I’m stuck at Burning Man 2023, here’s what it’s like

rewrite this content and keep HTML tags Footwear adapted for the muddy conditions at Burning Man 2023Ashley Harrell/SFGATEDirty toilets, muddy shoes and flooded tents won’t stop the party at Burning Man.On Saturday night, from the top of a 50-foot climbable wooden sculpture, I looked out over a version of the Black Rock Desert I’d never seen before. There were no art cars and no bicycles, just glowing works of art separated by vast expanses caked in mud caused by an unprecedented amount of rain during the week-long Burning Man festival. Instead of gathering to watch the man go up in flames, which has been postponed until Monday, most of the 70,000 burners trapped at the festival had stayed around their camps or gone barhopping on nearby streets.More rain, they knew, was on the way.AdvertisementArticle continues below this ad“Maybe instead of burning the man, they’ll convert it into an ark,” another burner atop the sculpture joked.Bars operating at Burning Man on September 2, 2023.Ashley Harrell/SFGATEThe comment sums up the attitude out here pretty well right now. Despite flooded tents, uncertainty around exodus, dwindling supplies and mud-covered shoes and costumes, most burners I’ve chatted with over the last couple of days have managed to continue having a good time. The bars were packed Saturday night and there seemed to be a dance party on every block.Although the struggle is certainly real out here for some attendants, the majority show up to this unforgiving desert ready for dust storms, extreme temperatures and any other ordeals that might arise. Many bring extra water, food and fuel just in case, with the intention to share with anybody who might need it.AdvertisementArticle continues below this ad“Burning Man is about radical self-reliance, but also community,” long-time volunteer Bart Smaalders — playa name Full Gear — told me. He’s been at Burning Man every year it happened since 2004, and although this is the most rain he’s ever seen on the playa, in making the rounds to help people out, he observed that most are well-prepared and will survive just fine for a couple of extra days in the desert, if necessary.Scenes from Burning Man 2023.Ashley Harrell/SFGATEThat isn’t to say there are no issues. Police are investigating the death of a 40-year-old male that occurred during the storm (one person also died at the 2018, 2019 and 2022 events). On Sunday, some people desperate to get out of the desert walked miles in the mud to catch the bus, while others drove fast toward the exit in an attempt to avoid getting stuck. Dozens lost control of their vehicles and got into accidents, clogging the roads and causing problems for emergency vehicles needing to get through, Smaalders said.Seconds later, a large truck whizzed down the street at well over the 5 mph speed limit, shooting mud in all directions and prompting nearby Burners to yell profanities. It was all in vain, though, as officials had already closed the gates in an effort to prevent more accidents. As of Sunday evening, there was no announcement about when the exit might reopen.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adA double rainbow appeared at Burning Man on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.Courtesy of Jennifer MurphyFor the majority of burners who are heeding the warnings of officials and staying put, the biggest obstacles have been muddy conditions, increasingly nasty port-a-potties and flooded tents.Burners still eager to socialize and check out art have secured garbage bags over their shoes to prevent them from getting wet or muddy, while others are simply walking around barefoot. Meanwhile, mud has crept into the port-a-potties and service trucks have had a tough time getting to them, allowing waste to accumulate. Large amounts of moop (Burning Man lingo for litter) has piled up around the port-a-potties and elsewhere, creating a massive headache for those staying after the festival to carry out its “leave no trace” mandate.Some of the least fortunate Burners have had to find new places to sleep. Nick Whitaker came up from Long Beach to attend Burning Man for the first time this year. After his tent flooded Friday night, he had to transfer all of his belongings, including his bed, into his car. He’s been sleeping there ever since.AdvertisementArticle continues below this ad“I had to abandon ship,” Whitaker told SFGATE, smiling. “It’s definitely been an interesting burn — it’s one for the history books.”A bar operating during Burning Man on September 2, 2023.Ashley Harrell/SFGATE

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