Home Away From Home.

It all started with a cup of coffee in the open, desert landscape of Nevada. Bundled up in our sleeping bags, the warm brew beginning to warm our bodies from the cool night's sleep out under the vast starry sky left us wondering about the adventure that lay before us. With just a few hours drive to go, Burning Man lay just over the horizon, and we had no idea what lay in store for us over the next few days.

As you can see from the shot above, the little red dot (us) quickly went from mainstream, highway USA to the "middle of nowhere." Does that bode well when you suddenly drop off the known maps on your navigation system?

Luckily, we found our way to the Black Rock City, Nevada - home of Burning Man and a roving city of 50,000 people. We were welcomed in to this community of artists, musicians and friends. The vehicle was parked as soon as we arrived for the duration of our trip, and we opted for the preferred method of travel among the "locals" - bikes. Above, witness Kurt's zebra painted bike!
One of my favorite parts was the artistry - evident all around us on a scale of such magnitude and imagination. Above, this giant sculpture was made of wood beams all supported by the weight and tension of adjacent beams - not a single screw or bolt in the entire structure.
Of course, we met some familiar faces there. Believe it or not - this is NOT Elvis - but rather a Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer who has also made this desert his home for the week. (Who, you should notice, is proudly displaying a Leave No Trace rhinestone logo on his belt.)
"Elvis" also had his partner with him on the adventure, where they both welcomed in to the Earth Guardians camp. The Earth Guardians have integrated Leave No Trace in to the culture of Burning Man, educating attendees on how to minimize the impact of their actions while at Burning Man. We were fortunate enough to participate in an awareness workshop, and among other Leave No Trace principles, learned about the pertinent skills and ethics of alternatives to fires.
Speaking of fires, there was a rather large one at the end. The Man, one iconic centerpiece to the festival, was burned on Saturday night in an artistic blaze.
In the end, when all that was left but a few holes from our tent stakes, the memories, smiles, laughs were the culmination of an experience of a lifetime. Though the dust is still hiding in nooks and crannies of gear, clothing and sinuses, we look forward to returning next year for another inspiring experience on the Playa.