Burning Man will end Monday night with the burning of “the man” – bringing to an end perhaps the saddest event in its history and leaving the waterlogged Nevada desert littered with abandoned boots and acres of trash.
Organizers said Monday that 64,000 revelers were still at the site and asked those trying to leave the grimy camp to be patient.
Half an inch of rain fell on Friday, turning the area into a swamp. Visitors were ordered not to leave the site as exit roads were impassable.
Some said the weather created a sense of community, but others admitted there was a slight sense of panic at the thought of being stuck with scarce food and water. Social media users laughed at the “harrowing” stories of the escape from the site.
The road reopened at 2 p.m. on Monday and the “exodus” began. Those who left the festival on the Monday before the fire had to wait five hours to reach the open road.
“Take it slow and pay attention to traffic rules,” pleaded the organizers. “Please be patient as you exit Gate Road and respect the Burning Man staff as they work hard to make the Exodus experience as smooth and safe as possible.”
People in parrot suits sit on Monday and stare at “the man” – the image in the distance
The picture shows people wading through the mud in Nevada on Monday
A motorhome got stuck in the mud as drivers tried to leave the site in Nevada
Shai Peza of Chicago dances in the mud after Saturday’s rain
Molly from Salt Lake City poses for a photo at Burning Man
On Monday, traffic queues stretched to the horizon as thousands of people tried to leave
People were asked to postpone their departure until Tuesday if possible.
They were also asked not to attempt to walk. Some attendees – including comedian Chris Rock, actor Austin Butler and DJ Diplo – had already left the festival on foot.
Weather permitting, “the man” is scheduled to be set ablaze on Monday at 9 p.m., while the temple is scheduled to go up in flames on Tuesday at 8 p.m.
The National Weather Service in Reno said it should remain mostly clear and dry at the festival site Monday, although light showers could occur through Tuesday morning.
The event began Aug. 27 and was scheduled to end Monday morning with participants packing up and putting their belongings away.
“We’re a little dirty and muddy, but the vibe is good.” “The party’s still going on,” said Scott London, a photographer from Southern California, adding that the travel restrictions offered “a view of Burning Man that many not seen by us.”
Participants hike across a muddy desert plain on Monday
A man makes his way through the mud in the desert on Monday
Muddy boots are left on the side of the road on Monday
Burning Man organizers announced Monday that it was safe to leave the event, but said no one would be allowed to leave the event at speeds above 10 miles per hour
Hundreds of Burning Man visitors who planned to leave on buses are waiting for information about when they can leave
A man examines the muddy scene in Black Rock, Nevada on Monday
“Dirty D” from Los Angeles throws himself into the mud at Burning Man
One person was even seen with a boat parked on the site
The annual gathering, held on a San Francisco beach in 1986, attracts nearly 80,000 artists, musicians and activists for a mix of wilderness camping and avant-garde performances.
Disruptions are part of the event’s recent history: dust storms forced organizers to temporarily close the festival’s entrances in 2018, and the event was canceled outright twice during the pandemic.
At least one death was reported, but organizers said the death of a man in his 40s was not weather-related.
The sheriff of nearby Pershing County said he was investigating but did not identify the man or the cause of death.
President Joe Biden told reporters in Delaware on Sunday that he was aware of the situation at Burning Man, including the death, and that the White House was in contact with local authorities.
The event takes place remotely on the best days and emphasizes self-sufficiency.
Amid the flooding, revelers were urged to conserve their food and water and most remained huddled at the site.
However, some participants managed to walk several kilometers to the nearest town or take a ride there.
Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz, posted a video on Instagram Saturday night showing him and Rock in the back of a fan’s pickup truck. He said they walked six miles through the mud before taking a ride.
“I actually walked along the side of the road with my thumb out for hours,” Diplo wrote.
Diplo wore ski goggles to protect his eyes from the desert dust as he left the site
58-year-old actor and comedian Chris Rock found himself in the middle of the muddy chaos that reigned at the Burning Man festival grounds and managed to get out of the chaos on Saturday
On Monday, lines of traffic snake through the desert as festival-goers try to leave
On Monday, trash will be left on the side of the road along the Burning Man exit route
Apparently people simply threw their garbage bags out of their vehicles on Monday
The spirit of Burning Man is self-sufficiency, but many people seem to have ignored this and left their trash behind
A double rainbow can be seen over the site during heavy rain on Friday
Cindy Bishop and three of her friends managed to leave the festival in their rented RV at dawn on Monday when the main street was unguarded, according to Bishop.
She said they were glad they made it after two days of driving to the exit and getting stuck several times.
But Bishop, who traveled from Boston for her second Burning Man, said spirits at the festival were still high as they left.
Most people she spoke to said they planned to stay for the ceremonial burning.
“The spirit there was really, ‘We’re going to take care of each other and make the best of this,'” she said.
Rebecca Barger, a photographer from Philadelphia, came to her first Burning Man on August 26 and was determined to see it through to the end.
“Everyone has just adapted, sharing RVs to sleep in and offering food and coffee,” Barger said. “I danced for hours in foot-deep clay to incredible DJs.”