Departure from the Marin County Airport occurred on Sunday morning at 7:00 AM. This was the first time I have ever left the area with empty fresh water tanks. The goal was to reduce the strain on the transmission by towing as little weight as possible up the grade from Sacramento. Last year, I burned out the transmission in my truck resulting in $5000.00 in repairs (Monroe Transmission) and arrived at the event 4 days late. By mid afternoon I had reached the summit of the Sierras just prior to Donner Pass. At the summit a Caltrans Rest Area was available, so I pulled over to make lunch and let the transmission on the truck cool down. Luckily, T-Mobile was available so I dialed into the net and spent some time working on PowerPoint presentations, getting those uploaded and emailed to the right places.
The Pilot truck stop in Reno is a great place for all travelers. I stopped there to fill the tanks on my truck and the gasoline containers I was carrying. (Fuel for the generator, a Yamaha 3000ISEB.) I also bought a shower ($9.00) and picked up some last minute supplies. Everyone at the Pilot was personable and very helpful; they even let me fill my fresh-water tank at the truck service depot. At this point, next stop would be the Playa.
This is the first time I have ever arrived early for Burning Man. I had a pass, was on a list, or something of that nature. No one seemed to check anything when I arrived. I quickly connected with Dan O’Day who heads up Camp Green Zone. This is the camp for Media Representatives and I have high expectations for this years burn!
