44 Days ‘til the Man Burns! 47 days to Cleanup.

Well, the heat wave has ended. So ends nine consecutive days of temperatures with highs ranging from 103 degrees to 108 degrees. July is hands down the hottest month in Gerlach, Nevada, but this streak still set records up here in these parts. Stores in the region couldn’t keep enough parts on their shelves to keep the swamp coolers running. Seasoned Burning Man setup crew began to predict a “naked year” at the event to come due to hot weather like that of years past. But, alas, this evening brings fierce winds, thunder and lightning, and RAIN. And temperatures that may have me searching for my blanket. Of course, all of this on the day that we get our very own swamp cooler running in the house. But, even when the nights were hot and the days even hotter, I wasn’t the one found complaining too much, because in comparison to humid heat, all I can say is bring it on desert, bring it on.

We are completely at the mercy of Mother Nature here. We have reason to fear her power. She has stranded a cigarette-starved cleanup crew in playa mud back in 1998. Several people could not leave the playa and no one could enter after heavy, heavy rains shortly at the end to after the event. On June 25, 2005, rain caused a landslide along the mountain along Highway 34, which subsequently destroyed much of Doobie Lane and flooded out the Miner’s Club Bar on Main Street. For those not familiar, Doobie Lane or Guru Road is an exceptional display of local artistic expression in the form of rock art.

Here is a description from roadsideamerica.com – your online guide to offbeat tourist attractions:

Gerlach, Nevada - Doobie Lane Rock Monuments

Gerlach - Doobie Lane is near Gerlach NV, The Home of the Burning Man Festival (Weirdness in itself). About 2 hours (approx) north of Reno, an hour or so from Pyramid Lake, Doobie Lane is a project of a native of the area (since passed on) who piled up rocks into monuments (for Elvis, Local Vietnam Vets, Inquirer stuff etc). The Inspiration Station is worth the trip alone. [Uncle Sherman, 08/21/1997]

The larger than life Elvis, with his cape of tin cans, survived the slide, but many of the other installations and dedications written on rocks were buried by the slide. Rock art seems to be a massive thing in Nevada. Not only in this little town, but you’ll notice rock formations and messages written in rocks as you drive all along various Nevada highways. To me, Doobie Lane represents the artistic spirit of the local community, which may be testament to the ability of our two communities to co-exist happily.

This is my third year working for DPW (Department of Public Works) and the Man and arriving up to the middle of nowhere far before most burners could ever imagine and getting a taste of real country life. I lived and worked in Nevada for over three months last year, which I think could qualify me as an honorary Gerlachian. One of my favorite parts of living in Gerlach is getting a chance to meet and get to know the natives and locals. Gerlach truly is a town where everyone knows your name or at least your face. Anonymity is futile. If anything else, one cannot help but be fascinated by a town that contains two legal bars, one bar/restaurant, one gas station and one illegal bar. The trend is clear. Bars, bars, bars, and we aren’t even in Ireland.