start Preparation Leaving S. F. On to Reno Reno Leaving Reno Playa-bound Black Rock City Camp Vermeer The Man Temple of Joy Dust Storm Playa Shabbos Bicycles Planes Art Cars Theme Camps People Panoramas Miscellaneous Leavetaking Leaving Ranger Shift Ranger Lefty Ranger Norman Ranger Mickey
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Burning Man 2002: The Man
From Center Camp we stroll inwards along the 180° spoke, across the Esplanade. There we encounter the Promenade, the path leading to the Man, and beyond that, the Temple of Joy. For some reason this panorama - looking back at Center Camp - makes it look later than it really was, about 1700.
Then we look back towards the Man. This year he's perched atop a lighthouse. Esthetically it's annoying that he's smaller than his pedestal, although things look okay in this picture.
For one unremembered reason or another we head out to the playa, towards the 90° spot. From out here we don't have the distractions (or the scale against which to compare) of the lamp poles. I like the open playa. There's a serenity that can't be found elsewhere in the city. From out here the Man looks like the anchor of the city he really is.
We approach the Man by way of one of the many art pieces scattered across the playa like so many dust motes on a windowsill. This one had all manner of bells to ring. Pleasing.
From here you can start to see the structure of the lighthouse: two levels available from the outside, one perch just under the Man, and a series of lights halfway up. While I was there - a significant period of time - I never saw that cherry-picker actually do anything. I must have missed it.
One thing I didn't like about this arrangement was the community didn't have a chance to help raise the Man, as it has in years past. It's perhaps not a major problem, but it had the unfortunate effect of distancing the participants from their totem. This, plus the enforced distancing caused by the Golden Dubloon situation (more on that later) resulted in a very different feeling towards the Man.
Okay, now we're getting closer. There are groups assembling their art to the right edge of this picture. No big whoop.
I think this was the photo that Ranger Lefty was wanting me to take: the Man "standing" upon the ridgetop.
Here we are, looking into the face of the Man. A few years ago the builders put a hidden neon smiley face under the rice-paper. It became visible just before or during the burn. I didn't notice anything similar this year. The halo of fireworks, seen in 2002, is gone too (thankfully).
We've finally made it to the lighthouse, and can see some participants upon the top-level walkway. This is where we'll be patrolling for a few hours (and it's been a fun few hours).
Here's a close-up of the viewing portals arranged under the Man. Let's go up and look out, okay?
Not just anyone can do this. You've had to find a golden dubloon lying around, or have gone to five theme camps to get tokens (beads) which can be exchanged for a golden dubloon at a ephemeral location which [somewhat unreliably] appears on the playa each evening. Most folks didn't read the details of the treasure hunt in the paper handed to them as they arrived, and were extremely annoyed that they had to earn the token to be granted access to the Man. We Rangers had to take the brunt of that anger, along with the lighthouse Keepers (a very cool bunch of people). Larry Harvey, let's run the next great idea by folks not in your posse. Please. This one wasn't fool-proof enough for the fools.
Once past the lighthouse keeper (seen guarding the door, at left) one is inside the base of the lighthouse. (The builders were very proud that it more than conformed to local building codes. It surely looked sturdy.) It was hard to squeeze through the vertical beams (and non-intuitively obvious that there must be a "door" unaligned with the entrance).
Once through, it's time to readjust your back- or fanny-pack, and contemplate the L2K lighting controls built into the middle of the base. I affect the lights circling the Man by running my fingers across the contacts on these strips; one per light. You see the LEDs showing a long dash dash dash display going on at the moment.
Heading upwards from the control center, we squeeze through two or three levels of narrow, steep staircases, bringing us up to the viewing platform. Here's the view back toward Center Camp.
And here's the view along the 180° line, towards the Temple of Joy.
Looking up, we see the Man through the metal latticework - festooned with strings of lights and strands of EL wire - that covers the viewing area.
Let's poke that camera up higher and get a clearer view of the Man. Not visible is the fire alarm attached to the Man.
Let's climb down, give someone else a chance to enjoy the space. It's time to walk further along, to the Temple of Joy.
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