Alternate Roads to BRC, why aren't we making the most of them?

[BrotherNomad]

After looking at satellite maps it occured to me that there are more than two roads to BRC, that look to be navigable dirt tracks in dry weather to my trained eye on satellite imagery. One starts in Sparks, aligned on the western side of pyramid lake and ends on 447 west of gerlach, it has a branch to Nixon. Another road runs north to Oregon past the BRC gate on NV 37? There is also the dirt track from Gerlach to Winnemucca.

For those who want to, heading to/from those direction and have capable vehicles, why aren't we encouraging burners to take those routes to relieve the pressure on 447 during peak ingress, exodus times? All these roads aleady exist and they should be utilzed by those who can to maximise throughput. Is it because it'll make people question the vehicle passes or those dirt roads are closed to the public?

[Popeye]

https://www.google.com/search?q=eplaya% ... jungo+road

Give it a try, take pictures and let us know if the road has improved.

[Captain Goddammit]

Because we try to give good advice.

[GreyCoyote]

Ignore those pictures. And the Capt too (I mean, that dude drives a frickin boat in the desert. Hello? What else do I need to say?).

When they paved the playa, they also did Jungo. Perfectly fine now. #alternateFacts

[some seeing eye]

There is nothing preventing you taking any dirt track. But it's not responsible to suggest people do it.

34/8 and Jungo are gravel, no services and no mobile connection. I don't think Surprise Valley Road is even maintained. You can sometimes find descriptions from offroad motorcycle tour blogs and the Friends of Black Rock.

447N is the most underutilized route going to Alturas-Cedarville and beyond.

[OscarElGrunon]

What about turning off at Imlay and taking Lake Road? Similarly difficult?

[gaminwench]

There really are no safe, reliable alternate routes to the event.

Many have tried, few have succeeded; I don't recall anyone doing it twice. (I've been around for a good bit)

Even the locals shun Jungo.

[GreyCoyote]

Gaminwench speaks the truth. The other roads are fraught with horrors. You dont want to go there. If you google it you will find a couple of stories that are really scary.

Stick to the main road. Its safe, sane, and not so subject to the whims of Mrs Murphy.

[BBadger]

I don't think it's necessary to advise anyone to take such routes. Anyone who is not already aware of the risks and knows if their vehicle is capable of such roads should not be taking those roads.

The real question you should be asking is: would taking any of these roads improve the traffic situation or save time? The main bottleneck for the event is the road immediately connected to the playa itself, not all those other other roads -- well, unless you're being fucking unreasonable. If you're arriving from or heading to the North-West, the fork north of Gerlach leads you to nearly empty highway; if you're going to Reno, the ride isn't bad either.

Oh sure, a road like Jungo looks like a shortcut, but how much time are you really saving if you can't even drive very fast anyway? Most people take that route -- when prepared, and as an educated decision -- to enjoy/brave the drive and scenery, not to save time.

[FlyingMonkey]

I had to sit out last year & got bored so I virtually drove Jungo road on Oogle Maps. What looks like a short cut that could save time is actually a dirt road that will probably take longer because you will need to drive slower & hopefully not break down or get stuck. If you have some kind of off road rig that can go anywhere it may be fun, but Jungo road only goes to just south of Gerlach so you would have to join the conga like for the slowest/most congested part of the journey anyway.

Worst of all......No Indian Tacos

[Elliot]

Please take my word for the following:
PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ACCESS BRC FROM JUNGO ROAD.

Last year, Google Maps (and maybe others -- Apple?) sent a bunch of people that way.

I work Perimeter in that no-man's-land between Jungo and BRC. You don't want to know what we saw, thanks to Google Maps. But I can tell you... Burning Man upper management was on the telephone to Google. Yet, they still show that route when I checked a few weeks ago.

Please just don't. I beg you.
Thank you.

[DoctorIknow]

In fact, ALWAYS be aware that however good Google's algorithm might be for search, their map directions seem to always show the most direct route as the crow flies if you are mapping out anything not on a major highway.

I recently favored Google over Garmin (I have both going at the same time), and choose Google. It lead me to about 30 left and right turns, roads under heavy construction, only to end back up on the main highway that Garmin wanted me to take.

Google maps seems to take no interest in what roads are EASIER to drive, which is much more important than saving a few minutes on some "direct" route, and, those times are BS as they seem to be assuming you can take a 90degree turn at a light at 50mph.

[FlyingMonkey]

People always ask, and they always get the same answer. I see a pattern here. Maybe there should be a separate thread (or a sticky) titled "No, DON'T even consider using Jungo Road".

I'm all about getting there in one piece. I figure we are all slogging through the same seemingly endless line of bumpers & trailers to get to the Playa & we get there eventually. The trick is to have fun doing it.

And no, never completely trust the Google/Garmin lady. She's a lying bitch & has a wicked sense of humor.

I love the convenience of GPS but I still like to have a good old fashioned map too.

I also learned the hard way that Oogle street view can be deceiving. That mountain pass going in to Salt Lake City didn't seem too bad from my computer screen. (Holy Crap!!!)

[AntiM]

And no, never completely trust the Google/Garmin lady. She's a lying bitch & has a wicked sense of humor.

I love the convenience of GPS but I still like to have a good old fashioned map too.

I also learned the hard way that Oogle street view can be deceiving. That mountain pass going in to Salt Lake City didn't seem too bad from my computer screen. (Holy Crap!!!)

Parley Summit/Lamb's Canyon. Even in person, those wide sweeping curves don't look to bad. One gravity and physics kick in, they are wicked. Even locals get sucked in.

I don't know if it applies so much back East, but here in the West, death by GPS is a real thing. She'll send you down unpaved forest service roads which link up to nothing in the middle of nowhere. People have died lost and stuck in the snow. BLM or Forest Service paper maps are your best bet, plus you get to chat with a ranger about current conditions. That's how we avoided the Bundy cattle round up, and went to Toroweap instead, which is magnificent.

[BBadger]

I do think it's kind of funny how Google must be trying to troll people by not only suggesting Jungo Road as an optimal route, but actually providing a street-view of the road on Google Maps to make it seem like it's a normal road to travel.

[FlyingMonkey]

I also learned the hard way that Oogle street view can be deceiving. That mountain pass going in to Salt Lake City didn't seem too bad from my computer screen. (Holy Crap!!!)

Parley Summit/Lamb's Canyon. Even in person, those wide sweeping curves don't look to bad. One gravity and physics kick in, they are wicked. Even locals get sucked in.

Try it in a School bus that you have only had 20 hours behind the wheel in.

That Moment You Realize Your Great Idea May Kill You

[WileE13]

There are signs out on those roads telling you specifically not to stop and talk to the locals. That is a pretty good reason right there not to drive those roads. I know people who have, they were fine, but they said it was a little creepy out in those parts. Wouldn't recommend it unless you know the area and have a good 4x4. Wouldn't go there without a gun either. For those of you unfamiliar with Northern Nevada/California, people disappear out there and nobody goes looking.

[dustyfux]

A couple pulled in across from us last year on Tuesday. They left Reno on Sunday and decided to take Jungo in a half ton pulling a double axle camper. They had their first flat tire within a half hour, and they continued breaking down multiple times and had to call friends for help.

Jungo literally ruined their trailer. Fiberglass seams were split, the tanks were punctured, the door wouldn't open, hatches were stuck.

You know that look your dog gives you when you do something insanely stupid? I'm sure that's the way I was looking at them when they told me they chose Jungo. I think my jaw hit the dust when they said they didn't turn around after the first flat.

So I'd highly recommend that you treat Alternate Roads the same way I treat 90's Alternate Rock radio, keep moving along.

[Thecatman]

What AntiM said.

I've driven the roads you mention. The that's west of Pyramid Lake is known as SR445 or the Pyramid hwy and it's paved up to Warrior point where it turns to graded dirt. Aproxamatley mile post 42. However, with all the Biblical proportions of rain we've been getting for the past month and half, 445 was undermined and was closed as was SR446, the road that goes from Nixon (SR447) to Sutclif (SR445). To my knowledge temporary bypasses around the washed out areas have been put in for locals and emergency personal only. Until further notice.
Who knows what the dirt portion that would take you from 445 to Gerlach is like. That would be maintained by Washoe county. If at all.
The road you mention NV37 is another county road and it doesn't go near the playa. County road 34 goes to Oregon and is the road that has the playa entrance. That's another nice drive but there is a stream to cross and who knows what it's like right now.
The road from Winnemucca to Gerlach? (aka the Jungo road) Unless you have a dozen spare tires that are at least 10ply??????

[maladroit]

The event has been running for decades, you're not going to discover a valid alternate route. Want to skip traffic or skip the line? Your options are Burner Express or 88NV.

[Captain Goddammit]

The event has been running for decades, you're not going to discover a valid alternate route.

It's funny... 15 years ago we were telling people that. Now they still think no one has yet thought of such obvious things.

[FlyingMonkey]

The event has been running for decades, you're not going to discover a valid alternate route.

It's funny... 15 years ago we were telling people that. Now they still think no one has yet thought of such obvious things.

Shhhhh. Don't tell them about the Playa Fast Pass.

[Meat Hunter]

And, Please, Please, Please; Don't tell them about the little green box sitting on the left side of Bruno's gas station which is actually the entry door to the subway that runs from Gerlach to the event and that the man at the cash register will give you the key to the door -- If you ask him.

[silverfish]

I drove Surprise Valley/Smoke Creek Road, the one that goes on the west side of Pyramid Lake and connects with 447 to Gerlach, two years ago. We stopped and helped four people and saw about 15 other people with blown out tires on the road. We came through with no problems, until around day 5 of the burn I noticed one tire was going flat. I used my spare, saw that two other tires were low and drove out slowly before getting aired up. At the tire shop in Reno they found out that 3 of my 4 tires had at least five punctures. So I got all new tires.

It probably didn't help that to help people we made 3 different round trips from the middle of nowhere to Gerlach to fix flats and get replacement tires. And to be fair my tires were down to 3-4/32nds (replacement is supposed to happen at 2/32nds). So if you have solid, newer tires, with deep tread, designed to protect you from obsidian (volcanic glass that they used as road fill) you might make it through unscathed (there are some ranches out there and presumably they know what tires survive that road), but I don't plan on trying that route again.

[FlyingMonkey]

I drove Surprise Valley/Smoke Creek Road, the one that goes on the west side of Pyramid Lake and connects with 447 to Gerlach, two years ago. We stopped and helped four people and saw about 15 other people with blown out tires on the road. We came through with no problems, until around day 5 of the burn I noticed one tire was going flat. I used my spare, saw that two other tires were low and drove out slowly before getting aired up. At the tire shop in Reno they found out that 3 of my 4 tires had at least five punctures. So I got all new tires.

It probably didn't help that to help people we made 3 different round trips from the middle of nowhere to Gerlach to fix flats and get replacement tires. And to be fair my tires were down to 3-4/32nds (replacement is supposed to happen at 2/32nds). So if you have solid, newer tires, with deep tread, designed to protect you from obsidian (volcanic glass that they used as road fill) you might make it through unscathed (there are some ranches out there and presumably they know what tires survive that road), but I don't plan on trying that route again.

Wow. I never thought of gifting tires. You Rock (pun intended)

[Roundabout]

So, I have taken Jungo Road the last 3 years with no problems. When heading west from Winnamucca there is a large commercial sulfur mine at about the 1/2 way point. From there on, the road gets a little more primitive, but there is excellent cell phone service all the way to the playa. Caveat is that I have deep tread mud tires on my Jeep Wrangler, so that helps. I had two separate friends who took the road this year with regular tires and they both had flats due to the "sharp as glass" obsidian rock that is on a few sections of the road. One benefit though is that Jungo Road takes you right by Clit Rock!

[fernley1]

The big mine at Sulfur is actually a big Gold mine. The Hycroft gold mine used to help maintain the road from Sulfur to Winnemucca.

[Eddie]

There are signs out on those roads telling you specifically not to stop and talk to the locals. That is a pretty good reason right there not to drive those roads. I know people who have, they were fine, but they said it was a little creepy out in those parts. Wouldn't recommend it unless you know the area and have a good 4x4. Wouldn't go there without a gun either. For those of you unfamiliar with Northern Nevada/California, people disappear out there and nobody goes looking.

OK, I need to see a pic of that sign.