Playa Conditions 2014

[jasonk]

Am I correct in thinking that with the dry winter/year, between softness (no hard pack), and ruts from vehicles, that bicycles will be hard to get a lot of use out of?

[Rice]

Am I correct in thinking that between softness, and ruts from vehicles, that bicycles will be hard to get a lot of use out of?

Some parts of the playa will be hard packed - a biking paradise. Other parts will either have dunes of loose playa soil or ruts. Every year is different.

[Rice]

So, I just heard from my girlfriend about the current conditions at Gerlach. "HOT!"

when I hear more, I'll try to pass it on...

[geospyder]

Am I correct in thinking that between softness, and ruts from vehicles, that bicycles will be hard to get a lot of use out of?

The softness can be quite a surprise if you hit one unexpectedly while going fast - bike stops - rider doesn't I know some people disagree on having a geared bike on the Playa but I find it helps to have a geared bike that you can switch gears to work your way thru the soft spots.

[jasonk]

Am I correct in thinking that between softness, and ruts from vehicles, that bicycles will be hard to get a lot of use out of?

Some parts of the playa will be hard packed - a biking paradise. Other parts will either have dunes of loose playa soil or ruts. Every year is different.

But...isn't this entire thread about the fact that with a dry winter/year, there won't be any hard pack anywhere?

[FossaFerox]

Not really. The winter cycles repair the damage from the previous year. We tore up the surface a little, but we didn't trash the place and the city moves slightly year to year, so there will be good and bad spots throughout.

[LowePro]

(You'll still want to have a bike and will get plenty of use out of it, even in a loose playa.)

[caffeineslinger]

Black Rock City forecast
http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/black- ... er/2292483

[Oldguy]

Thank you, roughly 89/50 entire week. A+ effort.

[FossaFerox]

3 week forecasts mean next to nothing in predictable areas. In the high desert where conditions vary so unexpectedly and rapidly a three hour forecast is barely reliable. Take that with a giant boulder of salt.

[FIGJAM]

I think that is from Alturas and that weather can be quite different, like 5 to 10 degrees hotter.

This is closer..........

http://www.wunderground.com/history/air ... l#calendar

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/fin ... &sp=MUP974

[caffeineslinger]

No weather forecast is perfect. Especially a month out. It's probably mostly averages right now, but it's worth a check a day or two before leaving to give you an idea. Not sure why it would be Alturas weather.

[Desert_Rat]

As long as the winds don't pick up...looks promising.

[FIGJAM]

When I was checking different weather services for Gerlach, it would say Gerlach but be from a weather station in Alturas.

[Train Wreck]

Update from a friend who just made it out there: "It's hot as balls!"

[Monkeystyle]

one of our camp members was on the playa 24 hours ago. he said its extremely soft on the 3:00 side but the 9:00 side is looking a little more firm.

[Ranger Ryan]

I am on the playa at the moment. I can report that the playa does seem soft. There is a thin crust, but underneath it's quite soft and crumbles easily. There are some sandy pits around the city, but not any more than what I have seen in the past.

[BoyScoutGirl]

Thank you for the report, Ranger Ryan, and for helping build our city!

[kittyrodriguez]

Damn. 3:00 is squishy again?! While its "funny" to watch everyone hitting the soft spots from your front porch, it is NOT funny when its you. Why is it always soft on the 3:00 side?

[lucky420]

I think it has to do with how the city is situated and the amount of rain/snow that hits each side. 10 o'clock is closer to a mountain range. I think it just gets more moisture although I believe Trilo disagrees with my assessment

[1durphul]

Is it raining on the playa? Weather report says it might.

[FIGJAM]

My map says "yes".

[lucky420]

Rained all day here in Reno. That doesn't answer your question. Rain in Nevada can be really spot specific. I've been in a downpour in Fallon (60 miles east of Reno) and 3 blocks over the sun is shining and no rain.

Weird

[FIGJAM]

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/fin ... ry=Gerlach

[lucky420]

And the playa is a huge area.

OMG it's HUGE

[1durphul]

I love me some pre-burn rain tamping down the playa.

[trilobyte]

Thanks for the update, Ranger Ryan, I've been hearing the same from other sources. Hopefully the thin crust will keep things relatively dust free for the crews out there (today was fence day, folks!), things will only start to get messy as more people and vehicles get out there in the next couple weeks.

[TT120]

I don't think some rain would really do much at this point. It would have to be standing water out there for any real repair to happen on a large scale. I reckon it will be about the same as it was last year. It was good at the beginning and deteriorated as the week went on.

[trilobyte]

I agree, TT120. A few scattered storms won't generally make a dent - hell, last year even several big heavy storms that flooded the place in the weeks prior to the gates opening didn't have much of an impact. At this point, I'm hoping it stays dry as a bone through to mid-October.

[geospyder]

Last year I had an OMG moment when the skies opened up for a huge downpour as we were going through Empire. The filter I had rigged for my cabin air intake was soaked and the painters (blue) tape holding it on almost failed (ends were curling up). The vehicle in front of me had to pull over since he lost his windshield wipers and couldn't see. I thought for sure the gate would be shut down because of mud. By the time we got to the Playa all was dry. Empire is approximately 13 miles from BRC so the weather can be completely different.