Playa conditions for 2009?

Peteroba · Post by **Peteroba** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:05 pm

I was looking at that picture (last post), and assuming that was taken recently, I think it's a good sign. I'm not a geophysicist or anything, but look at the size of the construction equipment. Then look at the clumps of dirt on the ground in the foreground of the picture. Assuming a heavy vehicle carved up the ground making those clumps of dirt. Look how dark the clumps of dirt are. Darkness = moisture. It may be below the surface, carved up by the passing vehicle, but if the playa is still a little moist a few inches below the surface, and assuming the Nevada sun is in full force, it should have baked the previously wet playa surface into a more solid top. The dust in the background of the picture could have been kicked up by the movement of the heavy construction vehicles.

As others have said. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Always better to be prepared for poor conditions and be pleasantly surprised. But, based on the above photo, it looks pretty good.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:12 am

That's okay, we weren't looking for the opinion of a geophysicist.

We were looking for the opinion of a soil scientist.

Are you a soil scientist?

brcprincess · Post by **brcprincess** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 3:55 am

Bob wrote:
dvd-r wrote:I have never seen a crow in Gerlach.
That's because it was raven.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 11:29 am

theCryptofishist wrote:That's okay, we weren't looking for the opinion of a geophysicist.

We were looking for the opinion of a soil scientist.

Are you a soil scientist?

Ask Igneouss.

Igneouss · Post by **Igneouss** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:11 pm

Strickly from talking to people and looking at pics...

The playa is better than last year but not perfect. Crusty with a tendency for the crust to get ground up easily.

Many of the pics show areas that have been churned up by trucks and equipment so do not take them to be representative of most of the playa.

Bikes will be more useful than last year but there will be some soft areas to watch out for (someone mentioned the 3:00 area as being soft).

That help?

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:24 pm

Here is a pic from the backside of center camp, you can see the base of the man in the distance.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:34 pm

a) That's the "Cafe", located in "Center Camp".

b) The previous pic shows mounds of dirt from drilling 3' holes for the Cafe's king posts, casting shadows in the afternoon sun, I believe. Note the dark shadow cast by the fellow on the right.

c) The other two guys are vampires, Shirley.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 11:03 pm

Igneouss wrote: That help?

Shining the Igneouss light in the sky works, then Commissioner Gordon.

Coastburner · Post by **Coastburner** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 7:14 pm

It would be great to have perfect conditions this year as last year was quite an event. That said, if it was always perfect, too many yahoos would join and it wouldn't really be survival in the desert. Dust, rain, heat - you adjust, enjoy, participate and explore.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 7:34 pm

I would take the perfect conditions, even if it came with yahoos as part of the deal, it's still better than eating dust all week.

camp-photon · Post by **camp-photon** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:54 am

It may be my selective memory, but wasn't the playa much harder back in the 90's? What damaged it? Was it us?

Igneouss · Post by **Igneouss** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:56 am

camp-photon wrote:It may be my selective memory, but wasn't the playa much harder back in the 90's? What damaged it? Was it us?

No simple answer.
The amount of water that stands on the playa during the winter, the number of freeze/thaw cycles, the timing of the water versus freezing temps, depth of freeze, origin of water (snow, runoff, direct precip)...

Lots of factors.

Mother nature is perfectly capable of rendering a soft playa without any human assistance.

BUT take a look at air photos/sat images and you realize that lots of people drive around on the playa whenever it's hard enough. There are always tracks everywhere. More than enough to create lots of loose material for dust and to generally disrupt the surface.

BM's impact on the playa is fairly local (but intense within the designated area). It would be easy for someone to compare conditions at other areas with the situation at BM.

The BLM and BMorg are actually studying this issue. They are trying to answer the question: is it better to move BM to a slightly different location every year or to keep it in the same spot.

Igneouss · Post by **Igneouss** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:56 am

camp-photon wrote:It may be my selective memory, but wasn't the playa much harder back in the 90's? What damaged it? Was it us?

No simple answer.
The amount of water that stands on the playa during the winter, the number of freeze/thaw cycles, the timing of the water versus freezing temps, depth of freeze, origin of water (snow, runoff, direct precip)...

Lots of factors.

Mother nature is perfectly capable of rendering a soft playa without any human assistance.

BUT take a look at air photos/sat images and you realize that lots of people drive around on the playa whenever it's hard enough. There are always tracks everywhere. More than enough to create lots of loose material for dust and to generally disrupt the surface.

BM's impact on the playa is fairly local (but intense within the designated area). It would be easy for someone to compare conditions at other areas with the situation at BM.

The BLM and BMorg are actually studying this issue. They are trying to answer the question: is it better to move BM to a slightly different location every year or to keep it in the same spot.

Igneouss · Post by **Igneouss** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:58 am

Ugly Dougly wrote:
Igneouss wrote: That help?
Shining the Igneouss light in the sky works, then Commissioner Gordon.

Dougly,
You are by far the nicest barbarian that I have ever (almost) met.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:03 am

camp-photon wrote:It may be my selective memory, but wasn't the playa much harder back in the 90's? What damaged it? Was it us?

THere are many other partys that use the playa.. Just not as many people at one tme..

Yes we are damaging the playa.. WE polute the earth and change the weather.. Then the playa has a hard time repairing itself..

THe playa was a bombing range at one time.. There are still odenance under the surface..

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:46 am

Igneouss wrote:
Ugly Dougly wrote:
Igneouss wrote: That help?
Shining the Igneouss light in the sky works, then Commissioner Gordon.
Dougly,
You are by far the nicest barbarian that I have ever (almost) met.

You're pretty cool for a civilized man. This is the reason I haven't put an axe thru your skull.

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:06 pm

From an email I just got:

Hiya Burners from Beeeyoteeful Black Rock City!

Weather Report: Hot and Sunny.
Playa Surface: Dusty, but SO much better than last year (remember to
drive 5mph to keep the dust down).
Seven Day Outlook: WOO HOO!

Coastburner · Post by **Coastburner** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:54 pm

Sounds Fantastic!

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:10 pm

just home from "home".........
took a load to BRC and came back for more....

not very dusty,
pretty windy,
crusted, but, it does look like, as people drive and such, it'll "fluff up"......

good and hard, it seems. no real "drifts" that I saw......

perfect temps (to me), at noon it was around 80.......

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:59 am

No Camel Spiders? Or not very many?
Midges, sandfleas, playa chickens, mosquitoes, tse-tse flies, no-see-ums, gnats? No?

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:07 am

rats!

big f***ing rats, with d(*($ this long...(holds hands a foot apart)

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:16 am

ygmir wrote:rats!

big f***ing rats, with d(*($ this long...(holds hands a foot apart)

Rodents of unusual size? I don't think they exist.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:19 am

Ygmir, you sent me some pics. There are signs along the Esplanade (?) with some sort of Burma-Shave crap on them.

I got a feeling that these will be a permanent part of BRC while the markers locating the various camps will still be tiny plastic tapes divoted into the dust, with tiny scribbles in pencil that nobody can read.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:22 am

Look for rats in a docktown.

Use a car.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:27 am

C.f.M. wrote:
ygmir wrote:rats!

big f***ing rats, with d(*($ this long...(holds hands a foot apart)
Rodents of unusual size? I don't think they exist.

not the whole rat.......just their d(*ks

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:30 am

Ugly Dougly wrote:Ygmir, you sent me some pics. There are signs along the Esplanade (?) with some sort of Burma-Shave crap on them.

I got a feeling that these will be a permanent part of BRC while the markers locating the various camps will still be tiny plastic tapes divoted into the dust, with tiny scribbles in pencil that nobody can read.

those "burma shave" signs have been used for the last few years.......different sayings, but, same idea. they are on the road between gate and greeters......

and,
the road signs are on nice poles, easy to read, until someone steals them......

ptp123 · Post by **ptp123** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:18 am

I really thought that.....

___________________________
Term Paper

bs bob · Post by **bs bob** » Thu May 13, 2010 2:21 pm

well its about time 2 start wonderin again will i b able 2 ride my bike this year or is it lust in the dust again!!!

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Thu May 13, 2010 2:22 pm

I believe it's time to start a new thread for 2010

Post by **AntiM** » Thu May 13, 2010 2:38 pm

Boijoy wrote:I believe it's time to start a new thread for 2010

Go ahead and I'll lock this one.