My car was packed with coolers, tents, rebar stakes, whiskey, water and costumes. Our plan was to get to Black Rock City, Nevada late—just enough to avoid a six-hour wait in line at the gate, hopefully—as the huge culture and arts festival opened earlier than usual this year on Sunday.
My friend wanted to try to fit a giant kaleidoscope in the car, first though. And as he dismantled, another ran out of the house screaming, “Burning Man is closed!”
How is an entire 70,000 person city closed?!
Hail. Lots of it, apparently. Enough that the playa is mud and roads are disgusting and cars are no longer allowed to drive there. That means everyone who got into Burning Man on Sunday can stay—although what does one do in the desert when it’s hailing?—and everyone else has to watch the Burning Man Twitter feed for updates. Currently the festival probably won’t open until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.
BRC is closed until midday Tuesday due to rain and standing water. Playa is un-drivable. Law enforcement is turning cars back.
— Burning Man (@burningman) August 25, 2014
The warnings from Burning Man Twitter accounts began at about 6 a.m. this morning, advising cars to turn around early and stay in Reno overnight. That also means the lines tomorrow at the gate—if the gate does indeed open tomorrow—will be horrendous.
Here’s a screenshot of the stormy city from earlier this morning, courtesy of Burners.Me:
Looks like I’m missing my camp’s scheduled food orgy. Maybe some fellow Burners want to gallivant around the Capitol in costumes this evening?
