Lakes of Fire 2012 - IT WAS ON FIRE WHEN WE GOT HERE!

[havoc]

If you aren't already familiar with Lakes of Fire, you should check us out! We are a medium sized (~1300) Michigan burn that takes place in late June...we'd love for you to join us this year! Tickets JUST went on sale yesterday, but they're selling quick, so I recommend you move quickly! Here are the details:

- LAKES OF FIRE 2012: IT WAS ON FIRE WHEN WE GOT HERE
- Dates: Thursday, June 21, 2012 - Sunday, June 24, 2012
- Location: Lucky Lake Campground
3977 West Wilke Road
Montague, MI 49437
- Tickets: $45 (available at http://www.lakesoffire.org/)

And as a volunteer coordinator, I feel obligated to make a plug for our AMAZINGLY FUN volunteer opportunities. Check them out on the website, fill out a volunteer form and feel free to PM me if you have any questions!

Love and hugs!

-havoc

[Sail Man]

Weeeeere gonna burn some shit down!

Oh wait, how can we, it was already on fire when we got there

[Sail Man]

saaayyyyyy Havoc, that avatar of yours looks a little familiar

[Canoe]

Love to go, only...

Parking: Limited
Car-pooling with friends, family, camp-mates, or random strangers is highly encouraged. Lakes of Fire's site has parking available, but it is limited. Upon arrival, you may drop off your gear at your location, and then you will be asked to return your car to the parking area. If you do leave for an emergency, please stop back at parking upon return. Cars not placed in the parking area will have a section for "car camping.” This means using you're using your vehicle to sleep in, not being lazy about getting your vehicle to where it belongs in the parking lot.
For those who are less than fully physically capable: Other than a small tent to sleep in, my supplies are already stored, organized, secure and accessible in the car. If I have to unload all of it out of the car, then I have to have another structure to keep it in (and it can't be as secure), and it has to be a rather substantial structure in order to have tables to keep it at an accessible height.


Additionally,
Mutant vehicles are a unique type of art that is welcome to roam Lakes of Fire. If it has a motor and is not com-pletely powered by human propulsion, it's considered a motorized vehicle and therefore must be registered as a Mutant Vehicle by its owners to be driven at LoF.
Most jurisdictions, and for Burning Man, accept e-bikes (electric assisted, not electric or other motor powered) as bicycles. Have I missed a section on bicycles/e-bikes?
And for electric wheel-chairs?

[moonrise]

Ooooh, the description and photos give me the feeling I am almost there. Beautiful website too.

I hope to travel to some of these regionals, it won't be this year but someyear I can see myself taking the plunge.

Have fun! Post some snappies and vids please!

[Purple_HeadRush]

If anyone's plans change and they need to sell their tickets please let me know! I was very disappointed to find that they sold out just hours before I tried to get my tickets. =(

[havoc]

@sailman...hrmmmm, can't imagine why!

@canoe: you raise some really excellent points and questions. i do not have all the answers myself, but i am DEFINITELY posting your questions and concerns to the Lakes of Fire organizers group. i would love to find a way for us to accommodate folks who are differently abled and require a bit more accessibility than most. thank you so much for taking the time to bring this to our attention! hopefully i will be back soon with answers.

@moonrise: some of our amazing chicago burners did the LoF website as an incredible gift to the community. (actually robrob - the owner of the company who did it - is a member of the forums here). burner love knows no bounds! and hell yeah, we'd love to see you next year!

@purple_headrush: definitely try engaging with some of the local community and on facebook, etc. i know it's frustrating, but i have a very very strong feeling that as we get closer to the event, you will see spare tickets come out of the woodwork.

love!

-havoc

[Rat Bastard]

As for electric bikes, BM doesn't allow them. Neither does LoF. If it has a motor, it needs to be art. And all mobile art needs to be registered/licensed.

Yet, for our disabled participants, there is a method of licensing their mobility devices. Whether that be a wheel chair, golf cart or their car. A disabled license or placard is required. Please contact dmv(at)lakesoffire.org for more info if needed.

As for car camping, we discourage it. Honda, Chevy, Yugo, etc are all things that detract from the utopia of the event and take up a lot of room on a camp site. While there is some leeway for car camping, it is strongly discouraged. Car camping is defined as using your car to sleep in. Not using a car to store gear. Bring an extra tent if you need to store gear. And if you need to lock it up, bring a foot locker and a lock. Or ask to be placed next to the parking lot. Car camping is considered on a case by case basis by the Placement Team, placement(at)lakesoffire.org

There's a wealth of information on the website (as you have quoted some of it) and there is also contact information for every department lead.

Thank you for participating.

[Sail Man]

Canoe, as one of the team leads of LoF I can take heart and understand your concerns. And as my fellow organizer Havoc mentioned, concerns like this are noted and talked about either during our conference call's, or through email threads. We do operate on a consensus basis, and using TTITD guidelines, policies and procedures, we make our decisions. As well, I work EMS full-time and duly note the restrictions and challenges many people face that have limited mobility.

And as Rat Bastard mentioned, it never hurts to run questions by the teams involved in your concerns to see if accommodations can be made that are satisfactory to the participant while adhering to the tenants of BM.

Lucky Lakes, while larger then our previous venue, is nowhere close in size to BRC, our footprint is much smaller and we like to group all the camps together. Also, our surface isnt the playa, its dirt and grass. Last year, our first at Lucky Lakes, it rained heavily right before our burn and turned what few roads we had into mud bogs. Keeping the vehicles located in an area away from the camping/theme camp areas alleviated much of the mud problems over much of the venue, consolidating it in the parking area. And as the Medical Team lead, I found it rather important to keep our main roads as solid as possible so that we could get the golf cart teams, and any other responding emergency services, to the location of any emergency.

Also note, that BM operates on a Do-acracy as well. Feel free to create a camp, a Bureau of Limited Mobility (heh heh heh BLM)(ok Rat Bastard, put down the stick) as it were, a camp that less able bodies peeps operate with the goal to make everybodies burn more doable. Hmmm, giant wheelchair art car? Theme camps have a much better chance of working with placement and coming up with a creative solution to issues or concerns.

Just my .02 cents.

[Canoe]

As for electric bikes, BM doesn't allow them.

Has since 2010. I had mine there.

http://www.burningman.com/blackrockcity ... 4_i32.html
...
As far as electric bikes go, those are allowed. As per NRS 482.0287 “Electric bicycle” means a device upon which a person may ride, having two or three wheels, or every such device generally recognized as a bicycle that has fully operable pedals and is propelled by a small electric engine which produces not more than 1 gross brake horsepower and which produces not more than 750 watts final output, and: 1. Is designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground but is not a tractor; and 2. Powered solely by such a small electric engine, is capable of a maximum speed of not more than 20 miles per hour on a flat surface while carrying an operator who weighs 170 pounds. The term does not include a moped.
...

If it was pulled for 2011, I missed it.
Requirement is that they meet the Nevada definition of e-bike, which is pretty much the same as it is in most jurisdictions.
In short: electric only, the electric is assist - has fully operable pedals, no more than three wheels on the ground.
Practice seems to be you're good to go if you meet the key points in the prior line. Never heard of letter of the law being checked. Subject to compliance check at the gate, or anytime after...

As are "small motorized scooters (two-wheeled, lightweight, standup, small, no-seat, off-street type) and go-peds are allowed in BRC".

A seat on the scooter or a fourth wheel on a "bicycle" makes you a MV.

Everything is subject to the 5 mph.

[lemur]

so this is like one big walk-in-camping burn?

participants have to lug their whole camp from a parking lot to their campsite?

they cant use their vehicle as a part of a shade structure and as storage for gear?

[Canoe]

so this is like one big walk-in-camping burn? participants have to lug their whole camp from a parking lot to their campsite? they cant use their vehicle as a part of a shade structure and as storage for gear?

Partly. Drive to your site. Unload, return car to parking-lot (promptly, or else).
Exodus is supposed to be easier as everyone is supposed to be leaving from the parking lot. Not sure how that works with getting your gear to your car.

No problems at BM. I don't have to make any arrangements. I'm independent and self-reliant. E-bike assist to get me "home" when needed and I camp alone with my vehicle having everything I need accessible with minimal effort. Most people couldn't tell, as I've developed alternate ways of doing most things, although I've had to give up some things, and have to wait for a good day to do others. It's been four years since any have stopped me on the street, but I still get occasional suspicious looks from those whose manner I've learned to recognize as nurses (they can go from off-duty to on-duty in an instant; I suspect they can't not do that).

[Rat Bastard]

@Canoe,
Do you have a ticket?
Have your written Placement to inquire how they may assist you in the matter?
Have your written DMV to ask them how they may assist you?

I don't see anywhere where it says one can't bring their car to camp to load up before Exodus. Could you please provide a link to where it says this?

FYI, no one has said no to your request. Your special exception requested will not be granted on a public list.

FYI, while LoF does use BM guidelines as a basis to work from, LoF is not BM. LoF has it's own policies that while in many ways similar, also different in many areas. And, BM doesn't have a lake! The organizers of LoF, unlike BM, are merely volunteers and not paid. They do this out of the kindness of their heart and the fire in their soul. I urge you to contact them (DMV, Placement and Parking) and discuss your needs with them personally. Please note, just because you can do it at BM, doesn't mean you can do it everywhere.

Thanks

[Canoe]

@Canoe,
Do you have a ticket? Have your written Placement to inquire how they may assist you in the matter? Have your written DMV to ask them how they may assist you?
I don't see anywhere where it says one can't bring their car to camp to load up before Exodus. Could you please provide a link to where it says this?
FYI, no one has said no to your request. Your special exception requested will not be granted on a public list.
FYI, while LoF does use BM guidelines as a basis to work from, LoF is not BM. LoF has it's own policies that while in many ways similar, also different in many areas. And, BM doesn't have a lake! The organizers of LoF, unlike BM, are merely volunteers and not paid. They do this out of the kindness of their heart and the fire in their soul. I urge you to contact them (DMV, Placement and Parking) and discuss your needs with them personally. Please note, just because you can do it at BM, doesn't mean you can do it everywhere.

Thanks

Do you always not read a post before you reply to it?
I haven't asked for any exceptions. I was pointing out the limitations resulting from the published policy. But you read that...
My request: was for information about e-bikes, as I couldn't find anything published on that. Specifically: "Have I missed a section on bicycles/e-bikes?", but you read that too...
No, I can't provide you with a link concerning "I don't see anywhere where it says one can't bring their car to camp to load up before Exodus.", as I too didn't find that, and that is why I did post "I'm not sure how that works". But you read that too...?
I'm aware LoF is not BM. I did note, which is why I inquired, and not from BMorg, who I'm sure hadn't got the time to be bemused by LoF policy inquiries.
And, no ticket. Apparently it sold out after I first posted here.
And yes, since posting here I have exchanged PMs with some who where kind enough to provide relevant and accurate information. No, I didn't request any exceptions.

Unfortunately, it appears the needs/constraints of the LoF campsite greatly suggest, if not require, the need for maintaining a "no car" direction.

[Rat Bastard]

Sorry you were unable to obtain a ticket @Canoe. Sorry that your concerns were not answered in a satisfactory manner by myself. If you have any further questions, please feel free to directly contact the people in charge... I'm sure you will get more satisfactory and accurate results.

http://lakesoffire.org/teamleads/

And by all means, if you see something missing or inaccurate on the website, please inform the proper people directly. I'm positive that very few of them are on this board. And direct contact will get results much better then through eplaya.

RB

[trilobyte]

Looks like a great event. Congrats on the great site, and congrats/condolences on the speedy ticket sellout (it's both a blessing and a curse). Feel free to stop back and regale us with stories and pictures from Lakes Of Fire

[havoc]

Looks like a great event. Congrats on the great site, and congrats/condolences on the speedy ticket sellout (it's both a blessing and a curse). Feel free to stop back and regale us with stories and pictures from Lakes Of Fire

thanks trilo! and yes, we have definitely felt the heat from being sold out! my email box is creaking under the weight of "i need a ticket" emails!

and yes, i'm sure we will have plenty of stories to share.

[FlyingMonkey]

Wow. You snooze you lose
I didn't expect it to sell out so quickly and I missed out. I really wanted to go to LoF this year.

Totally bummed.
Anyone know of where I could find people with extra/unneeded tickets?

[lemur]

theyll probably be popping up all over the chicago regional discussion list .....if the past is any guide.

http://regionals.burningman.com/us_il_chi.html

[Rat Bastard]

Flying Monkey,
Check out the Lakes of Fire group on facebook. Lots of traffic there too.

Yes, it's an awesome event. Every year gets larger and better. Voted most like BM by 52 Week Burn (at least that's what they told me!).

[FlyingMonkey]

Thanks Lemur & R B. I have been watching their F-book page for about a month now. I was surprised to see they sold out so quickly since I didn’t see anything on their page. I also signed up for the Chicago groups e-mail list. I know people from my regional group are going as well so I will also check with them too. Fingers crossed. If it happens great, if not then I guess I have more time to plan & build for the Burn. So much to do, so little time.

[Sail Man]

Thanks Lemur & R B. I have been watching their F-book page for about a month now. I was surprised to see they sold out so quickly since I didn’t see anything on their page. I also signed up for the Chicago groups e-mail list. I know people from my regional group are going as well so I will also check with them too. Fingers crossed. If it happens great, if not then I guess I have more time to plan & build for the Burn. So much to do, so little time.

FM, Here is the link to the Michigan BM Google Group, keep an eye out on that as well for tickets being sold.

Yes, the early sell-out was not surprising considering the ticketing issues with TTITD and how many people either couldn't get tickets, or elected not to go (like myself) so regionals such as LoF are taking up the slack. We've grown each year and that appears it may continue if this year is any indication.

[FlyingMonkey]

Hey Sail Man. I just applied to be a member of their group. Thanks for the info. The way things are going I will feel pretty lucky if I get to go to either next year.

[lucky420]

WOW! what a cool looking regional. Almost as cool as mine I kid, I kid. Maybe some day I'll hitch a ride with moonrise and come out.

Have a grand time, it looks like you guys really do.

[Sail Man]

Please do Lucky, we'll make sure and leave the light on for you 2

[ygmir]

*noting Sailman as becoming the Emperor of the North after the EOW*

[soupman]

So incredibly excited for this! Chicago and the Midwest's community is awesome.

[Sail Man]

*noting Sailman as becoming the Emperor of the North after the EOW*

>>>note to self, order crown and flowing robe, cool staff as well<<<


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eyFiClAzq8

[Rat Bastard]

@Sail Man,
What? No dubstep version? What kind of burner are you? Wow, dude.

[Colonel Monk]

Howdy

OK. so a question for you all.....

Is it possible not to attend the entire event? Sitchy is this: Grandpa's Wake is on the Friday in Owosso MI ....

Still, even though I don't have any tickets I'd love to check this regional out, especially since I'm one of the many who doesn't have a Burning Man ticket. I'm from MI, but I've been on the west coast for more than a decade. Taking a break from work and I'm going to be in Northern MI to visit family for June/July this summer (except for Juplaya, which I won't miss) and so I was really looking forward to exploring Lakes of Fire.

So might be able to do fri / sat or maybe just sat....

What do you guys think?

Love,

Col Monk.