This trip had nothing to do with hiking and everything to do with an exercise in freedom. The Black Rock Desert is a strip of completely flat, completely lifeless land North of Gerlach, NV. It is approximately 120 miles long running north to south and 15 miles wide. This area is the site of the pagan summer festival known as “Burning Man” and was the location of the most recent land speed record run.
I find a launch point and drive out onto the white, sandy playa. I’ve been told that driving on the surface when it is wet is a sure way to be the talk of the office after having your truck airlifted out of the muck. Understandably, I proceed with caution. I’m amazed at how comfortable my truck seems on this terrain. I accelerate to 40; to 50. I accelerate still more to 60; now more . . . 70 . . . 80! Eighty miles an hour with no road in site and no rhyme or reason to the path I’m driving. I veer, I swerve, no need to worry about obstacles here. This must be what space is like.
To continue that analogy, I notice that there is absolutely no echo when I speak, after stopping to take a few photos. I pack the camera, and proceed to start looking for a way back onto the road. This is only the first stop of a long weekend.
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