Best Time to Arrive

[Eric]

Expect more of that with the weekend EA line, now that it's just good for Saturday entry.

[zorro sings]

Wow I am glad I read this stuff.When was that announced? Had to be after camp rego as they gave a Friday option there. It certainly changes some of our our advance planning. Thanks.

[Just_Joe]

Wow I am glad I read this stuff.When was that announced? Had to be after camp rego as they gave a Friday option there. It certainly changes some of our our advance planning. Thanks.

I think he meant they they no longer issue Sunday EA's, though I'm not sure if that means gate is locked down on Sunday or not.

[Eric]

Wow I am glad I read this stuff.When was that announced? Had to be after camp rego as they gave a Friday option there. It certainly changes some of our our advance planning. Thanks.

They may have made it Fri/Sat instead of the old Sat/Sun option. Last year we were told that they weren't good for Sunday - apparently because of the new 6pm Sunday Gate opening & the logistical mess it would have made it - but I'm not the one who deals with Placement so I don't know who they got that info from.

[zorro sings]

OK Thanks.That is a relief.

[trilobyte]

And here's the official word.

The gates will open at 10AM on Sunday August 24th. W00t! This should help ease traffic quite a bit. But remember, it also shifts things so a long wait in lines means it's during the heat of the day. Bring plenty of fluids (piss clear!), but remember the driver needs to stay completely sober.

There are a few strategically placed banks of porta-potties on gate road. A total of 64 if I remember correctly, and of course the way it will play out is that when you've got to go, you'll be far from a potty bank Have an alternate/backup driver (who's also completely sober) who can stay with the vehicle for when the driver has to pee.

If you're used to arriving at or after 6pm and setting up in the night, remember to take frequent breaks and HYDRATE when setting up during the middle of the day. It might not be a bad idea to find your camp site, do a little unloading, but then hold off a bit on the heavy lifting until later in the afternoon. The extra hours on Sunday are a bonus, don't squander that bonus getting heat stroke

[FIGJAM]

Here's an excellent video of opening last year and the holding area for the people that were just to damn early!!!

Click on the "Watch on Vimeo"

[media]

[BoyScoutGirl]

Thanks for sharing, FIGJAM. Somehow that shows the potential of the place so much better than all those dance videos. I got a tiny thrill of excitement to watch it, some echo of how I feel when my vehicle turns off the pavement and hits playa.

Also, it's a great visual reminder to avoid D-lot at all costs.

[Jovankat]

That was oddly relaxing to watch.

[FIGJAM]

Actually we jumped the gun a little last year and ended up in the 3rd from the last row in D lot, and still were parked in camp before dark.

Hit the end of the line at 4:30 instead of 5:30.

Remember that it's first in last out!!!

[pink]

Wow, loved it! And all the better since you could actually see what was going on since there was NO DUST

[Bless]

Remember that it's first in last out!!!

FiLo!

[Vladar]

We are going to leave St Paul MN on Saturday morning and drive straight through the 28 hr drive and that should put us there at some time on Sunday morning after 10am. So I think our timing will work out pretty well.

[BoyScoutGirl]

Vladar: even with two drivers splitting the driving time, that sounds like a terrible way to start the burn to me. Remember, you could will probably be sitting in your vehicle waiting hours and hours to go the mile or three before gate. In the hot sun. It's physically exhausting with just the drive from Reno - which will be three hours or more, likely; after driving non-stop across the country, it sounds horrible

And then you have to find and set up camp. Physical labor after all that? No, thanks.

Every year there are accidents on the two-lane highway leading to the playa. Your vehicle will likely be heavily loaded - driving tired is a danger not just to yourself but to everyone else on the road as well. Even a few hours' rest in a real hotel bed will work wonders for your focus. I urge you and your travel companions to re-consider your plan; if you can't set out earlier, a rest break really won't delay you that much. Consider that the gate used to open at 6pm - you won't be missing all that much and those 8 hours could mean the difference between a horrible and a fresh start to your experience this year.

[Train Wreck]

I heartily second what boyscoutgirl said.

After having watched a motor home veer off the edge of 447 due to a sleepy driver, crash, and then erupt in flames one year has forever changed my mind about doing the long haul. Get a hotel room and rest before you hit the line. At the very least, take a break at a rest stop and catch some sleep. Don't be a hazard to yourself and others.

[skippy3k]

I agree. Something that I think is overlooked on these marathon drives to the playa is emotions.They think sure, they can do the drive, 8 hours on, 8 hours asleep in the passenger seat...and heck, setting up camp isn't going to be THAT physical of an activity...so let's drive through the night. But the playa has a tendency to bring moods and emotions out of you and your campmates that you never knew existed, even in the most rested of states. You have to experience it to know it's true. Three years ago, I was THAT guy. A week later, upon reflection and many apologies to my wife, I was left thinking "what the hell happened to me?" And that was only after a 5 hour drive from California. This year we are leaving from Colorado, and I'm not only planning on sane drive times with hotel beds, but also going in with the knowledge that I'll still have my ass kicked mentally once I arrive.

[AntiM]

We drive in from Utah, and even the years we have had two drivers (not me, I can't drive), we always take a couple hours for a midnight nap break in the Winnemucca Flying J lot. Being rested makes 447, Gate and set up so much nicer. And stay hydrated! Put your sunblock on before you set foot in the dust!

Just because the Gate opens at ten doesn't mean you have to be there then. There were years we did not have early entry, we never tried for the opening time, always shot for hitting the playa right at dawn. Very nice to set up in cool morning light.

[VultureChow]

Two things to add to the chorus.

One of the benefits of having a second person in the car is to monitor the driver. To notice if they are starting to space out or nod off. So you can't count on that time to sleep.

Also, all that the time you gain by pushing yourself with no breaks? You'll lose twice that much trying to recover on playa.

[FIGJAM]

You wouldn't bring dead batteries to the playa!

Make sure YOU are fully charged when you hit the dust!!!

[Robishop]

Does anyone know why the wait was so long last year even with a EA? We waited 4 hrs. Saturday last year, but the previous year we flew right in, no wait...

[dragonpilot]

Arrive at 10 AM if you must, but don't try to squeeze every last second out of the event at the expense of health and safety. In the old days we couldn't get in until past midnight...didn't diminish one's experience at all...YMMV.

[Jovankat]

Does anyone know why the wait was so long last year even with a EA? We waited 4 hrs. Saturday last year, but the previous year we flew right in, no wait...

Flying in means you miss the gate queue. Get it flew as in by plane. I am HILARIOUS!

It's 4am. I should be asleep

[trilobyte]

The wait is always a function of how many people are trying to get in at any given time, and what the gate staff capacity is, minus the impact of weather. Prior to the gates opening, the gates are not fully staffed (because, you know, it's before the event opens). Saturday was slammed (I saw lots of camps growing in rank and arriving on the day), and there may have been some halts because of dust (if there's enough dust in the road that it's considered to be unsafe to drive, they close gate road). I didn't come through the gate on Saturday myself and don't recall specifics of the day, but remember that weather during setup last year was a real mess.

[Vladar]

Plans changed, heh.
Plenty of responses and point well taken. Most of the time when we do drive through on our long road trips we stop to sleep somewhere.
You guys bring up very valid points about sleepy drivers and that is something I don't like either. This will be our first year and we haven't had to have that kind of hard labor after a long drive.
We are just really use to long road trips. My wife use to go to school in Florida and we have probably made the drive from MN to FL and back 6 or 7 times over the period she was going to school. It will be totally different given the environment we will be ending our road trip in. So we will figure a plan out and make sure we are well rested when we get there.

On a different note I think one of the best road trips we did was from MN - > Chicago - > Gainesville, Florida - > Tallahassee, FL -> New Orleans -> St. Louis, MO-> MN. Altogether about 3400 miles. Was a great road trip were we stayed a couple days in each location we stopped in visiting friends and just general vacationing.

To bad we are not driving our bus down there this year.

[TT120]

Better go flake out Kat.

[BoyScoutGirl]

It will be totally different given the environment we will be ending our road trip in. So we will figure a plan out and make sure we are well rested when we get there. ...

Vladar, thank you. Collectively, we've seen so many accidents along that road that we all kind of jump on folks when long-haul proposals come up.

I'm glad you two will be able to add some flexibility to your schedule. Seeing as you haven't been, it's hard to describe what it's like to arrive at the playa, when you can see the entrance right over there, but you still have to wait 4 or 5 or 7 hours in line in the sun before you get to gate.

Driving to the burn is always special - I hope you have an awesome roadtrip!

[Vladar]

So I think we have our arrival plan.
We will be leaving MN on Friday night and driving through to the Lovelock Nugget Motel in Lovelock. We should arrive there Saturday night and we will sleep in a room until we wake up Sunday morning (no alarm setting). And then head to the burn from there (only 4 hours). That way we get all the nice sleep we need before waiting in line at the gate.

Anyone stayed in Lovelock before? Any concerns about stolen property? I know there are always chances of that no matter where you are, just looking for personal experiences.

Thanks,
Vladar

[maladroit]

Stolen from Reddit:

[tamarakay]

Thank you Figjam. I seriously needed that.

[theCryptofishist]

Wow, last year was really exceptional...