2017 Playa Conditions

[Just_Joe]

So far so wet.

I've been up a couple of times this winter.
It was too windy to comfortably fly over the water, but I did manage to shoot this:

[TT120]

I think the wetter it is right now, the better the surface will be when we get there.

[ygmir]

I think the wetter it is right now, the better the surface will be when we get there.

that's generally true, though many things affect the surface, not the least of which how much driving is done on the site over the summer.

[1durphul]

Check it out Gerlach's Facebook page has Photos Of The Playa from yesterday. It is a lake now. (The photos are set as public so even non-facebook users can see them.)

Looks like Burning Man and Camp Tipsy might be a collaborative effort this year.

[Just_Joe]

Over the last several months I've been working on getting a weather station installed in Gerlach.
It's now up and running!
GerlachWeather.com

We're also a reporting station for both the National Weather Service and Weather Underground.

While my idea, the station was funded by Friends of Blackrock, an organization I've been involved with for the last umpteen years.
Click on the FBR Mountain Lion logo on the left side of the page and take advantage of our many web resources.... and maybe even consider joining us!

gerlachweather.jpg

[The Rod]

Good work Joe!

While knowing the weather is nice and all, can we just skip all the prognostications and go right to 'we're all fucked, it's going to be really really dusty"?

Oh yeah and the dunes. We can't forget about how there will be more of them than ever before and they'll be at least 6 feet tall.

[1durphul]

Oh yeah and the dunes. We can't forget about how there will be more of them than ever before and they'll be at least 6 feet tall.

I heard 10 feet.

[1durphul]

Over the last several months I've been working on getting a weather station installed in Gerlach.
It's now up and running!
GerlachWeather.com

We're also a reporting station for both the National Weather Service and Weather Underground.

While my idea, the station was funded by Friends of Blackrock, an organization I've been involved with for the last umpteen years.
Click on the FBR Mountain Lion logo on the left side of the page and take advantage of our many web resources.... and maybe even consider joining us!

gerlachweather.jpg

That's awesome! Congratulations on making something so cool happen!

[Just_Joe]

[burner von braun]

Thanks Just_Joe, and as always, good job with the dronework. What entrance is that shown toward the end of the video?

[Just_Joe]

12 Mile
AKA
Nude Beach

[EGAZ]

Great Job Joe!

Bookmarked for future reference.....

[FlyingMonkey]

Fantastic video Joe!!

I know the Playa becomes a lake in the winter but is this more than average? Is this in any way exceptional based on past winters?
Should my bike have floatation this year?
Will they get the subway pumped out before the Burn?

It makes a beautiful lake.

[Just_Joe]

Thanks guys.
In my short history (eight burns), there has never been this much water on the playa. Not even close.
My understanding is that in the olden days, the Quinn River, which drains to the northern end near Black Rock Point, would inundate the playa every year. Recent agricultural needs have diverted the water from the Quinn and now the main source of water to the playa is snow melt from adjacent mountains.

[Just_Joe]

Is everyone sick of my images yet? If not, here's a quick 30 seconds from last weekend.
For anyone interested, in 2010 Desert Research Institute (DRI) did a pretty interesting paper on playa conditions:
Black Rock Playa, Northwestern Nevada: Physical Processes and Aquatic Life

[Ratty]

Just Joe, thank you that's lovely. Could you do me a personal favor? Next weekend go back and this time wade out into the middle. Shoot some footage of you in the water. Just for scale you know. I would like to know how deep it is. Bring along some RC boats too. That would be fun to watch. Thanks. I'll be waiting.

[Sham]

Just_Joe, I find this amazing. Keep posting. How deep do you think the water is now?

[Traveller in Time]

Any ice?

Could be a candidate for walking rocks ?

[FlyingMonkey]

I hate to say it but I like the Playa better as a lake. Well, for a few months anyway & not in August, that's just crazy talk.

[claybcook]

Yes, there is the, "How will the wet winter affect the playa in the summer?" sort of question. A better question might be, "What weather trend are we seeing, and how tall do my Wellies need to be and how do I raise my Monkey Hut high enough?" Perhaps the Man won't burn. Perhaps he'll steam.

[Jenifersteppat]

Worrisome, but I think it will make for awesome cement like conditions (fingers crossed).

[Traveller in Time]

That is where the left behind rebar comes in; strengthening the roof for the underground tubeways . . .

[Hope-a-Lope]

Gorgeous videos, Just_Joe, especially the sunset one.

Goddammit I missed the playa. So glad to be going back this year.

[stephen2u]

Dose anyone know what the playa is like now, is it still flooded


[Mod note: I've merged this question with the existing thread - Eric]

[Just_Joe]

is it still flooded

I heard last week that it's receded quite a bit with blowing dust is visible at times. Our weather station recorded .21" of rain over the weekend, so that may have changed.

We're headed there for Easter. If anyone local want to join us, c'mon up!

[Just_Joe]

We're headed there for Easter. If anyone local want to join us, c'mon up!

We had a nice little party.
A couple of people have told me the playa is "breathing" and I'll believe it. Water IN/water OUT.
It's a giant evap pond and now that much of the water from surrounding mountains has (hopefully) been poured in, it should start drying up.
I've noticed a big difference (lower) from when we were there last week compared to some pics a friend posted yesterday.
Here's my obligatory artsy video from the weekend. Go full screen!

[Jenifersteppat]

Thank you for the video!

[1durphul]

Beautiful video!

What's the latest? Anybody been?

[Just_Joe]

What's the latest? Anybody been?

There are some photos floating around on FB from an overflight on Sat (5/13).
They show a pretty significant drop in water level.
We plan on camping at playa edge the next two weekends. I'll do a comparison.
For discussion sake, the Black Rock Rendezvous couldn't be held on the playa two years ago because of inundation, so this isn't the first time it's been wet going into June.

[ygmir]

What's the latest? Anybody been?

There are some photos floating around on FB from an overflight on Sat (5/13).
They show a pretty significant drop in water level.
We plan on camping at playa edge the next two weekends. I'll do a comparison.
For discussion sake, the Black Rock Rendezvous couldn't be held on the playa two years ago because of inundation, so this isn't the first time it's been wet going into June.

I wonder though, if the difference might be soil saturation? IIRC, two years ago was from late rains, but I think some of what's there is because there is no room to soak more in? When the snow is off the hills, that water is still percolating downwards to the lowest point, so might provide upward pressure?