Anybody>?

Is anybody going to Burning Man this year? Everyday I look at the gas prices dropping lower and lower and lower and I know Burningman is a long way away still. we may be paying 2.50/gal or something terrible like that again by then; or the sentinels installed along the highway to control the mutant uprisings could be to much of a hassle to pass by. But the possibility of these conditions not being true and thus being able to drive out to BurningMan on the cheap has me really really wanting to go. I know my wife wants to take another trip, but I think we could do that and hit up burningman this year if the gas stays in the 1.50 or less range (and if she does minimal constuming).

Anyway I know Michael isn't going this year (god it will be weird to be out there without him if I do manage to be 'allowed' to go) but is anyone else still down with the circus?

- On a change of topic who all is going to Interfuse this year? YOu gonna drive down for that Bicho? Its totally fun, I promise! I was curious if we still had plans to 'do it up' this year? I know the Mike tank getting impounded kind of put an end to the wartruck for this year; but maybe we could still throw together the 'hookah-dome' burningman fat style? Or anything like that, I just think we should bother to contribute a little more then we did this last year.

Holla!

Hellow fellow carnivors

I am getting some of my moms glorious sauer kraut!! I turn 40 tomorrow but 40 is the new 20 so you 20ies are in for it!

Jessica,
I have my camp kitchen ready to go but for the sake of light travel do we want to make sure we dont double up on un-necessary things? My hubby is happy to send me off with the stove again we can bring 2 if needed. (he really wants a new one!). I will have to go trough the rest of the stuff and see what I have but itss stupid rediculous on te stuff we have! will bring the devil forks for marshmellow toasting...I hate marshmellows BTW!

Also sorry for thinking I have a table saw. We did have one but apparently Mr. Hough sold it to his work place. I have a vivid memory of using it lately.....?

So working on the Burka. Going to some stores for some maybe outragious clothes...don't want to look stupid at my elderly age.

By the way remind Michael to tell me what he is putting off about my Mom...unless it's mean!! My Mom is so cute for 63! He met her today and said I have to be drunk before he would tell me something about something he thought..hey! She is 63!!!

OK all, see you in a week and a half? Hope Sylvia is not too much for you!

2008 survival guide, distance to the man, intra-net

2008 survival guide is up!
They are expanding the distance between the man and the Esplanade, to increase the size of the city. It used to be 2200 ft from the man to the Esplanade, now it's 2700 ft. There are 5280 ft in a mile, so one trip to the man and back (or from 3:00 to 9:00) is over a mile!

They are creating an intra-net to list camp locations. "Use the Playa Info computers to register yourself and your camp location as well as to find your friends. Via the online Directory network you can exchange messages (no Internet access). Also, find and post event schedules, ride shares, and other services. The Dynamic Board maps campsite coordinates. Bulletin Boards are always available for artful posting of events, messages, and general information."

A Happier Subject than the price of gas

This is more for Jessica,

Have you made your Burka and if so can we meet so I can see how you did it and try making one for myself?

Getting There Redux

So my dad is moving to Durango Colorado... and it would be really sweet if we could head down that direction for a brief visit on our way out. We can also use this as a H20 fill up stop. It only adds 81 miles onto the trip total. I've gone this southern way in the past and don't recall many terrible mountains, so maybe we'd even avoid flipping the trailer over on the way out.
Here's my plan (provided you guys are cool with it). Pack up Friday evening Aug 22nd. Most especially finish packing the trailer.
Early Saturday Morning at 6 am sharp! Leave for the first leg. Notice I have us heading south so you can pick us up (and the trailer) on our way out.

That'll take us to approx. 9pm our time, 10pm Durango time. We get a good nights sleep at dads and spend the morning tooling about Durango. We'll also fill up our H20 here, thus eliminating some of the ridiculous gas wasted on hauling all that water.

Having learned in the past that arriving at midnight and trying to set up camp in a vicious dust storm makes for some unhappy times (especially considering we are going to have to FIND the boys this year) I think it makes much more sense to arrive in the daylight, with plenty of time to tool about and find people.

So we leave the next evening at 6 pm. We drive another 15 hours which will land us approx at the gate at 10:00 am Durango time, 11 am BRC time. 2 hours(+) at the gate, another hour or so frantically trolling the city streets for signs of our camp and we'll be setting up around 2... giving us plenty of time to enjoy that evening without passing out into a coma and missing another preemptive man burning.

I think we should prob take ol' reliable back homewards... which will be an unhappy, dusty 24 hour drive.


Melodie, from speaking with John yesterday it sounds like we 4 are good to go riding together in your truck. The boys say they will help a bit with the dome costs (provided we can fit the domes in!) so hopefully this should be a relatively reasonably priced year, all things considering.

There and Back Again, Update

I made this spreadsheet to figure out what was the most logical trip option for this year.

If John goes it makes the most sense for the 4 of us to ride together, pack light, and bring the small trailer. It would cost us *around* 260-360 (per person) depending on the actual gas mpg.

Melodie- I took the 25th- 1st off. I have to be back at work on Tuesday the 2nd. Which blows, but I've no choice. So we should prob plan on leaving Sat morning the 23rd.

$$$

In Brief: This year is going to be expensive. $900 a person average with 3 vehicles. Hope you're saving your pennies.

In exposit: We're looking like we will take 3 vehicles. Jeep for bicho and I. Tundra for Jys and Bob. F150 for Melodie. None have very good mpg.

Bicho and I will take a jeep/explorer into the unknown territory of Jungo road. This will shave 200 miles off of the trip but likely add unseen costs like tire replacement, lost gas/time, and other damage to the car. Estimated fuel cost of $1,000 from Denva and back again.

Last year the tundra cost approximately 1,000$ to get out there dragging a trailer. I'm estimating the tundra to cost 1,500$ round trip. (gas is 'rumored to hit $5 a gallon' so I assume it will.) Melodies truck will likely cost her 1,700$ with the added size. Add 300$ for the trailer drag. If we were to split the costs evenly (not suggesting this, it's not really fair) $4500/5 = $900 a person. If we shave one car off and travel light (the tundra) $3000/5 = $600 a person.

I think that we should try our hardest to skip using the trailer and pack the PVC in the backs of both trucks. If we can, we should skip using three vehicles and find some way to only take one of the trucks. Having one body fly then figure out some sort of ghetto-ride-from-reno would save money. Otherwise, having one person drive to the playa alone is alot to ask. I'm not going to worry about the logistics here as I'm going early and staying late - I will throw in money to get the PVC out there but I'm not going to throw in more money than buying the PVC in reno would cost. (re: 100$ a person sounds fair)

Personally I will be traveling very light. The only thing I will not be able to transport myself is the camp stereo. (I'm working out how to make it small and manageable.) Everything else will fit in/on the jeep with a luggage rack. If we can't fit the camp stereo without the trailer, I say to hell with it. It'll work at interfuse. Same thing with the pluton/barr.

Option 2: Renting a box truck. Cost of $2,800 for use & mileage: with an estimated mpg of 8: total cost of $4,675. $935 per person + $350 airline ticket + $50 biobus pass = 1335$/person Not gonna happen.

-capt'n surly