Hello out there, MOOP maniacs and line sweepers extraordinaire! Well, this is it. The moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived. It’s almost time to unveil the COMPLETE 2012 MOOP MAP!

Let’s have a big hand for the Playa Restoration team, who covered more ground in 2012 than they’d ever done before. Kudos too to Mother Nature, also a major player in this game, who kept the winds low and the temperature moderate so our team could knock this one out of the park. It’s a year that will go down in legend, folks, and you were here to watch it happen.

A Word About The Art

Lots of you have asked why we don’t mark art sites and other big things in the open playa. There are a few reasons why!

First of all, the MOOP Map is designed to focus on the city grid. It’s the way we, as a community, look at and talk about how we did overall.

Art sites also have their own system. Before artists leave the playa, they check out with the ARTery, and either undergo a site inspection or verify that they mooped their spot. During Playa Restoration, a one-man strike force visits each art site individually. Bustin Dustin (aka I Love You) gives each site a unique review, which then goes back to the Artery so they can work with the artists.

Finally, some of the BIG HUGE AMAZING sites have a pretty intensive cleanup process. If they burn, they’re placed on a pad of decomposed granite which is then taken away after the event. If they are MOOPy (like The Pier, which creates a massive amount of wood chips), the site may be “scraped” — the top layer of dust removed to get rid of the mass amounts of MOOP. The Line Sweeps also visit the Man, the Temple and other major sites to pick up any remaining bits.

In 2012, we had a pleasant surprise: Crew members from The Pier and Burn Wall Street came back out to the desert to do some follow-up mooping. Both those sites saw a lot of construction and tons of traffic, and both sites were scraped to remove decomposed granite and/or wood chips.

And in both cases, when the crew members returned, there was still MOOP left to pick up.

We salute you, Burn Wall Street and The Pier! Thanks for seeing it through to the bitter end.

Obviously, not all artists have a presence in Reno, and returning to the playa is not an option for everybody. For most artists, the only choice is to clean it all up before you depart. So how do you do it? Let’s talk about it.

Artists, what are your tactics for preventing MOOP, both from your construction and from your visitors?

Theme camps, what can you recommend for your fellow camps and artists? What have you learned about MOOP prevention, and what do you still want to see or learn?

It’s a community effort, folks — and it’s a learning process, too. Let’s keep sharing what we know and helping the Playa Restoration team blow that BLM inspection out of the water! Please, pass this on to your friends with theme camps or art pieces, and let’s see what we all come up with together.

And Now, The Map.

DISCLAIMER: No, this is not available in high resolution yet. It will be, but verifying all the information takes several weeks to months. That’s why we keep it low-res until we’re sure, sure, sure.

And now, let’s find out how Center Camp did, and take a good look at your big green city!

MOOP Map Legend:



GREEN: GO! GO! GO! The Line Sweep moves quickly because it’s clean. Minimal time and effort spent in this location.

YELLOW: Caution! The Line Sweep moves at a stop-and-go pace. Moderate time and effort spent in this location.

RED: Full stop. The Line Sweepers are on their hands and knees. A ton of MOOP. Extensive time and effort in this location.

FANTASTIC JOB, BLACK ROCK CITY. Yes, we had a few missteps — but there’s no denying that this is a big green map. Everybody pat yourself (and your neighbor) on the back. Onward to 2013, armed with new knowledge and an overwhelming resolve to Do Better Every Year For Ever!

Don’t forget to read the MOOP Map Live 2012 and MOOP Map Live 2011 series for lots of MOOPy tips and information!

Now, the Map may be finished, but I’m not. I’ll be back next week with a little more eye candy for you, a little more information, and of course the results of our BLM site inspection.

‘Til then, this is The Hun signing off.

Photos by Vertumnus and by me! MOOP Meter by Ballyhoo Betty!