Ten Favorite Burning Man Activities… Updated!

January 27, 2017January 27, 2017 / Curt Mekemson / 28 Comments

The classic female nude has always been a favorite subject of artists. This beautiful woman was over 50 feet tall and was one of a series of three at Burning Man. Art, more than anything else, has been pulling me back to Burning Man since 2004.

With two laptops down and this one heading for the doctor, I have to revise my publishing schedule for the next week. I’m reaching back into my archives and pulling out three former posts that are at least in the spirit of what I have promised. Today is on Burning Man. I’ll follow up with an historical blog on Philadelphia’s Fort Mifflin and then a backpacking tale that includes bears, lots of them.

I may be totally off the Internet for the next week. If I don’t respond immediately, that’s the case.

It’s time to buy tickets for Burning Man again, which is always a harrowing experience. At least it has been for the past several years. I made my first trip to Burning Man in 2004 and have been back numerous times since. I can’t resist. It is one of the most unique events I have ever attended. Following are some of the reasons why. Today kicks off a Friday series on Burning Man I will be running over the next couple of months during the ticket sale time that feature favorite photos from my archive of thousands. Enjoy!

I should probably name this blog Curt Mekemson’s Ten Favorite Burning Man Activities. When it comes to Burning Man, things get personal. One person’s preferences might very well be another person’s boring, with just the right teen-age emphasis followed by, “Was that guy actually there?”

For example, I don’t like loud music but there are camps at Burning Man with humongous speakers that blast out ear shattering decibels 24/7. Fine, it’s their thing and they have lots of fans, not to mention some of the best DJs in the world. Many Burners list these venues among their top choices. They joyfully dance the night away, literally. I like stopping by but my ears soon send me scooting for quieter locations— like the opposite side of the Playa.

Dancing and music are an integral part of Burning Man. The event attracts some of the top DJs in the world who spin their tunes for free at Burning Man. The hanging speakers give an idea of the volume that can be generated.

I don’t run around naked at Burning Man, either. That would be scary— for both me and anybody looking in my direction. But I have no objection to other people being nude. Some Burners are quite attractive while others are at least, uh, colorful. I assume all are enjoying some form of liberation, or at least a bit of exhibitionism.

Outrageous costumes make people watching at Burning Man a number one activity. The guy 'looking the wrong way' helped make this photo. Note the platform shoes on the woman. She wears them well.

Outrageous costumes make people watching at Burning Man a number one activity. The guy ‘looking the wrong way’ helped make this photo. What was he thinking? Note the platform shoes on the woman. She wears them well.

The thing about the Burning Man experience is that it depends on the individual. My recommendation for new participants is to come with an open mind and explore. If you want to get naked, go ahead; but you don’t have to and most don’t. Your experience can be as radical or conservative as you wish to make it.

So, having established my parameters, here is my top-ten list of things to do at Burning Man (assuming one can finagle a ticket). They aren’t in order of preference.

1. Attend the Burn: First, you will want to visit the Man during the week. There are usually a number of activities taking place that reflect the year’s theme. Plus you can often climb up into the base and enjoy some of the best views available of Black Rock City! The burning of the Man on Saturday night is the climax of the week where everything and everyone comes together. Hundreds of fire dancers and drummers kick off the event and are followed by an elaborate ceremony where the Man is set on fire. Things start with a bang, literally, as rockets explode and light up the sky. The Man then moves toward his ultimate demise, slowly. His last seconds are met by silence from 70,000 people, possibly the only time when Burning Man is quiet, followed by oohs and ahs building to a crescendo as he comes crashing down, completing his annual sacrifice. Don’t worry, like Frosty the Snowman and the Phoenix Bird, he’ll be back. The burn is only part of the show, however. Elaborate costumes, giant mutant vehicles, and total bedlam compete for attention.

For six days the Man serves as a gathering point on the Playa and as a landmark for lost Burners. On Saturday night he burns in what has become one of the world’s best known New Age rituals.

Burning Man's roots go back 27 years to the burning of an 8 foot tall statue on Baker Beach in San Francisco. Today's man stands some 40 feet tall and rests on a 60 foot pedestal. The wooden man and his fiery demise symbolizes the annual event that takes place in the remote Black Rock Desert of Nevada.

Burning Man’s roots go back 31 years to the burning of an 8 foot tall statue on Baker Beach in San Francisco. Today’s man stands some 40 feet tall and rests on a 60 foot pedestal.

My friend Don Green took this photo of the Fun House entrance that was built around the Man in 2015.

The night sky is lit up by fireworks during the burning of the Man at Burning Man 2014.

Suddenly the night sky and the Man are lit up by fireworks. The burn is about to begin.

A close up of the Man burning at Burning Man 2014.

Don Green captured this photo of the Man Burning.

The Burning of the Man on Saturday night gives the event its name.

Huge flames light up the night.

People perch on El Pulpo Mechanico at Burning Man and watch as the Man burns.

People perched on El Pulpo Mechanico at Burning Man and watched as the Man burned. Even the mutant vehicle, El Pulpo Mechanico, seemed entranced.

2. Enjoy the People: I don’t know where one could find a more interesting cast of characters than Burning Man. But then again, there aren’t many places where you are encouraged to be yourself and pursue ‘radical self-expression’ in a region where temperatures top 100 and 60 mph windstorms kick up massive dust storms that create zero visibility. Tribes, events and volunteering create numerous situations where it is easy to meet people and make friends. While Burning Man preaches involvement, you are also totally free to wander around and simply observe.

The folks who come to Burning Man represent a broad spectrum of people representing all ages and occupations— from broke college students to billionaires. this fellow is a veteran Burner who works with the Department of Public Works that helps build Black Rock City.

The folks who come to Burning Man represent a broad spectrum of people from all ages and occupations— from broke college students to billionaires. This fellow is a veteran Burner who works with the Department of Public Works that helps build Black Rock City.

This young couple stood next to me as we watched a burning piano be tossed 50 or so yards up the Playa.

Costumes are an integral part of Burning Man and some people such as my friend Ken (aka Scotty) love to dress up. Scotty, BTW, is Ken’s Burning Man name. Almost everyone has one. Mine is Outlaw.

3. Appreciate the Art: Burning Man art comes in all forms, from monumental to small, from sculpture to painting to performance. Most of the major pieces and performances take place on the Playa or along the Esplanade. But there are many smaller pieces (and performances) found throughout the camp and at the Center Camp Cafe. Much of the art is interactive. Be sure to check out the playa sculptures at different times of the day. Many of the pieces are schizophrenic with radically different day and night personalities. And many are making there way into communities around the world.

Burning Man has become a major center for what is happening in today’s art world. Selecting a piece to represent what is happening in the Nevada desert is close to impossible. These two oil tankers welded together and stacked on top of each other, meld environmental concern with art, two of Burning Man’s major themes.

Medusa with her snake hair was one of my favorite sculptures in 2015.

Medusa, with her writhing snake hair, was one of my favorite sculptures in 2015.

Monumental sculptures, many you can climb on, are among the most popular art works at Burning Man.

4. Save Time for the Desert: The Black Rock Desert and surrounding mountains are beautiful. Look around. Once the Playa was part of the huge Lake Lahontan, which was over 500 hundred feet deep. Mammoths wandered the lake’s shore. Early morning and late evening provide the best times for desert viewing. An early morning walk, while Burning Man more or less sleeps, is the best time to appreciate what the desert has to offer. Embrace rather than dread the weather. When else in your life will you experience a massive dust storm or see a desert rainbow?

The evening sun bathes the surrounding mountains at Burning Man in soft light.

I think Burning Man fails to emphasize (or assigns to footnote status) one of the event’s most spectacular assets… the beauty of the Black Rock Desert.

A massive dust storm crosses the Playa and hides the camp.

4. Visit the Temple: The folks who build the Temple deserve a huge vote of thanks from all of us. Visiting is both an aesthetic and spiritual experience. To start with, the temples are gorgeous, with each year’s building a unique creation. Thousands of written messages are left on the walls to honor loved ones who have died or to give thanks for blessings. The messages are both sincere and touching. Take along a pen or a marker if you wish to honor or thank someone who has had a significant impact on your life. On Sunday night the temple burns, sending messages skyward in what I can only describe as a sacred experience.

The Temple of Promise at Burning Man 2012.

The Temple of Promise at Burning Man 2015.

The Temple of Grace at Burning Man 2014.

The Temple burns on Sunday Night. Unlike the Burning of the Man which is a bit on the rowdy side, Burners watch silently and respectfully as the Temple is consumed by flame.

5. Check out Camp Center Cafe, Often: Whether you want to perform, show off your costume, pick up the latest news, attend a show, enjoy art, have a cup of coffee, meet friends, have your fortune told, apply pasties, watch people or just hang, Camp Center Cafe is the place to go. It’s open 24 hours a day. Something is always going on. I visit two to three times daily. Be sure to watch the costume contest and the talent show.

This robot with his dog and a flower was in front of the Center Camp Cafe. He would raise the flower up to his nose and sniff it. Each year Center Camp Cafe features a major sculpture.

“Yes Master.” Camp Center is a great place to watch people, show off your costume, and live out your fantasies… and it is always entertaining.

A show of some kind of the other is pretty much guaranteed when you visit the Center Camp Cafe. Here couples practice partner yoga. Are the two guys center-right twins?

A show of some kind of the other is pretty much guaranteed when you visit the Center Camp Cafe. Here couples practice partner yoga. Are the two guys on the floor center-right twins?

Center Camp is also a prime location for Burning Man art.

6. Stroll or Bike The Esplanade: This is Burning Man’s other major center of action. It provides the border between the Camp and the Playa. It is a theater, circus and walkway all in one. Stop by and watch people pummel each other with foam sticks in the Thunder Dome, enjoy a troop of fire dancers, go roller-skating, play games, try out a balloon ride, hear how loud music can actually get, dance, watch a movie, become lost in a maze, meditate… etc.

Hundreds of people lined up for an opportunity climb into the sky on this balloon ride that was offered on the Esplanade. Entertainment along the Esplanade varies from dancing, to roller skating, to circuses. Once there was even a booth that would spank you, assuming you needed it.

Major tribes with hundreds of members build elaborate camps along the Esplanade.

Major tribes , some with hundreds of members, build elaborate camps along the Esplanade.

A number of impressive buildings including the Sacred Spaces building are found along the Esplanade at Burning Man.

Another example.

7. Check out and/or Ride on Mutant Vehicles: Undecorated vehicles are restricted to camp. If you are going to drive you have to decorate. What’s not to love about a giant, wooly mammoth or a cat car with fur? Mutant Vehicles at Burning Man come in all shapes, forms and sizes. Some people spend weeks/months creating their fantasy transportation systems and even bicycles are elaborately decorated. Various vehicles become dance floors, spout fire, look ferocious and even appear friendly. A polite request may land you a ride.

The Cat Car is a perennial favorite at Burning Man. This year she had a makeover and was looking quite snazzy.

The tusks on they mammoth are what make this art car one of my favorite mutant vehicles at Burning Man. People sit inside the rib cage. The driver climbs into the head.

The tusks on they mammoth are what make this art car one of my favorite mutant vehicles. People sit inside the rib cage. The driver climbs into the head.

Where’s Alice?

Never Was Haul resembles a Victorian House that has been converted to a steam engine train.

A rhino even more massive than its counterpart in East Africa.

8. Join a Tribe, or not: Tribes are the major social units at Burning Man and there is a tribe for almost any inclination. Many feature theme camps based on the year’s theme and welcome visitors. You can also form your own. Let’s say you are a purple alien from outer space and can’t find a tribe. Create the Purple Alien from Outer Space Tribe. Odds are there are other purple aliens who will want to join. It’s doubtful that anyone will even recognize that you are an alien. They will just think, “Oh, he’s got a neat costume,” and want to take your picture.

The Peripatetic Bone, held here by Boots and featuring his leather vest, has his own tribe… the Horse-Bone Tribe. He has been visiting Burning Man for years and was even married there to Bonette, a few years ago.

9. Go out into the Night: The Burning Man night is magical. Everyone and thing includes some kind of lighting system including art, people, bikes and mutant vehicles. Most blocks provide entertainment. Is it going to be pole dancing, jazz or vodka creations that capture your imagination? You will think you have entered a different universe.

The Temple of Promise at night.

R-evolutuion lit up at night. Here, a large group attended an evening discussion on the issue of violence against women.

Burning Man dragon created by Flaming Lotus Girls for Burning Man.

A fiery dragon.

Burning Man mutant vehicle. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

And a mutant vehicle vase.

10. Peruse the Catalogue: You are given a catalogue when you arrive that includes literally hundreds of things you can do at Burning Man ranging from attending a lecture on solar power to having your breasts painted. The various tribes sponsor these events for free as part of Burning Man’s gift-giving culture. You can practice yoga, learn the samba, improve your fire twirling skills, watch a show, and even improve your sex life, regardless of which way you lean. You can also drink. The catalogue lists dozens of bars featuring everything from Bloody Marys to craft beers. One year I found a casket that featured beer spouts. Drinks are free; bring your own cup. One of the first things I do after setting up camp is to go through the catalogue and check off things I might want to do. Hmmm, I wonder what bondage is like? (Just kidding… but there are opportunities to learn about it, and practice.)

Burning Man may be the greatest show on Earth. Bring along your imagination, sense of humor, and willingness to experience new things.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, are planning on going to Burning Man for your first time, want to learn more about the event, or want to reminisce about past events, I invite you to join me on Fridays for the next couple of months.

The Natural History and Beauty of Burning Man’s Black Rock Desert

February 9, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 34 Comments

Mountains of the Black rock Desert stand behind the Man at Burning Man.

Surrounded by towering mountain ranges, Burning Man is located on an ancient lakebed in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada.

You can’t ignore the desert when you are at Burning Man— even if you’ve only come for the art, entertainment, partying, or alternative lifestyle. The heat, dust, and massive dust storms forcefully remind you that you are not in San Francisco, or Vilnius, or Tokyo. Even the one-percenters, the folks who live in well-protected, catered camps, are forced to deal with these realities when they are out and about.

Whether you stop long enough to admire the beauty of desert or learn about its geologic and cultural history is another issue. Certainly, many Burners take the time to stop and look around, even if it is only for a brief, “Wow!” or to howl like coyotes, which I have heard them do over a particularly beautiful sunset or sunrise.

Burners are sometimes known to howl like coyotes at the sight of beautiful sunsets or sunrises. This coyote sculpture was at Burning Man 2013.

Larry Harvey’s initial choice of the Black Rock Desert as the venue for Burning Man was based more on the area’s isolation than anything else. He wanted a place where people could ‘do their own Burner thing’ and not be overly worried about what the neighbors might think, or the law. And he found it in Nevada. Once you get outside of Reno or Las Vegas, the population drops dramatically. When you leave the major highways that cross the state, the odds are that jackrabbits will outnumber the people.

The Black Rock Desert lies some 100 miles north of Reno in what is known as the Great Basin, an arid region characterized by narrow, fault-block mountain ranges and flat valleys trending mainly in a north-south direction. It was once suggested that the best way to picture the Basin and Range province is to think of it as “army of caterpillars marching toward Mexico.” Big caterpillars. As for the Great Basin part of the equation, 12,000 years ago the Black Rock Desert was part of Lake Lahontan, a huge glacier fed lake that covered some 8500 square miles. The flat playa that Burning Man sits on today is a dried up remnant of the lakebed. The dust and dust storms are its legacy.

The Playa at Burning Man is made up of a lakebed that was once buried under Lake Lahotan. Black Rock City stretches across the horizon.

The Playa at Burning Man is made up of a lakebed that was buried under Lake Lahontan 12,000 years ago. Black Rock City stretches across the horizon.

Looking out from Burning Man across the Black Rock Desert playa.

Crossing the Great Basin with horses, oxen and mules, or even on foot, early pioneers gained a much more intimate knowledge of the desert than today’s Burners. Radical self-reliance, one of the ten principles of Burning Man, was all that stood between the pioneers and death. One of the routes the adventurers followed, the Applegate Trail, makes its way through the Black Rock Desert. Living, as I do, in the Applegate Valley, along the Applegate River, on Upper Applegate Road, near the Applegate reservoir, I have a certain familiarity with the Applegate family.

The following sunset and rainbow photos were taken by Don Green, Tom Lovering, Ken Lake, Peggy Mekemson and me, all part of our group.

We were coming into Burning Man when we hit a rainstorm and saw this Rainbow.

We were coming into Burning Man when we hit a rainstorm and were entertained by this multi-hued rainbow.

This double rainbow seemed to end in Black Rock City.

Sunset reflected on a mountain at Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert.

Mountains in Black Rock Desert reflect late evening sun.

Another mountain reflecting the sun at Burning Man.

Sunset reflected through a dusty haze from our campsite at Black Rock City.

Sunset reflected through a dusty haze. Photo taken from our campsite at Black Rock City.

Clouds are illuminated by a setting sun on the Black Rock Desert.

Evening clouds illuminated by the sun

The sun sets on Black Rock City and a slight sliver of the moon.

The sun sets on Black Rock City with a slight sliver of the moon.

Aliens on the Outer Edge of Burning Man… Burning Man 2013

September 27, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 14 Comments

A buzzard in Kathy D'Onofrio's art work at Burning Man 2013

This strange buzzard created by Kathy D’Onofrio greeted me out near the fence on the edge of Burning Man. “Cross over the fence,” he urged in a raspy, secretive voice that only I could hear. (Move the buzzard up and down with your cursor and the evil bird will wink at you.)

There is a fence on the outer edge of Burning Man that separates Black Rock City from the vast emptiness of the Black Rock Desert. Few people and fewer artists make the trek out that far but I felt compelled to. Wide-open spaces call to me and lure me on. This time they lured me right over the fence, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Our journey outward across the open Playa...

This photo of our journey outward toward the fence across the open Playa provides one perspective on the distance and isolation. A desert oasis awaits us on the right.

Looking toward Black Rock City from the outer fence at Burning Man 2013.

Looking back toward Black Rock City from the fence provides a different perspective. The Man is right center, a mere dot in the distance set off by an impending dust storm.

Peggy and Adios went with me on the journey. First we came to the oasis and then the alien village filled with cats and buzzards. Afterwards we found the gypsy wagon where our fortune awaited us. It is a tale best told in pictures…

Peggy stopped to rest at a desert oasis on our way out. It was the last stop before the alien village. Would it be our last stop ever?

“Come this way,” the alien woman with reddish-orange boobs beckoned us toward the family pod.

Her unplucked eyebrows bore a strange resemblance to a plucked bird. Had it been lunch?

Blue alien woman at Burning Man 2013 with fine collection of rocks.

Inside the pod, a blue, alien furtively showed us her fine collection of rocks. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Two aliens in discussion at Burning Man 2013

Meanwhile, outside two male aliens discussed what to do with us while the fence looms ominously behind them. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Peggy Mekemson dances with alien at Burning Man 2013.

They soon had Peggy dancing their twisted dance to unheard music. But my fate would be different. (Photo by Tom Lovering, AKA Adios.)

Cats created by Kathy D'Onofrio at Burning Man 2013

A bright green cat with glowing red eyes caught my attention as I exited the pod.

“Come closer,” his companion urged in an irresistible purr, “and look into my eyes.”

“You are as alien as we are,” she purred. “Cross over the fence. It’s what aliens do.”

I couldn’t help myself. Once again I was caught straddling the fence as I had on previous years at Burning Man. This time I went over…

And immediately discovered my mistake. Would I be able to get back across. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

"Help me Peggy," I pleaded, assuming my best begging position. "Run Curt!" she yelled. The dreaded BRC Border Patrol was rushing toward me at 100 miles per hour and I was over the fence without a ticket.

“Help me Peggy,” I pleaded, assuming my best begging position. “Run Curt!” she yelled, as always helpful. The dreaded BRC Border Patrol was rushing toward me at 100 miles per hour and I was over the fence without a ticket. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

It was the feared BR 15, the truck with the skull and crossbones. A prodigious leap took me back across the fence. Who says white boys can't jump... even 70 year old white boys. "Hey, you can't do that." the voice of the law called after me. "You're too late," I called back. "I have already been out and beyond and returned."

It was the feared R 15, the truck with the skull and crossbones. A prodigious leap took me back across the fence. Who says white boys can’t jump… even 70-year-old white boys. “Hey, you can’t do that.” the voice of the law called after me. “You’re too late,” I called back. “I have already been out and beyond and back.” (Photo by Tom Lovering.)

Our adventure wasn’t over, however. We decided to visit with another denizen of the lonely desert, the infamous fortune-teller, Gypsy Rose. Could she tell me whether I would become possessed by the aliens or captured by the BRC Border Patrol? And which would be the worse fate?

The camp of Gypsy Rose on far Playa at Burning Man.

Gypsy Rose’s lonely camp.

Her horse was getting old.

Services provided by Gypsy Rose at Burning Man 2013

Rose offered the services we wanted but I wasn’t sure about the belly dancing or pick pocket lessons. Maybe the latter– after all, my Burning Man name is Outlaw and I had been over the fence.

At the camp of Gypsy Rose, Burning Man 2013

Unfortunately, Rose wasn’t home. Peggy, who has been known to dabble in I-Ching, offered to fill in. “You will meet a woman dressed in blue with a tie-die neckerchief and white hat and become her slave,” she predicted. Thus ended our adventure for the day. (Photo by Tom Lovering.)

NEXT BLOG: We will visit a seven-ton coyote and check out some of the other intriguing art of Burning Man 2013.

Out and About in Black Rock City: The Esplanade… Burning Man 2013

September 18, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 10 Comments

The Esplanade is Burning Man’s major road and separates Black Rock City from the Playa. In other words it is prime real estate and home to some of the events major camps, such as Sacred Spaces shown here. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

I could have sat in our camp at Burning Man, watched the world revolve, and felt that the experience was well worth the price of admission.

A constant parade passed by our front door. Costumed everything, entertainers, dressed up bikes, law enforcement vehicles, water trucks, and mutant vehicles were all part of the parade. It’s even possible that an alien from outer space wandered through. Who’d ever know? I was suspicious of our neighbor. And it was nearly guaranteed that representatives of the one-percent travelled our street. The giants of Silicon Valley such as the founders of Google, venture capitalists, and CEO’s of High Tech firms have discovered that Burning Man is a great place to play– and apparently do business.

Given this flying saucer that crashed in the Black Rock Desert during Burning Man 2013, it’s quite possible that aliens were wandering our street.

Even Pastie Dan stopped off at our camp. Dan is a budding entrepreneur and a Burning Man institution who provides a unique service. He will gladly give (and apply) pasties to any woman making a request so she can go topless or braless without feeling quite so naked. Pasties come in a variety of sizes and can leave you looking smiley or even patriotic. Perusing the net, I found Pastie Dan’s website where you can check out some of his favorite projects or buy pasties for at-home use. Let’s see, will it be the snowman or the pumpkin? Hmmm… The pasties come with directions. Using the right amount of glue is important.

Normally Pastie Dan plies his trade at Center Camp but occasionally, he wanders the roads of Black Rock City. He stopped at our camp to see if any of the women were in the market for pasties.

Staying in camp was not an option, however. There was far too much to see and far too many adventures to have. I’ve already introduced the art; there were over 300 pieces at Burning Man 2013. And of course there was the 24/7 entertainment, not to mention the major burns. Everyone knows about burning the Man; it is the signature Bacchanalian experience that gives the event its name. But there are also numerous other burns ranging from the Temple to regional art.

Then there are the events hosted by theme camps. Our “Welcome Home” packet included a 160-page catalogue of everything we might do. Randomly opening the book to page 102, I learned I could paint myself, learn self-hypnosis, redefine who I was, or talk with a paleontologist. Authenticamp declared “Men: dare to receive custom tune-up of your masculine presence by embodied, tuned-in women.” No thanks. If Peggy hasn’t tuned me up after 20 plus years, I doubt it is going to happen.

Beyond all of the above, I find that wandering up and down the roads of Black Rock City, stopping off at Center Camp and occasionally dropping into one of the large theme camps can provide a year’s entertainment in a week. This, and my next two blogs will feature photos exploring the streets of Burning Man.

I am going to start with Burning Man’s main thoroughfare: the Esplanade.

Another view of the Sacred Spaces Camp. (Photo by Tome Lovering.)

Another view of the Sacred Spaces Camp. (Photo by Tom Lovering.)

Roof of Sacred Spaces Camp at Burning Man 13

I wandered into the Sacred Spaces Camp and shot this picture of the roof.

I wandered into the Sacred Spaces Camp and was greeted by this woman. The Sacred Spaces Camp includes artist, musicians, and specialists in alternative healing.

I was greeted by this woman. The Sacred Spaces Camp includes artist, musicians, and specialists in spiritual development and alternative healing.

This year's Burning Man theme about Cargo Cults led to a number of Theme camps to focus on the South Pacific Islands during World War II. This "crashed plane" would have provided a treasure chest of cargo.

This year’s Burning Man theme about Cargo Cults led a number of Theme camps to focus on the South Pacific Islands during World War II. This “crashed plane” would have provided a treasure chest of cargo.

Views along the Esplanade at Burning Man 2013.

One theme camp along the Esplanade at Burning Man decided to decorate its main tent as a South Pacific volcano.

Not sure where this tutu wearing King Kong fit into the scheme of things but he too, along with the Empire State Building was found on the Esplanade.

Not sure where this tutu wearing 30-foot tall King Kong fit into the scheme of things but he too, along with the Empire State Building, was found on the Esplanade.

This Celtic Castle was one of many venues on the upper ends of the Esplanade where DJs, loud music and dancing rule into the wee hours of the morning. (Photo by Tom Lovering.)

NEXT BLOG: We will travel the back roads of Black Rock City and visit such sites as the Library of California and the French Quarter of Louisiana.

Why Is A Very Large, Naked Man Riding His Bike in Front of Our Camp? Burning Man 2013

August 19, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 7 Comments

Burning Man's Black Rock City in the remote northern Nevada Desert.

Over 40,000 people will be making the trek to the remote northern Nevada desert next week and creating Black Rock City, home to the annual event known as Burning Man. Peggy and I will be there. We will begin reporting on our 2013 experience on September 2.

The clock is ticking. It is serious countdown time for Burning Man 2013. Peggy and I hit the road on Sunday, six days from now. And I haven’t done an ounce of planning or preparation. Nada. We were too busy driving up the Alaska Highway and back. When we should have been making our costumes, we were hanging out with the Kodiak Bears, or catching salmon, or dodging potholes in the Yukon Territory.

I should be nervous. Heck, Peggy should be nervous. Burning Man is my responsibility. Soon we will be in the midst of raging dust storms and stifling heat in the remote Black Rock Desert where a city of 40,000 people plus will appear and disappear in a week’s time. What will we eat, what will we wear, what will we drink?

One of numerous dust storms makes it way across the Black Rock desert, engulfing people and mutant vehicles alike. (Photo by Don Green)

One of numerous dust storms makes it way across the Black Rock Desert, engulfing people, a giant slide and a mutant vehicle. (Photo by Don Green)

Dust storm invades Center Camp at Burning Man.

Peggy ‘battens down the hatches’ in a valiant but hopeless attempt to keep out the dust from a storm that has invaded Center Camp. (Photo by Ken Lake)

Are we psychologically prepared for a week of port-a-potty toilets and baby-wipe baths? Or should this be the year we practice cleanliness by running naked behind the water truck? That’s always a sight. And speaking of sights, are we prepared for the very large, naked man who insists on riding his bike back and forth in front of our camp several times a day?

And noise, the 24/7 beat of heavy metal music, and drums, and mutant vehicles with mega loud speakers. Make a note: take noisemaker with extra batteries. No, make that two noisemakers with a box of 50 Costco batteries and earplugs.

Does any of this sound like fun? Actually it is. Or at least it’s unique. And it’s addictive. I’ve been ten times or so. I don’t remember anymore. Which may be another problem related to Burning Man. (grin) But I am a fan and once again I look forward to sharing the experience with you… the great art, the craziness, the people, the magic, the desert and all of the other factors that go into making Burning Man one of the greatest shows on earth.

Will this monster be awaiting us when we arrive at Burning Man?

Or how about this jolly looking fellow?

Maybe a big breasted giant bee awaits us.

Or maybe, horror of horrors a big breasted giant bee awaits us.

Should I be anxious as this Burning Man street sign suggests and spend my week in worried preparation. Or should I trust my luck to chance?

Should I be anxious as this Burning Man street sign suggests and spend my week in worried preparation. Or should I lay back and trust my luck to chance?

NEXT BLOG: What’s with this year’s theme and what the heck is a Cargo Cult anyway?

Burning Man 2013… Is It on Your Bucket List?

February 20, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 6 Comments

The Burning Man festival, which takes place each year around Labor Day in the remote Black Rock Desert of Northern Nevada, has become a Bucket List event for thousands of people.

Peggy and I have our 2013 Burning Man tickets!

I dutifully checked in a week early, received my authorization code, and then jumped on the Net when Burning Man opened its general sale of 40,000 tickets. I was put in the queue line. I would have my opportunity to shell out $720 for two tickets (two are all you are allowed to buy) when my number came up… if there were any tickets left. Burning Man made it clear; there were no guarantees. Everything was on a “first come first serve” basis.

I was worried. Three days earlier I had upgraded my Hugh’s Satellite Internet Service. (Peggy and I live out in the woods beyond the reach of normal Internet.) Apparently the upgrade impacted my ability to get on AOL where I had stored my authorization code, a fact I learned 10 minutes before the sale started. Forty minutes later I had worked my way around the problem. Was I too late?

Three hours… that’s how long I waited in the queue, and I am not good at waiting. I twiddled my thumbs, read the newspaper (yes, they still exist), and read several chapters in a book by Nicholas Carr on how the Internet is shaping our brains. It’s making us less patient. Finally, I was allowed to buy my tickets. I figured I was probably number 39,998.

My friend Tom Lovering, AKA Adios at Burning Man, who had been warning me for days via phone and Email not to miss the sign-up, failed to get tickets. So it will be Craig’s list for him in August. Several hundred if not thousand people will have discovered by then they can’t go and will need to sell their tickets.

So was it worth the hassle? My response is a definite yes! Burning Man is a Bucket List kind of event. I been going since 2004 and it’s still on my bucket list. Every year is different. Burning Man is so big and so diverse, there are always new things to see and experience. Last year’s program, make that catalog, listed over a thousand different events… all free.

I will be blogging about various aspects of Burning Man every week or so over the next several months leading up to the event. I will also continue my series on Mediterranean Ports I visited a couple of months ago. This summer I will feature the trip up the Alaska Highway through Canada and the Yukon Territory to Alaska that Peggy and I are making. As always, there will be lots of photos.

Burners, as BM participants are called, watch in fascination as the Man burns (shown above) in 2012. A mechanical steam-punk octopus lurks in the background.

Burners, as BM participants are called, watch in fascination as the Man burns in 2012. A mechanical steampunk octopus lurks in the background.

Elaborate costumes are an important part of the Burning Man experience. (Photo by Don Green.)

Hundreds of Mutant Vehicles, such as this Mammoth, make there way through camp and back and forth across the Playa.

Hundreds of Mutant Vehicles, such as this Mammoth, make their way through camp and back and forth across the Playa. I took this photo from our camp.

Hundreds of works of art are displayed annually at Burning Man. This woman, who was kneeling, stood at least 15 feet tall.

Art comes in all shapes, colors and sizes. Here, a pair of mantises face off.

Art comes in all shapes and sizes. Here, a pair of colorful mantises face off far out in the Playa.

Much art is made to be interactive. Here, burners were invited to walk through the ant farm tunnels. The farm was at least 50 feet tall. Big Ants.

Regional art has been added to Burning Man over the last three years. This Texas Longhorn came from Texas. (Photo by Tom Lovering)

Regional art has been added to Burning Man over the last three years. This Texas Longhorn came from, no surprise, Texas. (Photo by Tom Lovering)

The Black Rock Desert can be quite beautiful, as this rainbow demonstrates.

Over the next few months, I’ll be blogging about various aspects of Burning Man. Join me. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

NEXT BLOG: The beautiful walled city of Dubrovnik on the coast of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia.

Next Burning Man blog: This year’s theme is Cargo Cult. What does it mean? I will use themes from other years as examples.

From South Africa to Texas… Burning Man 2012 Regional Art

September 17, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 4 Comments

This bull rising out of the sand is titled ReinCOWnation by the Houston, Texas Burners who created him for Burning Man 2012.

Larry Harvey, the founder of Burning Man, is a visionary with long-term plans. What started as a local burn on the beach in San Francisco in 1986 has grown into a worldwide phenomenon with local Burners from South Africa to Texas reproducing regionally the experiences they have had in the remote Black Rock Desert of Northern Nevada.

This regionalization was demonstrated at Burning Man 2012 when 34 wooden effigies designed and built by local groups were placed in a circle around the Man. They were burned simultaneously on Thursday night in an impressive ceremony of just how far Burning Man’s roots have extended.

I am going to introduce several of the regional art works today and include links to where more information can be found about each piece. In my last blog on Burning Man’s 2012 art, I noted that I was limited to a few representative pieces. This is also true of the regional art. Go to Burning Man’s art core project to learn about the overall effort and other included effigies.

In my next blog, I will cover Thursday’s fiery end of the regional art.

I never realized that queen bees were amply endowed. But apparently they are according to Utah Burners who built this sculpture named the Secret of Bees. (Photo by Tom Lovering)

This was my view of the lady bee. Each year Burning Man selects a theme for the year. In 2012 it was fertility. Most of the regional art is tied to this theme.

Speaking of fertility, South Africa Burners brought Jozi to Burning Man 2012. This sculpture is a replica of an African fertility god.

Native Americans historically turned to Kokopelli for help with fertility. Ancient rock art representations of this trickster god and his large, um appendage, can be found from Canada to Mexico. Versions found in gift shops throughout the West have been sanitized. New Mexico Burners were responsible for bringing Kokopelli Rising to Burning Man. (Photo by Tom Lovering)

The end result of all this emphasis on fertility is of course a baby, or Baby Bon Temps Brulee, as named by New Orleans Burners. It is easy to picture King Baby on top of a Mardi Gras float.

Moving away from the Fertility theme, the Burners of the Great Lakes region created Soul Train for Burning Man. (Photo by Beth Lovering)

Making its way across the Ocean and US, the Viking ship Naglfar sailed into the Black Rock Desert courtesy of Burners from Denmark and Sweden.

Maine Burners appropriately brought “Happy as a Clam” to Black Rock City. In fact many of the regions, like the Danes above, created art that was representative of their area.

If you have ever driven or walked through downtown Reno, you will certainly recognize the inspiration for “Gateway” created by Nevada Burners. Reno has claimed the title “Biggest Little City in the World” for decades.

Dallas Burners brought a sculpture, the Hatchery, to Burning Man 2012 that produced fire art at night. Much of Burning Man art is designed to light up the night.

The Dragon Lotus from Denver.

My favorite among the regional art pieces was the lighthouse created by Burners from Northern California. This work of art was created from driftwood found along the North Coast, one of my favorite playgrounds.

Another view of the lighthouse. North Bay Burners titled their work “The Twisted Upright House.”

A final view featuring the stained glass windows on top. The windows were removed before the lighthouse was burned on Thursday night, an event which I will show in my next blog.

A Fairy Tale Land by Night… Burning Man 2012

September 10, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 8 Comments

Thousands of Burners, bikes and mutant vehicles make their way through Black Rock City, up and down the Esplanade and back and forth across the Playa at night. Almost all are decorated with lights as this 2012 mutant vehicle is.

Burning Man becomes a fairy tale land by night. Participants add lighting to their costumes and bikes. Mutant vehicles take on new personalities. Everyone heads for Center Camp, the Esplanade and the Playa. It is time to play.

This fascinating mutant vehicle caught Luna’s eye and camera as she was wandering through Black Rock City. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

I caught the same vehicle later displaying its night-time personality.

Here’s another example. This colorful mutant vehicle lived just down the road from us at Foxglove and 6th. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

This is my night-time photo of the vehicle.

Bikes are also dressed up for their night-time adventures at Burning Man. You want to be seen. We had no trouble following Tom and Beth. Beth, who owns B&L Bike Shop in Davis and is President Elect of the National Bicycle Association, had the latest in bike lighting equipment.

Horse-Bone Tribe member Scout, prepares for his evening foray into Black Rock City. His get-up includes an ear-ring that flashes in the dark.

Music is everywhere, from the deep booming rhythm of heavy metal to the softer sounds of blues and jazz. People are dancing and roller-skating and twirling fire and working hula-hoops and pole dancing and gawking, all to the beat of drums.

If the desert air creates a thirst, there’s bound to be a saloon or a pub nearby. After all, Burning Man is a Wild West town. The alcohol is free, provided by camps as part of Black Rock City’s gifting tradition. We discover a chocolate martini to die for at The Lost Penguin. The only requirement is BYOC: bring your own container. But smiles, thank yous, and costumes are appreciated.

A local chapter of AA is open 24/7 for Burners who need help resisting the temptation to drink the week away.

On our first night at Burning Man 2012, my wife Peggy and I headed out into the evening with our friends Tom and Beth Lovering. (In Playa speak, that’s Luna, Outlaw, Adios and Punkin.) A dragon with glowing eyes was preparing for an evening of revelry. A meditating Burner sat on a hanging rock sculpture with the moon as a backdrop. We came across a box guaranteed to provide a psychedelic experience. Adios climbed in and I took his photo. “Bye, bye.” They closed the lid and shook the box. Cheap trip… but colorful.

A dragon with glowing eyes, a red tongue, and long eyelashes prepares for its night adventures as the sun sets at Burning Man 2012.

A Burner respectfully welcomes the evening as the sun sets and the moon rises. He was perched on a large rock hung from a sculpture that rotated.

Adios, loaded into a box, prepares for his psychedelic trip. He has already grown an extra arm and leg. I am not sure what the magic button was for.

A fire dancer captured our attention next as he whirled a pair of fiery poi balls in circles around his head, behind his body, and between his legs. I felt a twinge of apprehension. Scars are not uncommon among practitioners of the art.

Fire dancing includes grace, beauty and a hint of danger. We found this 2012 performer twirling poi balls on the Esplanade at Burning Man.

A hundred yards down the Esplanade we found a merry-go-round for four people that required a push-pull action to make it go. Naturally we had to try. At first it was difficult. Adios got off and pushed. We figured the contraption out and went faster and faster until we were flying. Punkin got in one “Whee!” before we crashed. I went bouncing across the Playa on my butt. Luna was thrown off and dragged through the dirt like she had her foot caught in a stirrup.

Battered, bruised and covered in Playa dirt, we dusted ourselves off and went limping on to our next adventure. Wall Street, beautiful sculptures, and Center Camp waited.

My major reason for going to Burning Man is the art. Most Burning Man Art, as this 2012 piece, is designed to be enjoyed both during the day and at night. The moon was one day away from being full. The Man is off to the right.

As we biked onto the Playa and into the Black Rock Desert, Wall Street loomed in the distance. This major 2012 Burning Man structure was scheduled to be burned at 9 PM on Friday but high winds and dust forced a postponement until 1 AM on Saturday. I slept through the event. (Photo by Beth Lovering)

Burning Man’s Center Camp with its glowing arch and flags blowing in the wind invited a visit on our way back to Horse-Bone Camp.

Clouds covered the glowing moon when we left Center Camp and made our way home completing out first day at Burning Man 2012.

The Man at Burning Man

August 22, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / Leave a comment

Since the beginning of Burning Man, the Man has dominated the event, providing a convenient meeting place, landmark, and viewing platform for six days and burning on the six night.

The Man goes to his fiery death in 11 days. Drummers will drum, fire dancers twirl, mutant vehicles gather, fireworks go off, and some 60,000 people witness the event. It is the highlight of the week, the one must-do event… and almost everyone participates.

But the Man is more than one final, fire-filled happening. For six days he will tower over the Playa and Black Rock City serving as a meeting place for friends and as a guide for misplaced Burners. Major events will start and end at his feet. He is the dominating figure at Burning Man both during the day and during the night.

With thousands of people wandering around in the dark, mutant vehicles lit up like Christmas trees roaming the playa, and dozens of events happening simultaneously, it is easy to become disoriented at Burning Man. Unless there is a whiteout and zero visibility, the Man is always there to provide a landmark. (Photo by Don Green)

Each year the Man is given a new base that reflects the annual theme. Burners are invited to explore the structure, check out the art, and climb up to high platforms that look out over Black Rock City. The following pictures are taken from five of the six years I have visited Burning Man.

The Man viewed through a metallic flower sculpture in 2009.

A close up and side view of the above photo at Burning Man.

The structure for the Man is always designed to burn. The site is closed down on Saturday while preparations are made. Art is removed and fireworks are inserted.

The 2006 Man provides a good example of how dramatically different each year’s structure is at Burning Man.

The Burning Man structure in 2010 provided great platforms for viewing the surrounding mountains and Black Rock City. Finishing touches are being put on the structure here.

A telephoto view looking into Black Rock City from the Burning Man tower in 2010.

Another view from the Burning Man tower. In this one I emphasized the surrounding mountains of the Black Rock Desert. Note the bank of porta-potties on the left: not scenic but essential.

In 2007 the unimaginable happened and a misguided prankster lit the Man on fire Thursday night. By Saturday, Burning Man had replaced the structure. In this photo by Horse-Bone Tribe member Ken Lake, the Man (without his head) is being placed on the replacement structure.

A final view of the MAN in Burning Man.

Burning Man: It’s Not for the Faint Hearted

August 8, 2012January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 12 Comments

Burning Man’s roots go back 27 years to the burning of an 8 foot tall statue on Baker Beach in San Francisco. Today’s man stands some 40 feet tall and rests on a 60 foot pedestal. The wooden man and his fiery demise symbolizes the annual event that takes place in the remote Black Rock Desert of Nevada.

Finally I have lucked out and scored a ticket to Burning Man. Now I have to scurry about and get ready. The event is three weeks away; it is serious countdown time. This means my usual blog is going on vacation. For the next three weeks, my posts will be all about Burning Man. I am going to reblog some of my most popular Burning Man blogs and include many of my favorite photos.

Afterwards I promise full coverage on what the 2012 event was like. You are invited along!

I discovered my passion for deconstructing pumpkins in 1992 and came to accept Halloween as an adult holiday. I still had a major hurdle, though; I refused to wear a costume. Even as a kid I resisted dressing up for Halloween. Somehow it seemed un-cool.

Five trips to Burning Man have changed my mind. If you are one of those folks who can’t wait to morph into Count Dracula or Suzy Siren, you might want to visit this annual event.

Burning Man is close to Libertarian in its rules. You are, however, highly encouraged to wear a costume. These range from the simple, such as this guy wearing a neck piece and a bowler, to the more fanciful such as the woman with high shoes and a bikini bottom. Expect some nudity.

But be warned: Black Rock City, the home of Burning Man, is not for the faint hearted.

Temperatures can rise to over 115 during the day and drop to freezing at night in this instant city located in a remote section of the northern Nevada desert. Dust storms whip across the Playa creating zero visibility and coating everything with a fine layer of dust. Eyes, ears, lungs, clothes, tents, vehicles, cameras and laptops become instant victims in this environment. Cleaning up afterwards is a weeklong process, so serious that some RV companies refuse to rent to Burning Man bound celebrants.

A huge dust storm makes its way across the Playa creating close to zero visibility along the way. (Photo by Don Green.)

Just when you believe you have mastered the heat and dust, it rains and you find two inches of mud caked on the bottom of your shoes or bike tires.

None of this seems to deter participants. They come in the thousands to this happening, which runs for a week including Labor Day. Burners, as they like to be known, come from all over the world to see and be seen, to party and perform, to enjoy and create art. And they get there in almost every conceivable mode of transportation including ancient busses, trucks, autos, bicycles, airplanes and over 3000 RVs – all loaded down with the paraphernalia necessary for a week of desert survival.

Overnight, a community of 50 thousand plus rises out of the desert, making Black Rock City the fourth largest city in Nevada for its one week of existence. Burners arrive to a well laid out semi-circular street system, some 450 port-a-potties, a Center Camp Café, the 40-foot tall Burning Man statue (perched on a 60-foot plus base) and little else. Everything they need must be brought with them.

This year a city of 60,000 people will appear and disappear in the Nevada Desert during Burning Man. This photo illustrates what it looks like early in the week. There are still spaces. My van Quivera, is in the foreground. (Photo by Ken Lake)

Center Camp is one of the few structures Burners find set up when they arrive. Here it is operating full tilt as shown by the hundreds of bikes (BM’s primary mode of travel), which are parked outside.

With the exception of coffee, tea, lemonade and ice, nothing can be bought or sold. There is zero commercialization.

As for what the event is, it can be almost anything an individual wants it to be. The only requirements are that you pay the entrance fee and follow a few basic rules.

I asked my friends to describe the event. Their answers included 1) Las Vegas glitter with a new age twist, 2) Haight Ashbury, Woodstock and Mardi Gras rolled into one, 3) a medieval fair dropped into an ancient Greek Bacchanal, and 4) a frat party with avant-garde art.

I view Burning Man as one of the greatest shows on earth. It ranges from the whimsical, as represented by this rabbit, to more serious themes.

My own take is that Burning Man may very well be the greatest show on Earth, a modern-day ‘Hippy Happening’ of gargantuan proportion. New age idealism combines with personal liberation, art, exhibitionism, holistic healing, self-discovery, environmental awareness and partying. Step aside Barnum and Bailey.

The event reaches back 27 years when an eight-foot version of the ‘Man’ was first burned on Baker Beach in San Francisco. Legend has it that Larry Harvey, the creator of Burning Man, was mourning a lost love.

Revisionist thinking suggests something deeper was involved, a search for meaning and unity in our Post-Modern world. And there is an element of that at Burning Man. Certainly much of the art is reflective of Post-Modern thought. There is also an underlying Utopian fervor among the BM true believers that the event can create positive change in the world.

Next Burning Man Blog: Beware of Large Bears with Tuning Forks