One of the key questions leading up to Burning Man is always … HOW’S THE PLAYA THIS YEAR??

Well, I’m happy to report that it is amaaaaazing. I’ve never seen it so flat and firm in eight years of coming here. You veterans know what a difference that makes, and for you first-timers, I think you’re in for a treat.

There was a LOT of rain on the playa over the winter. In fact, it showed up in October, when the Playa Restoration crew had to do their work in ankle-deep water. And the water stayed around in places until last month!

And that’s exactly what the playa needed. It was like a hard reboot for the desert, because when it gets good and inundated, it tamps everything down the way it’s supposed to be.

There’s still going to be dust, and plenty of it, so definitely bring your goggles and face masks. All the cars and trucks and RVs are going to pulverize the hard crust on the desert floor now, and the wind is going to send it all flying through everything.

But it should be a lot easier getting around, especially in the far reaches of the playa. There aren’t many of those nasty, thigh-grinding piles that make you get off the bike and walk. We think it’ll be a lot easier getting around, for sure.

The funkiest area is in the open playa between around 1 and 3; there is a pretty good number of mounds out there.

But overall, things are really really good!