From a great source: Gates will definately open at 6 p.m.

[junglesmacks]

What do you think for timing...
Leave the Wal-Mart in Fernley at 9:30, grab every last drop of gas you can, then start heading towards BRC. Going slow at night, should put you there at about Mid-Night?

That should put you smack in the gridlock 5 miles south of Gerlach at midnight, yeah. You'll hit gate at 2am. I'd leave by 8 to be at gate by midnight.

[theCryptofishist]

I'm thinking room in reno or boomtown. Alarm at 4 or 6 am. Scary buffet breakfast, and getting there when the line's died down, and before it gets tooooooo hot.

[illy dilly]

These are good points.
But what if you over shoot, and end up getting there before mid night and get stuck in D-lot? DUn dun duuuuuu

I do not plan to hope that gate opens early. For gate is supposed to open at mid night, and like folks have said. I don't want to be one of the douche bags that jeopardizes the event. No, 1 RV will not, but make the difference, but if everyone figures they are just 1 RV then thats a shit ton of RVs.

[theCryptofishist]

It does seem like a whole lot of stress for not very much pay off.

[TinkerMom]

I am also going to be in Fernley on Sun. I was wondering when to hit the road, too. I was thinking 9ish or so.
But I haven't been there before, so I was going on what I have learned on here.
Good to know for us newbies.

[lucky420]

last year we left Fernley monday morning at about 6-6:30 am and hit the entry road at about 8 am. Gate line to greeters took about 2 1/2 -3 hours.

[illy dilly]

Then we were right behind you!
We left Fernley at about 8am, hit entry road at about 10:30 (we stopped for water in Gerlach), spent 3.5 hours in line to get in. Must have hit a rush period.

If it is soooo busy on Sunday night, who is to say that it wont take you 8 hours to get in, thus not arriving tell 8am anyway?
Did anyone hit the gates at midnight last year?
We got there pretty early in 2009, but there was also only like 43,000 people in 2009. And that year the city really didn't fill up tell Wednesday.

[melodiousdirge]

One way to think about this 6pm opening; If they do it, they do it at the request of LE. BMORG does not WANT to open the gates at 6, they do it because gatecrashers show up early and create a clusterfuck (Read: Organizational pain in the ass). Even if they are planning on opening early to deal with this, they aren't likely to announce that they are doing so - if they announce they will open the gates at 6, people will be there at noon on Sunday, being the same pain in the ass that are already forcing them to open the gates 6 hours early.

Whether or not you personally stand to benefit from showing up before midnight 'just in case' they open the gates early - doing so is just contributing to the organizational pain in the ass; whether they've planned for it or not.

Just my .02

[pizzamancer]

The gates may open while it's still light out, but I will still plan my arrival for after dark...there's something about seeing the playa lit up on the horizon during one's approach that gives it an otherworldly glow...wouldn't want to deprive a newbie that experience.

Oooh, what a decision? I, too, like to come in just before dawn. It'll be safer to make that crossing of Cedar Pass and northern Nevada in the daylight, that's for sure. But dawn of Day 1, I dunno'...?

I rode in the Dragon Wagon my first year. Not knowing a thing. The D lot experience was very cool.

[Lord Of Ruin]

One way to think about this 6pm opening; If they do it, they do it at the request of LE. BMORG does not WANT to open the gates at 6, they do it because gatecrashers show up early and create a clusterfuck (Read: Organizational pain in the ass). Even if they are planning on opening early to deal with this, they aren't likely to announce that they are doing so - if they announce they will open the gates at 6, people will be there at noon on Sunday, being the same pain in the ass that are already forcing them to open the gates 6 hours early.

Whether or not you personally stand to benefit from showing up before midnight 'just in case' they open the gates early - doing so is just contributing to the organizational pain in the ass; whether they've planned for it or not.

Just my .02

Awesome. Someone that posts they are going to be a BM Virgin is posting about why the Org and one of its departments does things.

And. Are wrong about most of it.

Sigh.

LoR

[portaplaya]

I disagree with you, LoR. I don't think that most of their statements are incorrect.

Which statements do you feel are predictions that are not likely to pan out and which statements do you feel are stated as facts which are demonstratably untrue?

[melodiousdirge]

Awesome. Someone that posts they are going to be a BM Virgin is posting about why the Org and one of its departments does things.

And. Are wrong about most of it.

Sigh.

LoR

1) I disclaim both that I'm a burn virgin and that it's just my .02
2) The number of times one has attended burning man really does not have anything to do with the quality of one's sense of logic.

But... you are of course welcome to continue being burnier than my lowly virgin self.

[junglesmacks]

But... you are of course welcome to continue being burnier than my lowly virgin self.

[Lord Of Ruin]

I disagree with you, LoR. I don't think that most of their statements are incorrect.

Which statements do you feel are predictions that are not likely to pan out and which statements do you feel are stated as facts which are demonstratably untrue?

Hmmm...let's see....

One way to think about this 6pm opening; If they do it, they do it at the request of LE.

Wrong. Other way around. Org groups have been trying to convince LEO the merits of different ingress and egress plans.

BMORG does not WANT to open the gates at 6, they do it because gatecrashers show up early and create a clusterfuck (Read: Organizational pain in the ass).

Wrong - there will be people getting there "to be there when it opens" regardless of the time it's set.

Even if they are planning on opening early to deal with this, they aren't likely to announce that they are doing so

Unless, you know...they WANT people to come at an earlier time for some reason not known to us.

And to the OP, I wasn't trying to be burnier than thou. You were making predictions on available information. As was I...your location shows as British Columbian and your sig line says that you will be a 2011 virgin. Both these elements make me cast doubt as to how close a pipeline you have to staff plans. But hey, I could be wrong. But I'm not....see above.

[lazerfox]

if you get there Monday morning, look for me:

I'll be getting there Monday morning!! I'll get to meet you that early in the week!!!Look at that!...will you be working the gong too??

[Lord Of Ruin]

if you get there Monday morning, look for me:

I'll be getting there Monday morning!! I'll get to meet you that early in the week!!!Look at that!...will you be working the gong too??

Yes...Yggie will most definately be working the gong.

Wait...what?

[Savannah]

Yes...Yggie will most definately be working the gong.

Wait...what?

I hear that's quite a natural phase, frequently preceded by the confluence of a fluorescent Mack truck and small camper.

Be careful not to shame him, and he will eventually abandon the gong for different pursuits.

[ygmir]

and, I got my tux and top hat.........

so, I'll be easy to spot.

[lazerfox]

even more excited than I was before

[melodiousdirge]

Unless, you know...they WANT people to come at an earlier time for some reason not known to us.

Here's the thing. All the available literature says DO NOT, repeat DO NOT show up early. Gatecrashers are put in D-Lot as a punitive measure, and so on, and so on. If you somehow construe that they actually want people to show up early because they repeatedly say they absolutely do not, well then I'm not sure how I can reasonably discuss this with you.

I wasn't trying to be burnier than thou. You were making predictions on available information. As was I...your location shows as British Columbian and your sig line says that you will be a 2011 virgin. Both these elements make me cast doubt as to how close a pipeline you have to staff plans.

I never claimed to have a pipeline to the staff, I read what has been said and take the instructions "DO NOT Arrive early" at face value. Rolling your eyes at what I have to say because of where I live or whether I've been to TTITD is an ignorant move, and it says almost as much about you as the following quote:

But hey, I could be wrong. But I'm not....see above.

[melodiousdirge]

Also, LoR - having re-read this whole thread, I see that you have some sources of hearsay inside the Borg. You could be right that there is a portion of the org that wants to shift to a daylight opening, but that's really not what I was getting at. My point was that if the org, in it's official stance on the matter, wanted people to show up for a 6pm opening, logic would say they would announce it (and maybe they will, but for now they have not).

Whether it's BLM, or LE, or BMORG that ultimately sets the time, the point was that showing up 5 hours before the gates are supposed to open, on the off chance they will open them early is kind of a pain in the ass thing to do.

Once again, just my .02

[junglesmacks]

Personally, even though I know gates will open at 6pm (not just from this thread..).. I still will time my arrival at midnight. I would much rather park my truck and greet BRC with daylight instead of darkness. There's just something magical about the night turning to twilight while hitting that line.. the day getting brighter.. the energy raising in line.. getting closer to that gate.. and finally making it through just as the sun is up, the delirium setting in.. and entering the magical abyss. It's a moment that I treasure and gives me chills just to think about.









On a side note.. until I just uploaded this picture just now.. I never noticed the person with outstretched arms in the distance. Magical.

[Asherbeez]

Personally, even though I know gates will open at 6pm (not just from this thread..).. I still will time my arrival at midnight. I would much rather park my truck and greet BRC with daylight instead of darkness. There's just something magical about the night turning to twilight while hitting that line.. the day getting brighter.. the energy raising in line.. getting closer to that gate.. and finally making it through just as the sun is up, the delirium setting in.. and entering the magical abyss. It's a moment that I treasure and gives me chills just to think about.

I didn't arrive until Thursday last year and this year was planning on arriving at the gate around 6 am or so just as the sun is rising. Your post may have convinced me that the midnight arrival, just for the experience of the first sunrise within the city limits, is well worth it. I'll be leaving from Reno, so the decision can stay fluid up until the night before.

[junglesmacks]

Personally, even though I know gates will open at 6pm (not just from this thread..).. I still will time my arrival at midnight. I would much rather park my truck and greet BRC with daylight instead of darkness. There's just something magical about the night turning to twilight while hitting that line.. the day getting brighter.. the energy raising in line.. getting closer to that gate.. and finally making it through just as the sun is up, the delirium setting in.. and entering the magical abyss. It's a moment that I treasure and gives me chills just to think about.

I didn't arrive until Thursday last year and this year was planning on arriving at the gate around 6 am or so just as the sun is rising. Your post may have convinced me that the midnight arrival, just for the experience of the first sunrise within the city limits, is well worth it. I'll be leaving from Reno, so the decision can stay fluid up until the night before.

Remember too that you will hit traffic and most likely gridlock on the hwy as well. We sat for at least 1-2 hours in the middle of the hwy about 5 miles before Gerlach. Plan to leave Reno around 9pm if you want to be hitting wheels on dust but still back in the line by 1-2am.

[Asherbeez]

Remember too that you will hit traffic and most likely gridlock on the hwy as well. We sat for at least 1-2 hours in the middle of the hwy about 5 miles before Gerlach. Plan to leave Reno around 9pm if you want to be hitting wheels on dust but still back in the line by 1-2am.

Excellent, thanks for the tip!

[melodiousdirge]

Haven't hear any new chatter on this, except the JRS re-stating that you should not arrive early. With under 2 weeks till gate, any new insight?

[portaplaya]

I'm still annoyed that the topic is misspelled.

"Definately" instead of "Definitely". They mus use IE, which does not have a built-in spell-check.

BRC LLC's official word is still that the event opens at midnight at that people should not arrive early. Early arrivers will be dealt with by Gate as per the process listed above: welcome to D-Lot, enjoy your night's stay.

[Igneouss]

I'm still annoyed that the topic is misspelled.

"Definately" instead of "Definitely". They mus use IE, which does not have a built-in spell-check.

BRC LLC's official word is still that the event opens at midnight at that people should not arrive early. Early arrivers will be dealt with by Gate as per the process listed above: welcome to D-Lot, enjoy your night's stay.

What Portaplaya said. Arrived about 10 minutes before midnight in 2009. Result: 6 hours in D lot.

[penrose]

[quote="junglesmacks"]On a side note.. until I just uploaded this picture just now.. I never noticed the person with outstretched arms in the distance. Magical.[/quote]

That's not a person, that's the big statue on its knees praying, that was set up in the plaza at Heebie Jeebie village.

[Elorrum]

I'm camping at Pyramid Lake Sunday, and will leave from there around 4, 4:30... see how that works. I'd just like to get there with enough time to put up the shade before it's blasting... say before 9, 10?