Playa Dust

BlackLoki · Post by **BlackLoki** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:20 am

I heard persistent rumors that this year there is extra an large amount of dust on the playa. This dust causes white out conditions even in a slight wind. It also makes it hard to ride bikes, and is general a lot more of a pain then any other year. Is it true? Please reply only if you actually been to the playa this year, or are a qualified meteorologist. Facts not rumor.

Simply Joel · Post by **Simply Joel** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 10:50 am

http://www.brc-dpw.org/

http://www.brc-dpw.org/who/willroger/

take a look at the movie... one picture, a thousand words...

and....

"Is it true? Please reply only if you actually been to the playa this year, or are a qualified meteorologist. Facts not rumor."

fact.... the playa is dusty.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:24 am

Is it true? Please reply only if you actually been to the playa this year, or are a qualified meteorologist. Facts not rumor.

Maybe make your query after you've used the search fucnction. This is one of the most asked questions on the board. Use the search function and you might find your answers.

Lostfolio · Post by **Lostfolio** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 8:42 am

Simply Joel wrote:
fact.... the playa is dusty.

WHAT???!!![/b]

TheMuse · Post by **TheMuse** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 5:49 pm

OMFG! There is dust on the Playa?? Count me out. I think I will go to Disneyworld instead. Think they will let me take my fire pyramids on the plane?

kiddo · Post by **kiddo** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 8:27 pm

Just heard it from the source kids, Jackrabbit speaks... the truth.

Speaking of desert surface:

So, this is what I've known, seen and experienced on the surface of our
fair playa. It IS a dry year, ranchers are very distraught about the
drought conditions. We have seen the playa look this way before,
however. The open areas where there are no roads are granular in
nature. Bikes should be mountain bikes for sure. Our roads are in GREAT
condition as we have been watering them since a few days after survey
began. If you have issues with dust and dust storms you should be
prepared for dusty conditions.

There you have it, for those of you who don't get the letter. I guess I'll be retiring the Peugeot for this burn. Poo. (can't say I didn't see it coming though)

chickenfish · Post by **chickenfish** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 9:42 am

mmm dust sandwich!

_tears_ · Post by **_tears_** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 11:34 am

chickenfish wrote:mmm dust sandwich!

I like it in my pasta!!

BlackLoki · Post by **BlackLoki** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 10:38 am

Thank you for answering my question in a coherent and helpful manner Kiddo.
The rest of you were either unhelpful or rude.

The problem for me with the Jackrabbit is that you have to wade though tons of irrelevant (to me) information to gleam one or two useful nuggets. Someone should come out with Jackrabbit digest.

kiddo wrote:Just heard it from the source kids, Jackrabbit speaks... the truth.

Speaking of desert surface:

So, this is what I've known, seen and experienced on the surface of our
fair playa. It IS a dry year, ranchers are very distraught about the
drought conditions. We have seen the playa look this way before,
however. The open areas where there are no roads are granular in
nature. Bikes should be mountain bikes for sure. Our roads are in GREAT
condition as we have been watering them since a few days after survey
began. If you have issues with dust and dust storms you should be
prepared for dusty conditions.
There you have it, for those of you who don't get the letter. I guess I'll be retiring the Peugeot for this burn. Poo. (can't say I didn't see it coming though)

kiddo · Post by **kiddo** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 10:51 am

No problem BlackLoki, glad to help. See ya in a week!!! Stop by 3:00 - 3:30 on Mars and have a beer.

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:00 am

more recent reports say there is rain on the playa. Lots of rain, and more coming this week. This could be the year of Mud city. Bring your boots folks. And bring tarps to put down under your tents. Looks like we could all be dancing in a flooded lake.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 6:56 pm

Posted to the 3playa board just lately.

http://3playa.cultureshark.net/?view_th ... 1ce#bottom

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 6:58 pm

Ooops. ..you have to log in.

Anyway, its an aerial photo of the playa taken today bu a friend who flew over BRC. I'll leave it to folks to judge what extra precautions they need to take. Dust masks, wellington boots and a raincoat look like the rule for the next several days.

Danger · Post by **Danger** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:54 pm

Thanks for the heads up on the wet weather out there! Haven't seen my wet gear since the 2000 wet stuff. I've been spoiled since then and haven't, until now, thought much about the possibility of rain. I imagine my boots and coat are still mud and dust packed in the bottom of my playa camping tub, better make sure they still work.

Thanks again for the wake up call!!!!

nipples · Post by **nipples** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 8:19 pm

rain means dust is less
skip the scraper for your shoes
gravity of clods

Tancorix · Post by **Tancorix** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 9:01 pm

So for those of us who haven't rode out the playa when it's really wet, could you offer gear recommendations? Boots, a good rain jacket, anything else that was helpful or you found yourself wishing you had?

nipples · Post by **nipples** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 9:35 pm

A box of Fruit Loops™ is said to be a nice assortment to while-away the time.

Also, if your bike has fenders you have friction/brakes.

Shoes tend to release the three inch clod independently of each other. You will list either port or starboard. Plus, when it releases, that leg is instantly ten pounds lighter. Pretty comical stuff.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:23 pm

Light GorTex jacket and Welly boots if you have them.

Large trash bag for your torso and small trash bags taped over your feet - if there's mud.

Juju · Post by **Juju** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 1:58 am

man, I thought this was a thread in praise of playa dust.

we unfurled the canopy today and were covered in playa for the rest of the afternoon. I napped with a bandanna over my face and felt at home.

in other news, I've been praying for inclement weather the past 3 years, I was superduper prepared for rain last year and disappointed (haha).

I relish the mud.

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:23 am

Stupid question, but I'll ask anyway... regarding rain and mud... since the playa is the playa whether it is wet or dry, am I correct in thinking that although it is raining there is no mold or mildew or little allergy things to worry about?

Fat SAM · Post by **Fat SAM** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 6:47 am

There is nothing on the playa to be allergic to except playa. If you have a problem with alkali dust, look out. Otherwise, don't expect to get bug-bit and don't worry about molds or pollen (unless some freaky cloud of it comes and gets us).

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 6:58 am

Fat SAM wrote:There is nothing on the playa to be allergic to except playa. If you have a problem with alkali dust, look out. Otherwise, don't expect to get bug-bit and don't worry about molds or pollen (unless some freaky cloud of it comes and gets us).

Right, so if it's wet, then the dust becomes less of a problem because mud doesn't fly as much.

So, yay, bring on the rain. Keep the dust down.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:21 pm

bring on the rain

be carefull what you wish for. A little sprinling is nice, a downpour can cause some trouble, sustained rain is disasterous.

warpus · Post by **warpus** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:59 pm

I've heard some reports of strong cyclones this year picking up dust and other debris.

Fat SAM · Post by **Fat SAM** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 3:09 pm

Has anyone ever experimented with laying down a pallet to put their tent on? Is this necessary? When the rain does come, how long are we talking about until it's absorbed?

As much fun as it sounds like to way up to 3 inches of water in my tent, I'm kind of a sleep purist and just like to take my sleep straight up.

BurnScar · Post by **BurnScar** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 6:00 pm

As much fun as it sounds like to way up to 3 inches of water in my tent, I'm kind of a sleep purist and just like to take my sleep straight up.

Good luck on that. Sitting in three inches of water is not the only sleep preventative there.

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:22 pm

Fat SAM wrote:Has anyone ever experimented with laying down a pallet to put their tent on? Is this necessary? When the rain does come, how long are we talking about until it's absorbed?

As much fun as it sounds like to way up to 3 inches of water in my tent, I'm kind of a sleep purist and just like to take my sleep straight up.

So you'll be camped in the vicinity of Hushville I assume.

Another thought would be to camp in the back of a pickup truck or to set up camp inside a minivan. I have seen tents set up in the back of trucks before. I would imagine this would work well in the rain. Better still would be to have a cap on the back and skip the tent all together.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:23 pm

Has anyone ever experimented with laying down a pallet to put their tent on? Is this necessary? When the rain does come, how long are we talking about until it's absorbed?

Actually a damn good idea. I'm think the very same thing. Probably 4 pallets with some 1/2" plywood layover will elevate your tent 3-4" inchess off othe playa and, assuming you have a decent rain fly, will go a long way towards insuring your tent remains dry (or drier) than if you don't do anything.

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:44 pm

Isotopia wrote:
Has anyone ever experimented with laying down a pallet to put their tent on? Is this necessary? When the rain does come, how long are we talking about until it's absorbed?
Actually a damn good idea. I'm think the very same thing. Probably 4 pallets with some 1/2" plywood layover will elevate your tent 3-4" inchess off othe playa and, assuming you have a decent rain fly, will go a long way towards insuring your tent remains dry (or drier) than if you don't do anything.

Yeah, but staking it down with rebar and ropes is going to be a pain. Will need extra long tent stakes etc. for that project.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:30 pm

Yeah, but staking it down with rebar and ropes is going to be a pain. Will need extra long tent stakes etc. for that project.

Nah, not at all. Lay the pallets down and hammer the rebar at a 50 degree angle between the salts, naile the plywood down on top of pallets, set up tent and then stake the tent down using guy-wire/rope and attach to another set of stakes maybe 1-2 feet away from the pallet base.

Playa Dust

Playa Dust

Playa Dust

Weather