to me that only an idiot would camp on a playa lake bed. Me included.
November 18, 2012 Update: I'm watching Dust Bowl by Ken Burns now and can say WOW! Houses almost buried in one day?!!! People dying from dust pneumonia?!!!! So, four inches of dust on my parachute is really nothing. No more complaints.
After some thought about how I will improve dust abatement next year I'm also now resolved to be at one with the dust and accept dustiness. I think I've transformed into a Desert Dust Bunny. My camera and laptop computer survived just dusty fine and that's the bottom line for me when I'm out there. So, need to go back for more. Although I do get comments from family members about the fine silt dust that oozes out of every crack in our 1993 Dodge Caravan even after washing and rain - best van ever by the way.
I've been reading on the web some seemingly solid and some fuzzy complaints about an increase in assault and batteries and sexual assaults this year. I haven't been exposed to anything like it during the three years I've attended. I have seen several people being assisted by EMS personnel and have helped a few myself who were physically stressed and ended up prone on the playa. Most appeared to have exceeded their capacity to tolerate sleep deprivation, dehydration, alcohol and drug abuse. I felt sorry for them and reminded myself each time to not allow that to happen to me. I read that a helicopter MEDIVAC flight from Black Rock City to a hospital in Reno costs around $25,000. I feel sorry for the people who take that ride without health insurance!
I avoid trouble by staying away from rowdy, intoxicated people and avoid the raves. I go to meet fun people and take pictures. People who go to be jerks, hurt people and commit crimes should stay home. I surmise if they continue to get out of control that the Bureau of Land Management would be forced to stop Burning Man from taking place on federal lands. The government has no interest in allowing events to take place on its lands where people get hurt at unreasonable levels. Unfortunately, a lot of people go to Burning Man to morph into some sort of edgy-urban-dweller-"tough"-persona because they feel they should and they should get away with it. I don't trust them and avoid them. I hangout with people who are just themselves - not put-ons. The edgy-urban-dweller-"tough"-put-ons are boring.
The Black Rock Desert is located in the upper center portion of Lake Lahontan.
From the book Storm Over Mono by John Hart: http://www.monolake.org/
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Lahontan
I camped next to really nice people who were a lot of fun to hang out with and fed me breakfast each morning - thanks again guys for all the very spicy breakfast sausage, my mouth is still burning (see their photo at bottom). I noticed walking bare foot on the alkaline playa removed a lot of the thick boot calluses on the bottoms of my feet. That is another good reason to return.
This is my camp on the edge of the Walk-In camping area just before the nine hour dust storm on Sunday. The gate opened at 6:00 p.m. for general admission and the area in the back ground and both sides of me quickly filled in with vehicles and mostly happy campers.
I tried to take the best photographs I could and here are a few of my favorites. My best are uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottwilliamsb_w/sets/72157631430231322/
Also... In case anyone is wondering. All my photographs are made in camera with adjustments made by me to contrast, brightness, or color saturation using Photoshop with Lightroom. That's it. No fancy fake stuff.
Yes, I do color when the subject is colorful.
November 18, 2012 Update: I'm watching Dust Bowl by Ken Burns now and can say WOW! Houses almost buried in one day?!!! People dying from dust pneumonia?!!!! So, four inches of dust on my parachute is really nothing. No more complaints.
After some thought about how I will improve dust abatement next year I'm also now resolved to be at one with the dust and accept dustiness. I think I've transformed into a Desert Dust Bunny. My camera and laptop computer survived just dusty fine and that's the bottom line for me when I'm out there. So, need to go back for more. Although I do get comments from family members about the fine silt dust that oozes out of every crack in our 1993 Dodge Caravan even after washing and rain - best van ever by the way.
I've been reading on the web some seemingly solid and some fuzzy complaints about an increase in assault and batteries and sexual assaults this year. I haven't been exposed to anything like it during the three years I've attended. I have seen several people being assisted by EMS personnel and have helped a few myself who were physically stressed and ended up prone on the playa. Most appeared to have exceeded their capacity to tolerate sleep deprivation, dehydration, alcohol and drug abuse. I felt sorry for them and reminded myself each time to not allow that to happen to me. I read that a helicopter MEDIVAC flight from Black Rock City to a hospital in Reno costs around $25,000. I feel sorry for the people who take that ride without health insurance!
I avoid trouble by staying away from rowdy, intoxicated people and avoid the raves. I go to meet fun people and take pictures. People who go to be jerks, hurt people and commit crimes should stay home. I surmise if they continue to get out of control that the Bureau of Land Management would be forced to stop Burning Man from taking place on federal lands. The government has no interest in allowing events to take place on its lands where people get hurt at unreasonable levels. Unfortunately, a lot of people go to Burning Man to morph into some sort of edgy-urban-dweller-"tough"-persona because they feel they should and they should get away with it. I don't trust them and avoid them. I hangout with people who are just themselves - not put-ons. The edgy-urban-dweller-"tough"-put-ons are boring.
The Black Rock Desert is located in the upper center portion of Lake Lahontan.
From the book Storm Over Mono by John Hart: http://www.monolake.org/
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Lahontan
I camped next to really nice people who were a lot of fun to hang out with and fed me breakfast each morning - thanks again guys for all the very spicy breakfast sausage, my mouth is still burning (see their photo at bottom). I noticed walking bare foot on the alkaline playa removed a lot of the thick boot calluses on the bottoms of my feet. That is another good reason to return.
This is my camp on the edge of the Walk-In camping area just before the nine hour dust storm on Sunday. The gate opened at 6:00 p.m. for general admission and the area in the back ground and both sides of me quickly filled in with vehicles and mostly happy campers.
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| Copyright 2012 Scott Williams |
Also... In case anyone is wondering. All my photographs are made in camera with adjustments made by me to contrast, brightness, or color saturation using Photoshop with Lightroom. That's it. No fancy fake stuff.
Yes, I do color when the subject is colorful.
Starport 2.012
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Copyright 2012 Scott Williams
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| Copyright 2012 Scott Williams |
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| Copyright 2012 Scott Williams |
Ego
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Copyright 2012 Scott Williams
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Copyright 2012 Scott Williams
Star Seed |
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| Copyright 2012 Scott Williams |
Anubis
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| Copyright 2012 Scott Williams |
Compound eye / I
Self portrait - that's me sitting on the playa taking the picture.
Self portrait - that's me sitting on the playa taking the picture.
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| Copyright 2012 Scott Williams |
The Twisted Upright House with El Pulpo Mechanico in Background
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| Copyright 2012 Scott Williams |
Extemporaneous camp mates. Wonderful people. Kenny Reff - second from right - is from Washington D.C. and he sent me a 30 page essay illustrated with photographs about his first time at Burning Man. A very creative and moving description about his journey filled with challenges and fun discoveries. Kenny's creativity makes Burning Man special.
Check out the essay here:
http://blog.burningman.com/2013/05/tales-from-the-playa/the-trial-of-a-burgin-east-coaster/
Check out the essay here:
http://blog.burningman.com/2013/05/tales-from-the-playa/the-trial-of-a-burgin-east-coaster/
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| Copyright 2012 Scott Williams |
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