Playa Conditions for 2015

[Token]

I get 3% standard off the top.

[Jenifersteppat]

Changing the subject to plays conditions...MOSQUITOES????!!! Has this ever happened??

[^Rhino!]

Changing the subject to plays conditions...MOSQUITOES????!!! Has this ever happened??

Never happened when the Frogbat was there.

[chuckularone]

You need water for mosquitoes.

[Jenifersteppat]

This is on Burning Man website (blog)

And there’s another effect of the unseasonable wetness: Bugs. There are lots of bugs around, including mosquitoes. You couldn’t stand outside in Gerlach as the sun went down without getting bitten to death. We’re not sure yet how bad it will be out on the playa, but be smart and pack some lavender oil or bug spray or whatever you use.

[Canoe]

Changing the subject to plays conditions...MOSQUITOES????!!! Has this ever happened??

Yes.
But not many, and not often.
Depends on water near the playa (rain), its pH, temps and wind to transport them onto the playa. Haven't heard of them surviving in the water that occasionally stands on the playa for aquatic microfauna.
Like some other insects that have magically appeared on the playa, they can blow in, but mosquitoes sure don't last long under the dry heat. Once the sun is down, they can last longer. I've had a few bites on-playa. They're a very small mosquito, compared to what we have back home.

Last year there was some West Nile concern, as "Mosquito traps set near Gerlach just before the annual Burning Man counter-cultural festival have tested positive for West Nile Virus..."
http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2014/09/0 ... /15042263/
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=72029

[mooserider]

I'll just leave my bug repellent in the RV. If it's good enough for Ontario mosquitos,

hopefully it's good enough for the playa.

[^Rhino!]

mooserider, I heard that the mosquito was the provincial bird in Ontario. Care to lend credence to that?

[Canoe]

Seems like it by times. They're certainly larger than the one I've seen in Nevada.
At night, one gets near your ear and it can seem like you're about to get extracted.
Swarms of them create a din, like frogs, though thankfully not as loud.
And if there's one f-er in the tent...

[Canoe]

Should we really be discussing this on eplaya? I don't want to have to deal with everyone and their cousin on the platforms this year.

Oh crap! I thought this was the private Infrastructure page on the board.

Since the line at B_____ may be huge, those who opened their mouths can go to the nearest hill and launch themselves into BRC this way.

gunsmoke for subway.jpg

[Simon of the Playa]

ha.jpg

[Captain Goddammit]

The way I see it, it's too close to burn time and too small a percentage of burners read eplaya for it to matter this year, and I'm betting the word about the subway will have gotten out and spread like wildfire by next year anyway.
The way I read it, the whole art of the project was to build such an expensive and elaborate thing such as a subway into BRC, say nothing about it, and just see how long it took before people found it.
Must be nice to be a Google exec with so much money you can't even figure out how to spend it all.

[Ratty]

Now I'm pissed. You guys know that once anything is on the internet it can't be deleted. You've done it now. Oooooo. You're gonnna be in trouble.

[Canoe]

Then let them find out, not tell them!

Like I said, if there's a huge line at b_____, they're buying my drinks while we wait.

[ygmir]

I wonder if they were able to use the plans and or any parts of the tunnel from the "power to the playa" people from some years back? they did that directional boring project to generate power and used subterranean infrastructure. IIRC, they employed a directional boring company? minimal surface disturbance.
I know they had some sort of connection, or contact, to Ein Hammer, et al.

[Simon of the Playa]

they employed a directional boring company

yes, i saw them out there one night doing work.

ross_laurence_15.jpg

[Simon of the Playa]

this just in.

Baby Jack-a-lopes have been spotted on playa.


do not attempt to catch them, mom is probably somewhere nearby, and she has big teeth.

[Canoe]

Sure early for the Bunny March...

[Simon of the Playa]

yeah.


they put him in "B" lot.

[bigbluedoggy]

That is one lost bunny...

[maladroit]

Savory bunny jerky? Playa score!

[Simon of the Playa]

rv-playa.jpg

[^Rhino!]

I wonder if they were able to use the plans and or any parts of the tunnel from the "power to the playa" people from some years back? they did that directional boring project to generate power and used subterranean infrastructure. IIRC, they employed a directional boring company? minimal surface disturbance.
I know they had some sort of connection, or contact, to Ein Hammer, et al.

yggy, they've used trenching machines, or at least DPW has, for installation of the power cables on playa. Weldboy of DPW was a pretty good pwer equipment cowboy for that scene a few years ago.

But now times have changed. To get the adequate diameter of bore we needed to make it out on playa, the tunnelers used a full-face earth-pressure balance tunnel boring machine (TBM), powered from a geothermal heat exchanger located over north of Fly Ranch. The tunnel liner is being constructed as they advance, using some of the spoil as a fast drying additive to the concrete for the liner.

I'd tell you more, except there's still lots of secret parts to the story.

I will tell you one thing....the TBM is manufactured by Herrenknecht. But that's it.

[Ano]

Things have dried out a bit leaving a really well-packed and flat playa. The apocalyptic conditions of a few weeks ago have been overwritten with relative flatness and the expected ruts on 3 oclock.

Roads are currently looking great. Looks a bit like 2013 playa, maybe a little better.

However, the bug scare is 100% real. It's actually incredibly nasty out there, the wetness has made the surrounding land nice and lush and full of nasties. Bug Spray is a necessity, if our camp has the option of running a bug zapper, you're going to need it.

We've replaced one apocalyptic scenario for another. Be ready - shits crazy with bugs right now. Hopefully it changes in the next few weeks.

[SourPatch]

A visual of the bug scare^^^.


As seen on Black Rock City Playa Info's Facebook page.

[Hope-a-Lope]

Blech, I was really hoping the mosquito thing was a rumor. Here's hoping those little fuckers drop dead soon.

Mmm, sunscreen AND bug spray? We're all gonna smell dee-lightful!

[Just_Joe]

This weekend, the playa five miles north of BRC wasn't too bad. One in our subcamp of six got a single bite. I spent half an hour or so in BRC proper and was fine. If it doesn't rain in the next few weeks they'll prolly all be dead of thirst.

[Popeye]

Those aren't mosquitos. WTF are they? Will DEET repel them/ hide you?

[tatonka]

looks like stink bugs

[Popeye]

looks like stink bugs

Good. That will go well with the sweat and sun screen.