It’s that time of year again. We’ve all seen the carnivalesque floats, cyborg arts cars and — What the heck is that? — as we pass by on the freeway. They’re on their way to Burning Man.
After Burning Man, it’ll be dust-covered bicycles and RVs decompressing their way home from a freewheeling week in the Black Rock Desert, hopefully without too hard a comedown.
In the Tahoe Sierra, we welcome all Burners for the cultural, artistic and economic benefits they bring to our community. But in years’ past, we’ve also seen the traces left behind. It looks like overflowing piles of trash blowing in the wind, abandoned vehicles shedding playa dust into our waterways, campfires left unattended and bears on a free-for-all.
We get it. Living in the Black Rock Desert is hard. It’s easy to forget the 10 Principals of Burning Man once the man is in ashes and you’ve returned to the “default” world. But don’t theethics live on beyond the experience?
“It doesn’t take much to overwhelm a small community like ours,” says Erin Brewster, sustainability program manager for the Town of Truckee. “At its peak, Black Rock City has roughly five times the population of Truckee. While our small businesses appreciate Burners stopping by for food or fuel or even staying for a few days on their way to or from the playa, it’s important to be mindful of the collective impact of tens of thousands passing through our small town.”
So, as you travel through our region on the road from soul expansion, we ask you to remember your oath of radical self-reliance and civic responsibility and follow these guidelines to protect our community and environment.
Trash & blackwater disposal
There is no trash or blackwater disposal available for Burners in the Tahoe Sierra. Do not use any public trash cans or dumpsters along your way home for event-related trash. They cannot support the needs of more than 70,000 participants.
Go to a Burning Man approved trash, recycling or blackwater site listed on the website or plan to bring it home. Unfortunately, there is a small, yet significant, portion of people who dump their trash at rest stops, car washes, gas stations, RV parks, hotels, convenience stores or worse — in front of people’s homes. Not only is this a disgrace to our community, but it is also illegal and can result in a $2,000 fine for littering. | burningman.org
Playa dust harmful to local waters
It sticks to everything and it’s hard to get off. It also contains powerful chemicals and minerals not native to the Sierra Nevada.
I’m sure you can’t wait to get clean, but it’s essential to scrub your vehicle, bike, belongings and self of playa dust in a place where the alkaline dust, silt, clay and salts won’t run off into our local watershed.
“Please be sure to wash off the fine–particle playa dust at a carwash so that those tiny particles don’t get into our storm drains, end up in the lake and contribute to the loss of lake clarity,” saidHeather Segale, education and outreach director at UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, in an email to Tahoe Guide.
Use commercial car washes and laundromats that are equipped with specialized drainage systems and filtration technologies designed to remove pollutants and contaminants from wastewater before it is discharged to a treatment facility.
Please don’t wash playa dust off in lakes, rivers, streams or your friend’s driveway.
Fire danger is high
Yes, you just burned a lot of stuff. But that part is over now.
Most of the Tahoe Sierra is under a total fire ban. So please don’t start one.
Do not toss butts or roaches out the window. Also, be mindful of your vehicle. Several fires have started along I-80 from vehicles that caught on fire.
Fire restrictions vary by area, and by state, federal and private campgrounds. Check the restrictions where you are staying before starting a fire or using a camp stove. | preventwildfiresca.org
Bears will break in
Bears are attracted to food. Period.
Don’t leave food or other scented items at your campsite or in an unattended vehicle. This will cause bears to dismantle your setup and break into your car. This also goes for RVs.
Use a bear box or approved locking canister to store your goods. Many bears are already habituated to eating human waste. Please don’t make it worse.
Campgrounds & dispersed camping
If you have the time, there’s nothing we could recommend more for a safe and healthy decompression than to enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of staying away from developed campgrounds.
Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. With eight national forests and plenty of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the region, there are many places to camp free of charge.
Dispersed camping is a term for camping outside of designated campgrounds on public land, such as National Forest or BLM lands. It also means no services or facilities. Some popular dispersed camping areas may have toilets, but most don’t.
Don’t worry. If you can handle the Black Rock Desert, you can handle it here.
Find local campgrounds, areas designated for dispersed camping and rules to follow on state and federal websites. Learn more in the online version of this article at YourTahoeGuide.com/camping. | parks.ca.gov, recreation.gov, blm.gov/visit
Burners’ tips while in Tahoe & Truckee
- Use only approved trash, recycling & blackwater sites in the Burners guide.
- Trash disposal is NOT available in Truckee or Tahoe.
- Do not dump items at businesses including car washes in Truckee or Tahoe.
- Playa dust is harmful to Tahoe & Truckee waterways. Use car washes and laundromats only.
- The Tahoe Sierra is under fire restrictions and wildfire danger is high. Follow local fire restrictions.
- Download the Tahoe Wildfire Preparedness Guide at YourTahoeGuide.com/fire to learn how to stay safe.
- Sign up for emergency alerts at TahoeAlerts.com.
- Use bear canisters to stash all food and scented items. Bears will rip apart your vehicle to get to food, wrappers, trash or toiletries.
