The rest of the week flew by, I couldn’t believe it. After the Wednesday bar crawl, we saw less of our VICE friends but hung out with Matt and a bunch of fellow Big Girthians at their various camps many times. We had a couple of more chill art exploration nights, and a couple of good long nights of dancing and excitement till after sunrise. It was a great mix with minimal stress. If only every year could be like that!

Wednesday

While we didn’t end up finding Matt before the bar crawl, it did indeed happen this year. Alan and I joined it a couple of stops in and stuck with it till the end. I had too much, but at least realized this and stopped having more partway through!

Me and Alan outside Sharkeys during the bar crawl Wednesday.

We hung out at VICE for a few hours before heading back. Alan made beans, rice and veggies, and then we napped a couple of hours till about midnight. Somehow we didn’t head out till 2:00. I decided to ditch my light hood, as it was too fragile and kept breaking. We explored playa a while, went to some art cars, danced a bit to meowing cat songs, a sound camp, others, then went to The Man, then back to camp.

Wednesday night at the Man.

Wednesday night at the Man.

Alan wanted to make soup. He did, it was good: corn cream and water chestnuts and spam. I also ate a huge pickle. It was so filling! Then bed, around 5 or 6.

Alan and my 2024 Burning Man camp Tuesday night.

The state of the shift pod Wednesday night.

Thursday

We actually got some sleep. I took a while to pass out but woke around 13:30, wow. Time is so weird on the playa. I did wake a bunch, mostly to drink water, but also because the neighbor’s generator has again been running for hours all morning. Anyway, Matt came to visit! Then we hung around camp till about 18:00 and headed out to see Rob and friends at Bad Asstronauts at 19:00.

I was super delighted when our new friend Matt came to visit Thursday morning.

Life size maze at the Legends of the Hidden Playa

I failed to take any pictures for most of the night until later, but I had was great! We saw Omar, Brian and Eric, and met a bunch of new friends. Then headed to get Caitlin and hang with Charlie, Trent, Tom and others at their cool, kind of new age camp, A Transformation Station. We all danced there a couple of hours and talked, a lot!

The bunch of us all went to Camp Miso at about 1. Alan said he didn’t like it, but he got seconds. Then we went out to deep playa exploring art car music. It was a super fun night. We went up and hung out on two cars, both of which had couches on top and were pretty chill, strangely. The last one we stayed at till sunrise was an iceberg called Titanic’s End. That one was very loud, and Caitlin gave me earplugs since I gave mine to Alan.

Thursday evening, documenting some lighting ideas.

Very early Friday morning before sunrise.

Very early Friday morning before sunrise.

Very early Friday morning before sunrise.

Very early Friday morning before sunrise.

Very early Friday morning before sunrise.

Very early Friday morning before sunrise.

Very early Friday morning before sunrise.

A photo off Brian's point and shoot disposable camera, I think!

Alan and I parted the group at sunrise to look for his things, come home and sleep at around 7 or 8.

Heading back to camp Friday morning after sunrise.

I didn't try this bike obstacle course thing, though now I think I should have given it a shot. Heading back to camp Friday morning after sunrise.

Friday

Wow, where has the week gone!?

Friday I intended to spend more time on the playa seeing art, and to finally visit the Temple. We woke around noon, Matt visited again, Alan made soup, and I ate cookies. I had so many chocolate chip cookies left! They were still delicious, but I didn’t crave them as much in the heat as I though I would.

We didn’t end up heading out till almost sunset, when we learned there should be a Rüfüs Du Sol concert at Mayan Warrior. We decided to go check it out, though at the appointed time there was pretty much a whiteout. We biked out, and it was clear hundreds of other people I could barely see were also heading out, somewhere. I asked a group nearby where they were headed, and they said to the concert, but they didn’t have a clue what direction that might be. We wandered like that for about five minutes before I heard someone had spotted it, and we shifted toward them.

Once we got there, it was a bit of a madhouse. We couldn’t get anywhere close, and couldn’t hear very much over the din of the crowd. We did stay about an hour, but left early to go exploring.

Exploring Friday evening.

Exploring Friday evening.

Exploring Friday evening.

Exploring Friday evening.

Exploring Friday evening.

We went to take photos of art and danced a bit, and visited both The Man and The Temple. I wasn’t able to take as many photos there as I would have liked, as a lady told me I wasn’t allowed to photograph near people’s “very personal tributes” without their permission. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen given the thousands of tributes that would be in any photo. And I had never heard such a thing before, but didn’t want to argue. She followed me around, so I ended up leaving.

Exploring Friday evening.

Exploring Friday evening.

At the Man Friday evening.

At the Man Friday evening.

We finally got to the Temple Friday evening.

We finally got to the Temple Friday evening.

We finally got to the Temple Friday evening.

We finally got to the Temple Friday evening.

We finally got to the Temple Friday evening.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Then Alan and I went to have tea at Center Camp till around 1:30. Back at camp, we made ravioli.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Alan and I did some more exploring on our own Friday evening.

Saturday

Saturday Alan and I headed back over to Pink Lightning for a quick race, the Naked Mile. I think it actually ended up being a quarter mile longer than that, but it was fun. I even took part in my first “Naked Tunnel” as the participants created a tunnel for the last finishers to pass through before the end. What a crazy thing!

Saturday, just before we ran the Naked Mile at Pink Lightning.

Then we went over to VICE one last time. We missed it at first, and I thought maybe they had already left. But backtracking, I found the camp, just without any of the infrastructure that used to be along the street. Friends there said the entire camp basically was leaving during the Man burn to avoid traffic. I was surprised and a bit sad, knowing the week was coming to an end, fast. So we stuck around chatting. Gary told me I should visit Matera, a city in Italy with a pretty fascinating history, and Wikipedia says it’s “one of the oldest continually inhabited settlements in the world“.

Saturday exploring.

We left around 16:00 to make a last minute visit to Alan’s friends Chris and Ping at Chair Camp. We found the camp, but they had left already that afternoon. Dang. We decided to go back to camp via Center Camp Tea House, and stayed there about an hour. There were some pretty crazy balloon performances going on. I didn’t know it was possible to fit almost an entire adult human body inside a balloon, and dance around while in it! Then we went back then made ramen with vegetables.

We spent some time around Center Camp Saturday afternoon.

We spent some time around Center Camp Saturday afternoon.

We spent some time around Center Camp Saturday afternoon. There were some pretty strange balloon shows going on!

We spent some time around Center Camp Saturday afternoon. There were some pretty strange balloon shows going on!

We spent some time around Center Camp Saturday afternoon. There were some pretty strange balloon shows going on!

We got ready for the burn and left at 19:30. Matt’s camp and art car wasn’t ready to go, so we headed out and would meet them later. We got to burn around 19:45, and it wasn’t as packed yet as I was expecting — we got to sit only about three rows from front. Once it finally started, the burn was really nice with some pretty cool fireworks! First there were fire dancers from 21:00 to about 21:20-30. Then fireworks lasted maybe 20 minutes and went out with a super intense finale. Then the actual fire started as a few bombs exploded, and more fireworks went off partway into the burn somehow.

About to head out to the Man burn Saturday evening. I can't believe how fast the week has gone!

About to head out to the Man burn Saturday evening. I can't believe how fast the week has gone!

At the Man burn Saturday evening.

They again had a giant explosion to help get the Man burning. It was pretty spectacular.

They again had a giant explosion to help get the Man burning. It was pretty spectacular.

At the Man burn Saturday evening.

Exploring Saturday evening.

The remnants of the man burn a few hours later.

After, we found Matt at his art car and went out with a few of his campmates to dance. I don’t remember the exact order, but we went to some crazy hardcore dubstep concert at a large cube with projectors, and went to check out sound camps called Opulent Temple and Playground. Then we went to see someone who might have been called Kream perform at a camp called Fluffy Cloud. That music was really good, and magically Rob and Omar showed up! It was great.

Hanging out with Matt's campmates at their art car after the Man burn Saturday evening.

Hanging out with Matt's campmates at their art car after the Man burn Saturday evening.

Hanging out with Matt's campmates at their art car after the Man burn Saturday evening.

Hanging out with Matt's campmates at their art car after the Man burn Saturday evening.

Hanging out with Matt's campmates at their art car after the Man burn Saturday evening.

Hanging out with Matt's campmates at their art car after the Man burn Saturday evening.

They wanted to check out other music around 3:30 or 4:30 or 5:30. Time is really hard to keep track of out there. It happened that the set was just ending, so Matt came with us to check out one more thing before he went home. After a long pee break we eventually reached Mayan Warrior, and everyone thought it was meh. So Matt went home, though I wished we could all stay together a bit longer.

The Temple as seen a bit before sunrise Sunday morning.

Sunrise Sunday morning.

Rob, Alan, Omar and I went to find somewhere to watch the sunrise. We happened upon BAAAHS and found not many people were up top, so we stayed there an hour or so before Alan and I headed home to sleep.

We happened upon BAAAHS while looking for a place to catch the sunrise Sunday morning. It was not too crowded, so we were able to hang out on top for an hour or so. It was really nice!

We happened upon BAAAHS while looking for a place to catch the sunrise Sunday morning. It was not too crowded, so we were able to hang out on top for an hour or so. It was really nice!

We happened upon BAAAHS while looking for a place to catch the sunrise Sunday morning. It was not too crowded, so we were able to hang out on top for an hour or so. It was really nice!

We happened upon BAAAHS while looking for a place to catch the sunrise Sunday morning. It was not too crowded, so we were able to hang out on top for an hour or so. It was really nice!

Waiting for sunrise Sunday morning.

Sunrise Sunday morning.

Sunday

Alan and I said goodbye to Matt as his group was striking camp at around 9:00. We tried to sleep more but gave up around noon, tried again and gave up at 14:00. I wasn’t in a huge hurry to pack up our own things since we were pretty basic that year. We lounged around and started cooking at 15:00. Then I got up to pack, and a dust storm rolled in. Good timing! It was whiteout most of the rest of the afternoon, but I worked through it so we could be ready for the next burn.

As in past years, we planned to be completely packed up and park the car at the exit so we could bike to and from the Temple burn and then get right in line at the exit. We also agreed to take Kyler from VICE back to San Francisco, so we had a small wrinkle in the plan because we had to get to VICE to pick his stuff up before parking the car. And of course I was now running late.

We ended up finishing at 19:00, even though we were supposed to pick up Kyler at 18:00 at VICE. So we got to him around about 80 minutes late, not too bad for playa time, but he was understandably concerned, since he gave up his other ride out the day before. But all turned out fine. We parked near 6:15 and J or K and biked to the temple. I hoped to find Rob beforehand, but that was not going to happen given we got to the burn four minutes before it was to start, at 19:56.

The Jeep all packed up and pre-parked near the exit, before we biked to the Temple burn.

Kyler squeezed his way all the way up to the front, while Alan and I sat where we landed about six rows back. The burn was beautiful, and quiet, except for some howls and “I love yous” and calls about freeing Palestine. The whiteout persisted for most of the burn, which was a first for me and quite strange, as sometimes we couldn’t even see the fire at all!

The Temple burn Sunday night.

The Temple burn Sunday night.

The Temple burn Sunday night.

The Temple burn Sunday night.

Unfortunately we also somehow lost Kyler as the burn was ending, and didn’t find him for about an hour. Then it was an adventure to get back to the car, due to the whiteout and because Kyler didn’t have a bike. He rode with me on my bike at first, as that’s how we got out to the burn in the first place. But not being able to see anything, my driving through the dunes wasn’t as smooth. So we tried having him ride Alan’s bike himself, then we resorted to walking. Most people were walking their own bikes anyway or were completely stopped. We forged on, though we got sidetracked a few times, even as I was consulting my GPS device to monitor our track. Eventually got to the car at about 22:30. Sheesh!

It was a crazy adventure getting back to the car after the temple burn. We were lost in the dust storm for more than 2 hours.

It was a crazy adventure getting back to the car after the temple burn. We were lost in the dust storm for more than 2 hours.

It was a crazy adventure getting back to the car after the temple burn. We were lost in the dust storm for more than 2 hours.

We began exodus around 22:40 and got to the “Start of Exodus” sign at 22:46. Gate road was closed according to the radio, but we followed a line of cars to somewhere in the 10 lane zone when we hit standstill around 23:15. It was typical Burning Man stuff from there. We started moving again at 23:45 till 23:50ish. Then moved again a tiny bit at 12:01. We reached the first merge at 12:10, getting close. And finally, we got to the paved highway at 12:28.

The dust started to clear once we got to the main line out at about 10:46 p.m. Sunday night.

The rest was smooth, and I wasn’t too terribly tired. We got to a Sparks, Nevada, gas station at about 3.

We made a pit stop in Sparks at 3 a.m. on the way back.

Our only mistake was trying to get food. We were tempted by a McDonald’s Google said was open 24 hours, but we got there and it was closed. So we went to a Burger King nearby, and the drive through took 45 minutes! That was the longest I’d ever been in a drive through, and in the middle of the night no less. We actually got the food at 4:02, and then finally could coast the rest of the way back — meaning I drove, and everyone else slept!

Dropping off Kyler in San Francisco before heading back to Oakland Monday morning at 08:02.

We reached Kyler’s friend’s place in San Francisco at about 8:00, and then got to our place in Oakland 20 some minutes after that. I was tired but awake, the usual after such a journey. I resisted the urge to start cleaning things, but at least showered myself. What an unexpectedly great year!

Entries in this series

1. Preparing for a simpler Burning Man (August 23)
2. Off to a great start in open camping (August 24-26)
3. Faster Burning Man Ultramarathon than predicted, than ever! (August 27)
4. A fabulous end to Burning Man 2024 (August 28-September 2)