Gifting Ride To/From PNW to BRC and a Bunk for the Week

[some seeing eye]

A long time burner has laid out some route options from the North.

http://gwally.com/directions/cat_routes.php and there is information on the cities passed, supplies.

Summer Lake Hot Springs is similar to Eagles Rest which I have not visited. Both are great places to meet burners inbound or outbound, rest and shower.

Getting washed and into clean clothes is a priority for me post event, food also. All your camping stuff will be dusty. Social interactions can be attenuated post-burn just because people are exhausted. Maybe a little different at Doc Pyro's post-event hotel confab in Reno. (glad to hear first hand reports on that)

YMMV

[kowtow]

Captain - Thanks for the info. On my recent trip home from Yuma I went via Las Vegas, Reno and then NW up to Alturas, just to have a look at what Alturas had for services. After driving through western Arizona, western NV and eastern CA, I now know what it means to "plan ahead" for your needs.

I knew about Alturas and Cederville being the last 'civilized' areas available, but after going through Alturas I sure have my doubts about trying to go through there for much more than some gas, or even for gas. I've never been through Cederville, but it looks like there is even less available there.

My intentions were to get the majority of what I need no later than Klammath Falls and use Alturas and Cederville as gas stops. My biggest fear is that both towns will run out of gas either on the way to BRC or on the way back home. When towing I only get 11mpg and 180miles on a tank, so I already know I will have to take gas to the playa in order to make it to even Cederville come Mon-Tues following the burn. If by then both Cederville and Alturas are out of gas then it's not likely I can make it to K-Falls (worst case). I have my concerns about trying to bring an extra 20 gallons or so of fuel to the playa, but that's the plan right now.

[Captain Goddammit]

Having made the trip many times I tend to agree with how you are thinking, I also feel it's unwise to depend on getting all your supplies at the last possible stop. Others disagree and want to cross Cedar Pass without lugging the extra weight, and that isn't "wrong" either.
I haven't heard of the Alturas Chevron running out of fuel, I'm sure you can top off there.
You're right Cedarville is a small town but there will be gas, there are a few stations and they know we're coming. I always do my final big fuel load-up there, totalling around 100 gallons. There's even a NAPA store. The gas station at the main corner has a car wash area with pressure wand so you can clean up on the way back - your truck will be COVERED in dirt.
K-Falls is my go-to for groceries on the way, that's a good choice.
I've met the owner of Eagle's Nest (he's even an eplayan by the name "WeDeliver"). He and his place are great. The only reason I don't stay there on the way to BRC is that it's a bit out of the way, and it's not located in the "right" area... not far enough from Portland to stop for the night, not close enough to the playa to plan your arrival time with much accuracy and arrive well rested and ready to go. Cedarville is my favorite overnight stop because it's the closest jumping-off point to the playa.
Wally's directions are good and loaded heavy I prefer his "Route 1", I-5 to Eugene, then HWY 58 southeast to 97, down to Klamath Falls and through Alturas & Cedarville. Coming over 58 is a big climb but it tends to be gradual and not too hard on the equipment. Also, some other routes take you so far from civilization that I worry about handling a breakdown.

[Savannah]

Captain - Thanks for the info. On my recent trip home from Yuma I went via Las Vegas, Reno and then NW up to Alturas, just to have a look at what Alturas had for services. After driving through western Arizona, western NV and eastern CA, I now know what it means to "plan ahead" for your needs.

I knew about Alturas and Cederville being the last 'civilized' areas available, but after going through Alturas I sure have my doubts about trying to go through there for much more than some gas, or even for gas. I've never been through Cederville, but it looks like there is even less available there.

My intentions were to get the majority of what I need no later than Klammath Falls and use Alturas and Cederville as gas stops. My biggest fear is that both towns will run out of gas either on the way to BRC or on the way back home. When towing I only get 11mpg and 180miles on a tank, so I already know I will have to take gas to the playa in order to make it to even Cederville come Mon-Tues following the burn. If by then both Cederville and Alturas are out of gas then it's not likely I can make it to K-Falls (worst case). I have my concerns about trying to bring an extra 20 gallons or so of fuel to the playa, but that's the plan right now.

This is smart.

Alturas has groceries, gas and some supplies and Cedarville has a cool gas station with flashlights and goggles and stuff--& a kickass BBQ--but Klamath Falls is the last town of any size. So I love giving my business to Alturas or Cedarville stores whenever possible, but Klamath Falls is the final place I feel I can count on for almost anything. The Fred Meyer store there is very well stocked, and I like to get my water and last minute fresh foods there. They're not open all night, but they're open until 10 or 11pm. Turn right off the highway at Washburn Way, and drive about a half mile and you'll see it. Easy enough to retrace your steps and get back on the highway.

[kowtow]

Wally's directions are good and loaded heavy I prefer his "Route 1", I-5 to Eugene, then HWY 58 southeast to 97, down to Klamath Falls and through Alturas & Cedarville. Coming over 58 is a big climb but it tends to be gradual and not too hard on the equipment. Also, some other routes take you so far from civilization that I worry about handling a breakdown.

That's the route I brought home from Alturas as well. I came up Hwy97 then took the cutoff on Hwy58 all the way to Eugene then up I-5. I felt Hwy58 was a very reasonable climb How does Ceder Pass compare to Hwy58, Siskiyou's or say the Grapevine N. of LA? I have heard concerns about the descent into Cederville, so towing with my minivan, yes a minivan I'm a little more concerned than if I had a "real" tow vehicle.

Are the Alturas and Cederville Gas stations open extended hours catering to the Burners? I do like Savannah's suggestion of catering to the local towns, but like much of the sound advice she and others have given I'm not going to shoot my foot depending on either town for 100lbs of dry ice, salmon filets, 40-50 gallons of gas, toilet paper and a utilikilt from the local market.

[Captain Goddammit]

Cedar Pass is steeper but not nearly as long as 58 and nowhere near as long a climb as the Grapevine. It also gets very steep and windy on 447 approaching Black Rock Desert.
On the way up the hills I'd be worried about the transmission and on the way down, the brakes. Put a good transmission cooler on this summer before you go! Make sure your trailer brakes are in great shape, and don't be afraid to go in low gear at super low speed and walk your rig down the hills. Pull over every chance you get and let everyone else fly by. Last year a guy was yelling "stupid asshole!!!!" at me when he passed, because I came down 447 so slow. Apparently he never drove a truck & trailer weighing 22,000 pounds down a long steep hill!

Don't worry about availability of gas in Cedarville. A few blocks before you hit Main Street in Alturas, on your right, is a store and gas station called Rabbit Traxx, and it's open all night. I think gas is available all night at the Chevron at the corner of 299 and Main St. too. There WILL be gas!

[kowtow]

Put a good transmission cooler on this summer before you go!

My new neighbor who I've befriended owns a transmission shop in Santa Cruz and is selling it to settle down in the PNW. He is going to be helping me install a transmission cooler in the next month or so. I had to call him from Kingman, AZ because my car threw a transmission code (over temp), so I definitely think a transmission cooler is in order. I was driving it pretty hard at the time. The speed limit was 70+ and I was doing ~75 and the tranny kept shifting, so I should have known something like that was going to happen. Once I cleared the code, it didn't return, but I also modified my driving style for the next thousand miles home.

I can see that if I keep hauling this playapod I will eventually need a better vehicle. I was really impressed with the round trip effort the minivan did down to Yuma and back maxed out towing 3550lbs, but boy I could sure tell that I needed to take it easy on the up hills. The down hills didn't seem too bad. I installed a Tekonsha Prodigy 3 and it was awesome at managing the braking.

[FIGJAM]

When you install the cooler, change the fluid!!!

[kowtow]

When you install the cooler, change the fluid!!!

Thanks for the reminder! Yes, yes, yes, yes!

That's another thing. I changed it before the Yuma trip and by the time I got home it was already dark. The neighbor recommended Amsoil, so we'll be doing that when the cooler is installed.

[EspressoDude]

We travel from Portland with a rental RV towing a utility trailer. The RV has a ford v-10 with tow haul mode which keeps it in lower gears by delaying upshifts. Cedar Pass is second gear going up AND down, about 35 ~ 40. There are a couple hill closer to Gelach that get the same slow speed.

[Jovankat]

I really like this thread.

And it just got even better with all that advice about coming from the NW. It's totally useless to me but it's great to see

[kowtow]

I really like this thread.

And it just got even better with all that advice about coming from the NW. It's totally useless to me but it's great to see

Jovankat - You could create a how to guide on getting to BRC by car from Sydney.

I tried but this is all that I got:

[Captain Goddammit]

Oh speaking of driving from Portland... which we are... this isn't personal advice, just strictly mechanical logistics: with a minivan pulling a 3500 pound trailer, you're already "at capacity" and the hills between here and there will push your rig as hard as it's gonna take. Adding the weight of another person plus their gear might not be wise.
There are often people headed to the burn in loaded up trucks that are short on space for the passengers. I think that's who you want riding with you, that way you get company for the drive but not the extra weight. I'm pretty sure you can find someone like that.
I favor driving to BRC in a caravan of two or three vehicles. That way you aren't by yourself if you break. Generally you don't want much bigger a caravan because when anyone stops, everyone stops...
If possible, when you are loaded heavy and pulling a trailer, try to find road trip mates who are also heavy. People driving in lightly loaded passenger cars get frustrated with the slow pace up and down all the hills and tend to go on ahead without you. They also, intentionally or not, tend to encourage you to "give it all you got" up the hills and that's where you'll break something. Shift way down and try not to floor it up the hills if possible. Getting to BRC at all is the goal.
Stopping for the night as close as possible to the playa - like Cedarville - is strategic because it's possible to be in the entrance line for many hours. You don't want to arrive sleepy and tired.

[Savannah]

Stopping for the night as close as possible to the playa - like Cedarville - is strategic because it's possible to be in the entrance line for many hours. You don't want to arrive sleepy and tired.

Cedarville is so small that anyone who wants to stop there--especially on the way back--should book a room in advance. It would indeed be a handy place to sleep post-exodus, but last year all the motels I saw were full.

[Captain Goddammit]

It sounded like he's self contained and didn't need a motel? But if you do, then yeah, what she said!!

[kowtow]

It sounded like he's self contained and didn't need a motel? But if you do, then yeah, what she said!!

I am self-contained, but the thought of a hot shower after a week of spritzing vinegar and water on my sensitive areas; damn a motel in Cederville would appeal like the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo!

[Captain Goddammit]

Well there IS a car wash at the Chevron...

Try to book a room on the return trip for a shower if you like but you'll be stopping in Cedarville on the way back either way, for fuel.
Better yet, bring enough water to shower all week in BRC! I don't personally agree with that 1 or 2 gallons per day water business. I've never headed to BRC without 100 gallons. Screw that baby wipe shit!
If you want to bring the finest luxury in BRC, I've found that 30 gallon jugs are much easier to manage than 55s by the way. 55s full of water are way heavy! If you load up in Cedarville you only have to carry it up the last hills.

The preceding message was the opinion of the author and does not represent the general majority of Black Rock City and it's stanky citizens.

[kowtow]

Well there IS a car wash at the Chevron...

That's as good as any Motel 6, I'm on board with that! I'll open all the hatches and grab a bar of soap...

I did just rig up a 15 gallon holding tank made of 4" Schedule 40 PVC pipe in my trailer. This is meant as a weekend tank and then I will bring additional reserves, but nowhere approaching 100 gallons. Damn that would be nice! I will have to balance the weight of water with what I need for gasoline to get my ass back to Cederville come exodus.

Here's my holding tank in the playapod. Ignore the 1 1/2 PVC that is my internet antenna mast

[Captain Goddammit]

Large water reserves are super awesome in BRC!
I'm low-buck, I do it with an extra freshwater tank out of an old camper and a few 30 gallon plastic barrels from a surplus store, and an electric pump salvaged from an old camper.
I used to haul out my gray water in more old plastic barrels but next time I think I'll build an evapotron. I've always been against evap ponds because they don't work well and leave you with a heavy muddy mess, but I think an evapotron would work. Search it on YouTube, they look pretty damn cool.
The only limit is how much you can make it over the hills after Cedarville with.
Later in the week it's easy to tell which people brought shower water and which hippies didn't!

[kowtow]

I used to haul out my gray water in more old plastic barrels but next time I think I'll build an evapotron. I've always been against evap ponds because they don't work well and leave you with a heavy muddy mess, but I think an evapotron would work. Search it on YouTube, they look pretty damn cool.
The only limit is how much you can make it over the hills after Cedarville with.
Later in the week it's easy to tell which people brought shower water and which hippies didn't!

I'm sure you've seen this evapatron, but this is what I was thinking about building. Time is getting short, so I'm not sure how much time and effort I'm going to have to perfect this design. My thoughts were to pre-treat the water before pumping it though to the evapatron. I was thinking about a 3-stage treatment, gravity, sand, charcoal, chemical and then pump it to the evapatron.


I copied this link from the web, so my credits go to Earth Guardians http://earthguardians.net/ who hosted the image.

I think there are a lot of improvements to this sound design that can be made, but for now they are just ideas and not actually sound improvements. Rather than have a solid plywood top, I would opt for a more permeable membrane that wicked water through it before it even gets to the outer edges. Something like a large coil of hardware cloth and a top surface made of small diameter hardware cloth coupled with duracool pads to pull water down through the entire coil of hardware cloth that the playa winds can be efficiently used to evaporate the waste water.

[Captain Goddammit]

How about this type?

[media]

[kowtow]

I've seen that one before, but after watching the video it's sparked my interest. What I like about it is that there isn't any power required and the possibility of a sump pump clogging up or failing.

The simplicity of this design makes it very appealing. I am going to grab some bike wheels and give this a shot.

[Jackass]

That's a lot of trouble to go thru for a small amount of grey water IMO. Just make a small evap pond (4'x4'), and whatever doesn't dry up gets poured back into the drum it came in. This works for the gf and I for the whole week, she showers nearly everyday and I probably shower about 4-5 times. Haven't had more than 5 gallons to haul out yet... You can shower rather luxuriously at around 1.5 Gal per shower, just takes a little practice and the right showerhead/ pump.

P.S.
There will be other sources of technical difficulties and frustration (there always is), your evaporation contraption shouldn't be one of them.

[Captain Goddammit]

Well Jackass I do agree, just pouring it into barrels and hauling it back out is the simplest and most trouble-free, that's what I've always done too. I'm suggesting the evapotron here because Kowtow will be loaded pretty heavy for the type of rig he's got to work with, the fewer times he hauls the water the better. I'm loaded to max capacity for the rig I use and I don't wanna haul an extra 800 pounds up the hills on the way out either. I think I'm gonna build one myself. And no one bother suggesting "lighten my load" - I'm bringing what I'm bringing if not more, Kowtow probably is too, it's all about how to accomplish it!
I've never done an evap pond because before this I hadn't seen a practical design that will handle around 10 gallons/day.
I like the no-pump design because there's less chance of equipment failure and no crud-clogging-the-pump issues, although I'm tempted to add a motor in place of the windmill just to make the thing smaller.

[Jackass]

With a bit more than a breeze that thing may become a more of a grey water sprayer/ splasher, note location carefully. Unless you like ravioli juice and whatnot on your stuff.

[kowtow]

I've started building one today and probably my main reason is because I don't want to haul back a bunch of gray water, or fresh water for that matter. I had been tossing different ideas around for some time and after the Captain sent me that video, I decided to go all in on this. Besides I don't feel productive unless I'm overwhelmed with too much crap on my plate.

Then as I start building this thing, I start contemplating having a shower stall in the trailer with plumbing out to the pond. That starts the process of thinking about more projects and crap to get on the plate.

[kowtow]

I start contemplating having a shower stall in the trailer with plumbing out to the pond.

Well... today before I even finished buying all the materials for the evapatron, I decided I definitely need a shower of sorts. The cheapest way to go was to buy a washing machine pan. About 1/4 the cost of a "shower enclosure" and it can serve the same purpose. I will be mounting this about 4" off the deck and then run PVC out to the treatment buckets and evapatron.

Completing the evapatron and shower enclosure should really put an end to new projects that I seem to pick up out of nowhere. The evapatron still have a lot of work left to do in order to complete it, but the shower enclosure should be fairly straight forward and not much "design" effort whatsoever.

[Captain Goddammit]

Just to make it more complicated... haha... but infinitely better...
Have you thought about gutting the propane water heater and water pump and shower head from an old camper/RV?
You definitely want warm water even in BRC. The hand held shower heads from RVs have an easy to use on/off valve right on them so it's easy to control water usage without messing up your temp setting.
It would be cheap if you can find someone junking an old camper. Hell if you lived near Seattle I'd give you all the parts you need out of one I'm junking.

Uh... and I do apologize for totally fucking up whatever free time you had left...

[gaminwench]

Can I come over for a real shower?

I'm actually great with my garden sprayer/Dr. Bronner's/baby wipes/towel evap for the week+;
but one midweek warm running(!) water experience would be heavenly ...

I'll be all gifty and shit, with treats and costumery and whathaveyou ...

[kowtow]

Have you thought about gutting the propane water heater and water pump and shower head from an old camper/RV?
Uh... and I do apologize for totally fucking up whatever free time you had left...

That RV stuff sounds like you're trying to give me more weight to haul over Cedar Pass. I do have a Zodi instant hot shower that I will use this year. It's not what I would choose to have if I were doing it all over again, but it will have to do since that's what's stored in the camping gear. In addition to the washing machine pan I'll erect a waist high PVC/curtain enclosure to keep the water contained so it doesn't spray all over the trailer.

I'm kicking myself for giving my late uncle an instant hot water heater for his custom built toy hauler. It's what they use in older homes in Japan. They are pretty nice you rotate the large knob to your desired temperature and then push the button which ignites the burner and starts the water flow. Hit the button again and it shuts off the burner and water flow. They need very little venting above them, maybe 16-20"



Don't know how many Navy/Marine vets are on eplaya, but any that were ever in the Philippines will remember taking showers by using a cooking pot and scooping water out of a 35 gallon garbage can full of water then pouring it over your body. I don't care how hot it was outside that was a cold fucking shower.

BTW, the evapatron is roughly a third to a half of the way done. I'll let you know how this thing turns out once it's finished