PLAYA CAMPING DURING THE OTHER 51 WEEKS??

[clocksnmirrors]

so this is federal land right? i'm assuming that means people go out there to camp from time to time during the rest of the year?

anyone have any experience on the playa in the off-burn season?



it seems like an intriguing prospect for an extreme vacation

[theCryptofishist]

It's a lake for part of the year, depending on rainfall of course. But yes, the locals go out there at other times and there's another quasi event just past the beginning of july...

[clocksnmirrors]

It's a lake for part of the year, depending on rainfall of course. But yes, the locals go out there at other times and there's another quasi event just past the beginning of july...

i'd heard of the 4th of juplaya

but i'm more wondering if anyone has had experience with roughing it alone (or in a small camp) out there

[unjonharley]

It may be permit camping like other federal lands.. I have life time permit on federal lands.. But i would check before going..

[Bob]

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo/blm_programs/recreation.html

http://blackrockdesert.org/friends/

http://www.cafepress.com/everythingbob

[jerroc]

You should have no problems camping alone on the playa. I would only suggest to have someone back at home you check in with every 2 days 3 at the most.

[Noboundaries]

so this is federal land right?

Nope, not the way it was explained to me by a guy at the BLM office. It is managed by the feds, but it is the people's land. Doesn't belong to anyone but the people of the US. BLM sets the rules to preserve the land so it is there for you to enjoy.

It is very different camping out there without a crowd.

[Noboundaries]

But everyplace you read about the BLM it talks about Federally owned land. So take your pick!

[clocksnmirrors]

But everyplace you read about the BLM it talks about Federally owned land. So take your pick!

maybe you caught the guy you talked to on a bad day...

You should have no problems camping alone on the playa. I would only suggest to have someone back at home you check in with every 2 days 3 at the most.

words of wisdom. thing is my cell provider had absolutely no service out that way... i don't think i'd go alone. probably a small group

It may be permit camping like other federal lands.. I have life time permit on federal lands.. But i would check before going..

how much does a lifetime permit cost? where do you normally camp?

http://www.cafepress.com/everythingbob

thanks for the links. is that photo of you? I LOVE IT!!!

[unjonharley]

It may be permit camping like other federal lands.. I have life time permit on federal lands.. But i would check before going..

how much does a lifetime permit cost? where do you normally camp?

I have camped all over the USA..
The permit comes with a price I hope you will never pay.
I am a disabled veteran..

There is also a Golden Pass after your 65yr old.. I don't know to much about it..

[Bob]

No permit required except for large groups, commercial events, or commercial photography/video.

[TT120]

I have camped out there before off my motorcycle. Also camped and ridden all over that whole area. There are lots of abandoned mines and hot springs to explore all around out there. The Playa mostly fills with water in the winter and the surface turns into thick muck that will swallow your vehicle.

The Black Rock Playa is quite peaceful and a little spooky in the middle of the night.

[RedHeaven]

A little spooky? Sheesh, I'm spooked Sunday night after the burn....

[Bob]

Mind the feral playa chickens, and don't brake for rabbits.

[theCryptofishist]

I have camped out there before off my motorcycle. Also camped and ridden all over that whole area. There are lots of abandoned mines and hot springs to explore all around out there. The Playa mostly fills with water in the winter and the surface turns into thick muck that will swallow your vehicle.

The Black Rock Playa is quite peaceful and a little spooky in the middle of the night.

Very much at your own risk. Many are deadly.

[Bob]

[clocksnmirrors]

There are lots of abandoned mines and hot springs to explore all around out there

Very much at your own risk. Many are deadly.

"deadly hot springs".... sounds like a movie starring shannon tweed and richard dean anderson

[clocksnmirrors]

...roam video...

i think you just gave me my new theme song

[AntiM]

I love the abandoned mines safety videos.

http://www.abandonedminesafety.org/#!videos

15:33... dumbasses.

My fear is "dead air pockets". Seriously. Take a canary.

But the old equipment is soooo cool. And say hi if you see Susan Powell (but I think she was dumped in a Utah mine).

[AntiM]

We've been on the playa in December. Cold, the wind bites down to the bone. We stayed on the edge, the surface felt spongy and we didn't want to risk driving out more than a few hundred yards, if that.

[clocksnmirrors]

We've been on the playa in December. Cold, the wind bites down to the bone. We stayed on the edge, the surface felt spongy and we didn't want to risk driving out more than a few hundred yards, if that.

how isolated were you?
were there any other campers?
did you feel safe?
how long did you stay?
do blm rangers patrol? did you see any?

[Lonesomebri]

I used to camp out around Black Rock desert, ususally in the surrounding foothills, under a cottonwood tree. At night, on the playa, driving around fast with no particular direction.... This was back 20 years though, before the hip international crowd discovered it....

[Bob]

There's a gun & ammo shop around here where I saw a homemade cannon that looked like it'd been cut from a hydraulic cylinder from a Cat D9 or something. Owner told me, yeah, back in the 70s we used to take that out to the Black Rock Desert and shoot bowling balls about a mile.

[Lonesomebri]

First heard of Black Rock desert from some guys over 20 years ago who were interested in the Emigrant trail. Some history up there. The area is remote. Even remoter when it's not burn season. There is camping south around Pyramid lake, with a cheap easy to get permit, or you can go north to High Rock Lake, and you haven't been nowhere, until you've been to High Rock Lake. It's nowhere. High Rock Canyon and Little High Rock Canyon Wilderness are north of Black Rock, with hiking and camping and historic sights from the wagon trains back to chipped rocks used to make arrow points. The north shore of Pyramid lake is somewhat remote, the lakes there, wild land formations, but lots of cow patties. You might need a high clearence vehicle for some of this. You will need a dependable vehicle, solid, with spare everything, and the permit.

Ususally on Bureau of Land Management land you don't need a permit to camp. For public use, BLM has the least restrictions, compared with parks and the like. Camping in the foothill surrounding the playa can be much more comfortable, yet just minutes away from the flats. People go out on the playa at night and drive around, small aircraft might land. That might be dangerous if you were to camp out on the playa in a tent without the protection of BRC. I admit, I've driven around out there with my headlights off at night. On the empty playa, what looks like a house in the distance turns out to be just a small rock, and a small shimmering movement far away turns out to be a half dozen racing sand yachts. Space perception gets thrown way off. And it's easy to get lost on the playa if you don't take note of the distant profile of the surrounding hills back where you entered.

As for interhuman contact, never met anyone out here giving me the bad vibes, other than at the burn. Most of the out back types are proud of their character, looking to be helpful, they aren't looking to fulfil some B-movie depiction. Now, as a skinny naked black dude, you might experience a different reaction than me. But with the right clothes (no feathers) that should be fine. Look at the crime stats and you'll see that going to the desert is safer than staying where ever we are.

If you're thinking about it, go up there and do some camping. Use the info here, and google more. Don't think permits are needed for most of that area, other than Pyramid Lake. Get that permit, it's a huge lake. There are sign-in sheets at trailheads and places where you can indicate when you were there and plan to return. Let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. There is an folk art drive on the left/west side of 447 just before the Black Rock Desert turn off. And if it's wet on the playa and you drive down there.....ha....

[clocksnmirrors]

thanks lonesomebri and bob


so here's a question... if our event is leave no trace, is there someone who goes out on the playa making a record of all the random camper traces (like pulverized bowling balls) so we don't have those credited against us?

or do we do a cleanup of the playa BEFORE the event too?

[Bob]

I wouldn't worry about it, it's not like they have security cams.

[theCryptofishist]

Are the camping rules different on a national conservation area than regular old blm land? How about land that's being grazed or mined?

[unjonharley]

thanks lonesomebri and bob


so here's a question... if our event is leave no trace, is there someone who goes out on the playa making a record of all the random camper traces (like pulverized bowling balls) so we don't have those credited against us?

or do we do a cleanup of the playa BEFORE the event too?

No! Burning Man is the only one that is held to the BLM standard.
Every year Burners find all sorts of crap from other events.
A lot of it surfaces from the wear on the BM playa.
One year I found thousands of spent fire crackers under the van.. After a week of wind blew the playa surface down to hard pan. It's ok, I'll pick it.. I pick up after people all the time. They just don't get it.. To complain is like wasting time talking to the wind..

[unjonharley]

Are the camping rules different on a national conservation area than regular old blm land? How about land that's being grazed or mined?

Some of those lands are hunted on horse back & ATVs.. Fuck hunters.

[clocksnmirrors]

No! Burning Man is the only one that is held to the BLM standard.
Every year Burners find all sorts of crap from other events.

in that case BLM ought to be damn happy to have BM. at least shit gets cleaned up


i was in my truck the other day and saw some douchefuck open a pack of cigarettes and casually toss the plastic on the ground. because, of course, the world is his personal garbage can.

fucktards.