Who's home safe? And how was the trip?

[unjonharley]

As I approached the 58 tunnels first slow sign waver.. I had a charlie horse under my right knee.. I spotted a turn off and flipped on the safety blinkers.. Car and trucks poured pass me at 65 mph.. unbelievable assholes.. I was light enough to do 55 except some curves.. Cars were trying to push me.. In the pass lanes they hitting 80 to get by me in time..

[Thecatman]

I actually had a guy in a Toyota pickup pass me on the way into the playa, coming off those hills you have to go over as you approach, yell out the window "YOU STUPID ASSHOLE!!!" as he went by!

He was probably jealous cause he wasn't going.

[Elliot]

I should not have said "brake smoke". If that had happened, I would of course have stopped and waited several hours. I meant "brake smell". To my mind, the smell of hot brakes is plenty alarming, and I tend to call it smoke. Actual smoke visible in the mirrors would constitute a disaster in progress -- Heaven forbid.

[Ranchdude]

Left Monday am, since we were told it was gonna rain. 12 hours to Sparks. Played cards and enjoyed the show while waiting. Left Sparks about 1pm, headed to Phoenix, got there at 2am, slept 6 hours, turned the TT in, headed to San Antonio, got here at 3 am. Pretty much have slept since then.

No problems, just got a little tired of driving.

[Patsh]

Left Reno at 9am yesterday, hit Jerome (central AZ) 10 pm. Hit slow traffic in Las Vegas at 4:30 rush hour, and heavy rain twice for about a minute each, but all in all, had a good trip home, with loud Shpongle and big smiles all the way.
Another awesome burn!!! Now, to write down all the things I want to do for next year's burn, before I forget!
Maybe a small trailer is in order.......

[CaffeineGirl]

Left Tuesday at 6:45 AM (THANK YOU to White Trash Superstar for the jump!)
Hit pavement at 7:20 AM (from walk-in ), made it back to the Bay Area in 7 hours, campsite to front door. I was specifically asked to make a giant golden cow for next year.

Oh yes! Make it happen! A gigantic fire breathing golden cow.

[lothos 1162]

I shit you not on this one....One of my rideshares was a very beautiful greek women who was dumped by her boyfriend saturday night(what a darkwad this guy was),she was looking for a ride to SF.My other rideshare was a T/S Pornstar.

[illy dilly]

Sounds like most folks made it home... Eventually.

I shit you not on this one....One of my rideshares was a very beautiful greek women who was dumped by her boyfriend saturday night(what a darkwad this guy was),she was looking for a ride to SF.My other rideshare was a T/S Pornstar.

This sounds like the start to a cheesy "National Lampoons- something something something" movie.

I actually had a guy in a Toyota pickup pass me on the way into the playa, coming off those hills you have to go over as you approach, yell out the window "YOU STUPID ASSHOLE!!!" as he went by! I guess he wanted me to fry my brakes and crash in front of him and block the whole road instead??!! I wasn't stupid. Sorry if any of you were behind me but that's how you get safely down a mountain in something heavy!

No shit! What a piece of work. I hate those fuck heads that don't get it.
Eventually someday, they'll be towing or hauling something heavy for the first time and burn or lock up their breaks. Proceed to shit their britches, and hopefully learn their lesson.

[theCryptofishist]

I actually had a guy in a Toyota pickup pass me on the way into the playa, coming off those hills you have to go over as you approach, yell out the window "YOU STUPID ASSHOLE!!!" as he went by! I guess he wanted me to fry my brakes and crash in front of him and block the whole road instead??!! I wasn't stupid. Sorry if any of you were behind me but that's how you get safely down a mountain in something heavy!

No shit! What a piece of work. I hate those fuck heads that don't get it.
Eventually someday, they'll be towing or hauling something heavy for the first time and burn or lock up their breaks. Proceed to shit their britches, and hopefully learn their lesson.

The good Captain was obviously a mirror to this fellow.

[ranger magnum]

Left monday 8:45 am. Knew we were gonna be in for a long exodus, but the wife needed to be at work wednesday, and she wanted a day to decompress before the returning to the old 9-5.

8 hour exodus. Gate was closed for awhile because of the rain. So I spent that time cleaning the inside of the rv. By the time we hit pavement, it was as clean as it was when we left.

Had diner at The Wig Wam in Fernley around 7, then stayed at the Lazy Inn motel next door. 2 king beds for $61 including tax. Up at 7 for the drive home, made it to Santa Barbara by 8 pm.

The rv never missed a beat, and as of today, it is washed, cleaned, and minus food and water, loaded for next year.

[delle]

We are home.

It is overcast and very cold. We both find ourselves shaky and disoriented and with a strangely scary quality in our eyes which we are explaining away as "extreme atmospheric pressure change". (a blanket statement)

Fortunately all of this is interspersed with fits of laughter as individual moments of the past two weeks are recalled.

We know our bodies will re-acclimate soon enough with rest and time. The rest is thankfully changed forever. Yet again.

Decompression: "Fuck and Hallelujah!!"

[Patsh]

We are home.

It is overcast and very cold. We both find ourselves shaky and disoriented and with a strangely scary quality in our eyes which we are explaining away as "extreme atmospheric pressure change". (a blanket statement)

Fortunately all of this is interspersed with fits of laughter as individual moments of the past two weeks are recalled.

We know our bodies will re-acclimate soon enough with rest and time. The rest is thankfully changed forever. Yet again.

Decompression: "Fuck and Hallelujah!!"

Heheeheeeeeeee....

I thank you, Delle and Kenny, for being my sister and brother-in-law (I couldn't wish for better!!!).... and for burning this year... I'm already looking forward to the next one! Wishing you an easy transition back to that 'other reality'. Big hugs for both of you!!! (((((((((Delle and Kenny)))))))))

[delle]

I thank you, Delle and Kenny, for being my sister and brother-in-law

Mom and Dad and the Internet are responsible for this. Not me. Tho I do appreciate the nod....

Thanks going where they should, we would not be in this happy predicament were it not for you. You made it ALL happen.

And "ALL" includes it's own enormous list for which I am so very humbly grateful.

[FIGJAM]

Read any good books lately?

[Sundial]

Home safe as of Wednesday. Trip was largely uneventful, but there were a couple of close calls making my flights. Reagan is a very strange airport. Amazingly, Canadian customs didn't make me empty out my shit for inspection this year. Guess he just didn't wanna deal with it. Ottawa taxi drivers are so much less personal than Reno drivers.

[Sic Pup]

I envy your drive, Sic Pup. I do my final clean up of the car later and later each year. I didn't put the passenger seat back in last year (this year) until January. It's an onerous tax we all pay.

Har! January.... LOL.

I unloaded this morning and did the first rough cleaning (I never fool myself by thinking I'll get everything in one tranche). I've selectively took care of some of the stuff but I've set aside tomorrow morning for the bulk of it. Almost finished a 32oz bottle of lemon juice (yes it was diluted and no I didn't drink it).

Don't envy the drive, although PA is pretty and anything west of Denver is awesome the drive in between is horrendous if you stay on the interstate. Satellite radio kept whatever sanity remains intact. You can't even break it up with decent meal breaks. I didn't even attempt to eat anything when I left Chicago until I hit my favorite local pizzeria (14 hours elapsed). Next trip, if I drive, I'm starting my cooler food at home and replenishing in Reno instead of initiating in Reno.

[Sic Pup]

Upwards of 6000 miles and c. $650 in gas over 17 days and I arrived home last night.

I left Chicago at 5:15AM and pulled into my driveway at 8:30PM yesterday.

I came home to a mowed lawn and living plants, what else can a man ask for?

On the way out I visited friends in OH and family in CO and on the way back friends in IL.

In between I had my best burn ever even if much of it can't really be relayed in polite company.

I'll post about that later

[delle]

Read any good books lately?

As a matter of fact I have....

The first 13 pages have probably been read a total of 130 times thus far. Although each pass is funnier than the last, I am hoping my visual and mental focus change to allow me to get further into the story soon.

[TinkerMom]

Left Reno Wed 9/4 around 10:30am and arrived in Flagstaff exactly 24 hrs later.

A long slow drive and about 900lbs over weight on my rig. Pushed every limit of every
part of myself and my rig!

Some crazy happenings and some strange get togethers along the way, but made it none the less.

I had an exhausting physical and mental breakdown, when I finally got parked in the yard, but, all
is good now.

[Elorrum]

We are home. ... The rest is thankfully changed forever. Yet again.

Change it forever, over and over again!!! I like that.

[Canoe]

...Actual smoke visible in the mirrors would constitute a disaster in progress -- Heaven forbid.

My Dad finally sold his Malibu wagon because he was tired of having to stop it, lift the hood, and put out the fires from the leaking fuel line, before he could drive on.

[dragonpilot]

Left camp on Monday 9 AM...got to Hwy 34 at 6:30...northern route to Summer Lake Hot Springs at 11:30 PM. Tuesday morning out of Summer Lake to Seattle...saw aftermath of a serious Burner rollover on OR State Route 31 about halfway to US 97....must have happened previous night as clean up crews were just starting to do their job clearing the wreckage off the road...occupants must have been taken to hospital judging from extent of wreckage...anyone know anything?

My big news is that the old SUV pulled the new trailer OK for 1200+ miles w/o incident. On the way down it seemed like that trailer was going to tear off my hitch and careen past me over a cliff, but it all held together. One the way home I just gave it whatever it needed to stay at 55 mph with no worries. That said, looking at a heftier tow vehicle for next year, even tho I was well within weight limits.

[Captain Goddammit]

My big news is that the old SUV pulled the new trailer OK for 1200+ miles w/o incident. On the way down it seemed like that trailer was going to tear off my hitch and careen past me over a cliff, but it all held together. One the way home I just gave it whatever it needed to stay at 55 mph with no worries. That said, looking at a heftier tow vehicle for next year, even tho I was well within weight limits.

It's all about wheelbase when towing. That's the reason my duallie pickup is a four door... no one ever rides in the back, I just want that long chassis for stability when towing trailers. If trailering something heavy is the task, get something as long as you can. 3/4 ton is minimum, 1-ton is better.
And use a good weight-distributing hitch, the kind with the two or three foot long spring bars. Not only do they spread your hitch weight forward, they also absolutely prevent your trailer from coming off the hitch.

[Martiansky]

Left monday at around 1:15pm in exodus line for 8+ hours before we hit pavement.
Made it to Fernley I think it was close to midnight, my sister has better knowledge of time since I was concentrating on the road.
Found a hotel in Fernely and sadly showered off the playa dust. Slept in before getting back on the road.
The back of my truck had so much stuff in it that it was near impossible to drive at night because the headlights were up in the air and not on the road, so we drove until dark each night and then stopped. We took our time coming home, decompressing a little and stopping to look at interesting things along the way. We cut up from I-80 in Cheyenne, WY to Gillette and hit I-90 and stopped at Devils Tower. Very impressive even the second time around for me, Mohairs first time seeing it.
We were going to stop at Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse but it would've delayed us another day and we were both ready to get home.
We finally made it home safely last night at 9pm. Welcomed by our mom and 4 happy dogs!

Truck got unloaded today and totes brought in but not yet unpacked.
We took some notes along the way home of the things that we used and it ended up we could've left 2/3rds of what we brought at home since they weren't needed! DOH!! (slaps forehead)

[MyDearFriend]

Well I made it back to DC last Saturday and am finally waking the fuck up here. Graidawg and I caught the train in Reno (or in my case, barely almost didn't catch the train in Reno) last Wednesday and took the long slow sleeper car trip across, snoozing and eating and staring out the windows, making plans for next year. It was fantastic.

We had a night (in my case 2 nights) in Reno before we caught that train (or almost didn't) but it really was not enough. Though the showers and food on the train were quite excellent.

This is my third day back at work now and I am finally getting the hang of paying attention to it again.

And I am at the point in my grief now that I can sneak in here to say hi without crying. I miss you all terribly. Putting Graidawg on his plane Tuesday was terrible. I am going to somehow get somewhere to see some of you again before next August.

[theCryptofishist]

I am going to somehow get somewhere to see some of you again before next August.

*starts making MDF's travel plans to Utah*

[MyDearFriend]

I am going to somehow get somewhere to see some of you again before next August.

*starts making MDF's travel plans to Utah*

*hugs (((Fishy)))*

[C187]

Oh yeah, this thread..
Left Tuesday, got back Friday. Took longer to get back than to get to the playa.
Sorry I forgot to make it to the M+G.

[Captain Goddammit]

I've been home a week now and the boat is still on the trailer and packed full of dusty stuff.
All I've done is get most of the food out of the camper.

I guess I better get on it.


Later.

[Elliot]

Eight days at home and all the bicycles are finally out of the bus. The scaffolding is not. I'm still eating and drinking leftovers. And I'm taking notes to myself on how to make things even better next year.