Burning Man 1995: Hot Fun in the Nevada Desert

Images ©1995 Rusty Hodge. All Rights Reserved. But, please, show your friends!

Larry, Rusty and Chris pose for an impromptu shot amongst the tents and planes. The alkali dust still hasn't all come out of Larry's Amigo.

Vince surfs atop Brian's Blazer - at about 60 miles an hour.

The desert is beautiful at night. Neon, blinking lights, stars and clouds.

Looking at the Man before the burn straight-on from Central Camp. At some point, everything would be burned.

The check-in trailer. Trade your ticket for a map and more info. Get pointed in the aproximate right direction and drive over a mile to central camp.

Chris, Wayne, Larry and Vince hanging out in the V-MAR Racing Support Vehicle (aka the Rasta Rig).

Vince and Wayne in the Hot Springs...

Wayne, Chris, Rusty, Phillip and a few others in the Hot Springs.

After the man burns, lots of people get excited and want to jump through the flames. The less inebriated people circle the smoldering manpile until the flames die down to a more tolerable (less dangerous) level.

Larry takes shelter in the Amigo during the rain and hailstorm. It would last less than 30 minutes and the sun would come out again.

The wind picks up and we see dark clouds and a small storm of what looks like rain approaching. It turns out to be a massive sandstorm (duststorm?) and precedes the rain and hail by a short bit.

Friday night we're treated to a massive lightning storm. The first of several, all the more spectacular due to the nighttime setting. The rave camp is to the left. The next day lightning would strike within a few hundered feet of our camp- there was less than half a second between the flash and the deafening boom of thunder.

We arrive at the Hot Springs on Sunday... which almost everyone has heard about by now. The springs were at the foot of the mountians about 2 miles from central camp.

Duststorm created by the cars driving to the check-in point from the main road.

The Seemen's camp / performance area. Strange machines in the desert. This is Stretch. Half Golf Cart, Half Fire-Spurting Hydraulic Dragon.

Vince, the Rasta Raver. The Man with the Flame Thrower. Fun guy.

Spinning Ambient at the WBL camp.

Tents outside the RV circle at the WBL camp barely survive the Dust storm.

Vince tests his Flame Thrower. Kids, don't do this at home.

You can't go camping without a Trampoline, right? Just don't hit your head on the parachute strung up above.

Hanging out away from the desert sun. The WBL camp strung several parachutes together, floated some rather large helium balloons in the middle to hold it up, and suddenly had a circus-like environment. It would not turn out to be very rain proof, however.

Vince blows out the flame thrower. A leaky valve (soon fixed) kept it from shutting off completely.

Vince (with Wayne) play with the flame thrower some more. After the final field tests are completed, you will be able to purchase one for next year.

The Arc of Flame. Remember, Vince build this device completely himself from parts anyone can buy. (But don't buy the trigger switch from Radio Shack; it stuck on once. Ouch.)

It's not the flame, it's the motion. Make no cracks about phallic symbols. Vince doesn't wear flameproof underwear for nothing.

Alkali lakebed makes nice mudballs when wet. Vince and Suzie do a little juggling.

When you can't take the top down, you have improvse.

Prepping the flamethrower. Makita batteries in place; fuel level - check.

The Wierd (Weird) Blinking Lights Camp. At night, you would see the blinking lights from far away.

A group from the WBL camp arrives at the Hot Springs.

Wayne having a good time.

Wayne gets a little to close to the smoke. You understand what firemen have to put up with now. The smoke really burns your eyes.

Walking Eggs or Giant Lamps? You decide.

Wayne, Chris and Larry in Central Camp. Lots of interesting sights.

Scary Three-D! The Gigantalope with Wayne and Larry, Chris in the back.

Chris, Rusty and Larry at the entrance to Black Rock City.

Welcome to Weird Blinking Lights...

Welcome to Black Rock City, the biggest city in the county for 3 days a year.

Sights looking west toward camp.