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 PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 5,205
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 12 hours, 31 minutes
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 Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners)
#8591009 - 07/03/08 09:55 AM (5 months, 1 hour ago) |
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Is this possible?
I was thinking - no problem right off the bat, but after reading this post highlighted below:
"I don't mean to be, uh, unsupportive, but have you ever been to Burning Man before? And is your ladyfriend prepared to bring all of the necessary things to keep the two of you alive for a week? Of course you'll say "Sure! Absolutely! I'm a world-class athlete and therefore I am immortal!" Not wanting to sound like a Doubting Thomas, but I have ran 24 marathons and when I got to my first BM was overwhelmed by the extremes of the environment. Again, I am not against your idea at all, but she has to bring everything the two of you will need (I cannot imagine you schlepping 40 gallons of water on your bike), and the infrastructure needs are something greater than you might experience if your car breaks down in Kamloops. If you've been and you know what you're in for, OK; if not, I would respectfully suggest you attend once, see the atmosphere you are about to ride in to, and plan accordingly. Otherwise, good luck. You, and all of us, will need it."
and in response -
""What Doc said and more. What I can (must) assume by what you didn't say is you have never been. BELIEVE HIM when he says this can really kick your ass. He's not lying to you - - he is extremely healthy, and really does run marathons, and if he says he got his ass kicked by the Black Rock Desert, believe him.
The Black Rock Desert is nothing to be trifled with - It will be more than happy to turn your prime healthy body into Purina Vulture Chow right quick. People have historically died to death out there. People who do this event prepared, equipped, and experienced *still* get their formerly healthy asses carted out of there from complications dire and nasty. This without the stress of a 1500 mile bike ride to a destination which not only is the middle of a dry, desolate hard pan alkali flat, but is at 4000 feet elevation where the humidity is like 15%, the days are at or over 100 degrees, the nights are usually arounf 40 degrees, and the sound, excitement, and activity levels will mean you will be dehydrated and sleep deprived. Oh, THEN you get to ride home 2500 KM... And if it rains while you're there and turns into a glue bog? A windstorm comes up and alphas and takes your camp down?
Ever done extreme climate survivalist camping before? Like Alpine Camping with minimal equipment? Or out in an alkali desert? I *have* done both, and I was still unprepared for what BRC threw at me. It's that different. Similar, but different.
IF you've been and know what you're in for, then I wish you luck and a healthy journey. If not... I would respectfully request that you really tink long and hard. There is NO SHAME in realizing that the best of plans are too dangerous to carry out before you start them... but once you're 250 miles from the desert in the middle of BF nowhere, the car mysteriously dies, you have nothing but your bike to get you home, and you're exhausted, tired, grouchy, etc., as well as the stress issues of the car etc., it's too late then to rethink it and say "Why didn't I know better", because you just fell into the trap the desert has lured you into, and that Desert is that much closer to returning you to the dirt from whence we came...
If you know what you're getting into - firsthand - then have fun and good luck. Otherwise - and I say this from experience - don't. It's a great and alturistic thing - but death really doesn't care how "green" you were or how alturistic your goals if it wins... and it has the odds in its favor.""
Needless to say, this is disencouraging.
However, it is only 1500kms... and im sure i can pick up ride shares and hitch along the way (if necessary bus..)
I have a trailer and 1 group of friends willing to carry at least 5 gallons of water for me. (i also have a 2nd trailer i could collapse and ship to Reno - pick up, assemble and use it to cycle train my water to the playa)
I really have no agenda besides having wanted to go to burning man since i was 15 and seen it on showcase television .. I have savings and would like to continue riding my bike in North America until it gets cold. And of course the gratification of doing such a thing...
From Salmo the route is here: http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
and i would return thru Portland and Seattle on roughly this route: http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
I would want to avoid highways as much as possible, but it is necessary for me to stop in Portland and see friends, wouldn´t mind going to the bay area aswell...
Would be planning on Couchsurfing much of the way and camping in the wilds.
I am looking for info on these route (whats the terrain, and roads like?) good cycling?
How much water? am i bat shit nuts - or is this possible...
The naysayers on the BM forum.. i dont know.
Im pretty sure that the conditions on the playa cant be anyworse than the conditions ive been cycling in in Bolivia...
Water, food, and Shelter...
Anyone willing to bring me a gas can (10gallons) or so of water...
Ok, ill elaborate more later - just throwing this out there.
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GO OUTSIDE.
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 arago
ol' fartage
Registered: 02/07/06
Posts: 107
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: PDU]
#8591034 - 07/03/08 10:08 AM (5 months, 1 hour ago) |
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Yes, my friend, you are bat shit nuts. Did you not read what they wrote? Have you ever been to Nevada in the summertime? Have you experienced heat stroke? Take their advice.
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coda
Banjo Goiter
Registered: 03/20/01
Posts: 8,452
Last seen: 17 hours, 25 minutes
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: arago]
#8591117 - 07/03/08 10:37 AM (5 months, 57 minutes ago) |
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jesus man, do NOT attempt this. You're just asking for trouble. I still remember the sign they put up describing the various stages of dehydration up until death. This is truly the one festival that will KILL YOU if you're unprepared.
--------------------
To get really high is to forget yourself. And to forget yourself is to see everything else. And to see everything else is to become an understanding molecule in evolution, a conscious tool of the universe. And I think every human being should be a conscious tool of the universe. . . .
-JG
 
Don't fuck with the laughing jesus.
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MycoGlowFlow
between the walls
Registered: 05/20/01
Posts: 1,102
Loc: michigan
Last seen: 4 months, 23 days
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: coda]
#8591150 - 07/03/08 10:56 AM (5 months, 38 minutes ago) |
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ive been 4 times and each time ive drank literally 4 gallons of water a day.
i agree with the previous posters, go once and then try to do it your way.
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(the key-strokes that have completed everything ever typed on this user name have been a random coincidence, except for the words in this notation)
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DRTMaverick
Photographer and Stoner
Registered: 12/18/05
Posts: 4,015
Loc: Reno, NV, USA
Last seen: 33 minutes, 56 seconds
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: MycoGlowFlow]
#8591168 - 07/03/08 11:00 AM (5 months, 33 minutes ago) |
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As someone who lives in Nevada, I say "Good Luck, you might die."
Black Rock desert, 120F heat, riding up and down those desert mountain passes, you're not going to have a fun time, you'll have to take 50 gallons of water with you.
5 gallons of water will NOT be enough, unless you've got a death wish. Put it bluntly it's suicide.
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Official '08 Pacific Northwest Shroomerite Gathering!
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truekimbo2
ghost of an alien robot
Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 4,971
Loc: ny
Last seen: 1 hour, 52 minutes
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: DRTMaverick]
#8591223 - 07/03/08 11:19 AM (5 months, 15 minutes ago) |
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just wear a stillsuit
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I'm trapped with a mad man. look at him, staring into me, filling my mind with paranoid thoughts
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 5,205
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 12 hours, 31 minutes
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: truekimbo2]
#8591407 - 07/03/08 12:37 PM (4 months, 30 days ago) |
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whoa, 48 degrees C...
thats nuts, altho occasionally drifts between 43-48 in the later weeks of August where im from .. and ive been cycling it all my life - when i started i experienced heat exhaustion (on the verge of heatstroke)...
Nope, never been to Nevada....
Im going to look for alternatives ... such as cycling washington and oregon and then bussing to nevada..
or guessing i could even find a ride share from shambahla into the states...
In nevada cycling at night with lights and reflective might be an option?
and yes i know 5 gallons of water isnt enough, obviously..
The way im looking at it, if people can go in a cab from reno, or if people can hitchhike... one should be able to cycle and the odds of catching lifts along the way from other burners are very good..
But ok.. thanks for the info. - waiting for a response from the guy WHO DID cycle it.
also discussing methods of mass water transportation via. bicycle with a fellow who likes to go in remote territories towing 40 gallons of water...
WHO KNOWS - but thanks for the perspective.
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GO OUTSIDE.
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 5,205
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 12 hours, 31 minutes
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: PDU]
#8592730 - 07/03/08 07:03 PM (4 months, 30 days ago) |
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heres the response from the fellow who completed *the easy magic machine project* cycing from saskatoon (sp¿) to burning man.
""Hey Steve
You caught me just in the nick of time (not that the internet doesn't follow one around), as I am leaving tomorrow for alaska by bicycle. Your trip sounds amazing. I am completely ignorant as to the geography in Bolivia, however coincidently this past winter worked with a Bolivian, he informed some of my curiosity, and his opinion of brazil was unexpected (dont bike there!; he said). The trip to Burning Man went well, and to be honest, especially with the "prep" you have had in the lower lands, you will be fine.
Now you do have to excuse me, I have not been blessed with a great memory but I will try and highlight some of the places we gratefully happened upon the way.
From vancouver, you could go right to seattle then down hwy #5 if I am not mistaken to Portland. I am involved in frame building now, and if you have any interest in it, Portland is Americas meca in this regard. We took the 101 basically from Port angeles (112 initially, then it joins 101). However, the 101 does stray from the shoreline quite often in washington, and you will find yourself biking through miles and miles of clear cut forest and small timber operations...with the somewhat uncaring mentality amongst the people you'd expect there. Don't much hospitality and stay clear of them logger trucks. Astoria was our first stop in oregon along our way, and met a frame builder named Chris...forget his last name, he works in a bakery there, I believe the name is Blue Scorcher. Great guy and burner, who will most likely be glad to put you up. Then its along 212 (maybe 221?), which is beautiful to portland. We went to eugene and then across on i think it was 96. WE did some backroad stuff diagonally to florence. We ended up going all the way to San Fransisco. Headed out 37, which was the hardest cycling of the trip, crazy busy. Went through Sacramento and up and over the hills on hwy#80. Met a lot of good people in this area, as well as in reno. Out of reno we took, 445 to pyramid lake, then hooked a right to 447 (i may be wrong with the numbers, but its the better way to get on the road (447?) to empire. You will have to watch for the odd walmart truck.
Water was only really a concern here in the desert. We got about 20k away from empire before we called it a night, went through about a gallon of water each, if not a tad more.
Camping along the coast is great, hiker biker spots every 50km it seems, its three bucks a night and you usually have showers and potable water. We simply used a two person tent. Camping at burning man was a different story, you do need rebar, perhaps it would be doable to carry the rebar from reno, but arranging it would be best. Even stop off and grab a crappy tent might be a plan. The winds on the lake bed will tear a light weight tent to pieces, not to mention the zipper fatigue from the sand.
Anyways, I have to get some things on the go here today. Please keep in touch. And if you like, send me your address, and I can send you its catalog.
Take Care
Barrett Russell""
as suspected its do-able.
Also, talking in depth with my friend who is going, and his crew sounds much more prepared than i thought.. with a trailer or 2 vans... says no problem to carry a good quantity of water , structure (pvc and wood), rebar, food and tools... and most likely ill just add onto their camp.
WOOHOO.
(maybe you´ll see my obituary in a nevada newspaper - but im placing bets against it.)
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GO OUTSIDE.
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atayia
nom nom
Registered: 02/24/08
Posts: 185
Loc: Canada
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: PDU]
#8593004 - 07/03/08 08:44 PM (4 months, 30 days ago) |
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a guy that i camped near last year cycled from washington to burning man, his wife drove and brought their supplies though and they both drove home if i recall. he did write a blog about his adventure and if i can find it i will post it.
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hoopershroomer
Bonafide Oneironaut
Registered: 03/30/06
Posts: 1,672
Loc: WA
Last seen: 1 day, 12 hours
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: atayia]
#8593590 - 07/04/08 12:05 AM (4 months, 30 days ago) |
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I remember reading in the pub last year that some guy died at burning man last year, but I think he commited suicide if I'm not mistaken.
--------------------
THE ETERNAL LAW OF LIFE
"What you think and feel you bring into form.
Where your thought is, there you are.
For you are your consciousness,
and what you meditate upon, you become."
"Everything you could want and could be, you already have and are."
According to the Tao, true words seem paradoxical.
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fresh313
journeyman
Registered: 09/01/03
Posts: 2,460
Last seen: 6 days, 22 hours
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: hoopershroomer]
#8593717 - 07/04/08 12:57 AM (4 months, 30 days ago) |
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PDU whats the train hopping threads page address?
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FractalDust
Inspired by the mystery
Registered: 03/20/05
Posts: 1,073
Loc: Back from Beyond
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: hoopershroomer]
#8593851 - 07/04/08 02:24 AM (4 months, 30 days ago) |
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Quote:
hoopershroomer said:
I remember reading in the pub last year that some guy died at burning man last year, but I think he commited suicide if I'm not mistaken.
I wasn't there, but my buddy told me he hung himself in one of the art tents and everyone thought he was doing a performance piece. It took hours until people started to realize he was actually dead for real.
Then this dude started the Man on fire halfway through the week and was arrested for arson. Harvey, Burning Man founder, bailed him out but, shit, I heard he got sentanced to 4 years in the pen last week. It probably didn't help when he got busted setting fire to a church in the city while he was out on bail for the Burning Man incident.
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Dance, Trance, and Magic Plants
Thrills, Spills, and Sonic Pills
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atayia
nom nom
Registered: 02/24/08
Posts: 185
Loc: Canada
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: FractalDust]
#8594253 - 07/04/08 08:10 AM (4 months, 30 days ago) |
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yeah the man got burned the first night of the festival last year when the moon eclipsed, took a little bit to figure out if that was supposed to be happening or not too. they took the man down on tuesday morning then by thursday at noon had built and erected a second man for the saturday burning as planned.
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DRTMaverick
Photographer and Stoner
Registered: 12/18/05
Posts: 4,015
Loc: Reno, NV, USA
Last seen: 33 minutes, 56 seconds
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Re: Cycling to burning man (looking for route info and general perspectives from other burners) [Re: atayia]
#8594395 - 07/04/08 09:53 AM (4 months, 30 days ago) |
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Quote:
atayia said:
a guy that i camped near last year cycled from washington to burning man, his wife drove and brought their supplies though and they both drove home if i recall. he did write a blog about his adventure and if i can find it i will post it.
This would be the only possible way to do it. There are 50 mile stretches of road where you won't find water or civilization on when heading to the BRD.
One thing I'm curious about, how do you plan on getting over the mountain ranges in oregon/cali over to the east side before you drop down into Nevada?
Oh also, if you see a hotspring in nevada near the BRD and want to hop in, refrain from doing so or you'll kill yourself. :| 180-200F waters on average, we've had numerous people die in our desert hotsprings because of either ignorance or stupidity (letting their dog off the leash, it jumps in and starts yelping so they jump in after and die, that happened to a couple here).
--------------------
Official '08 Pacific Northwest Shroomerite Gathering!
Edited by DRTMaverick (07/04/08 10:00 AM)
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