You're still here? One thing that I haven't addressed, yet, is this:

Let's say that you can't drive, and you can't find friends to go with out to Black Rock City. A distinct possibility for most of the population, given the long drive that we're talking about. (One doesn't normally drive to Nevada from anywhere east of the Mississippi). What does one do? I'm still working on that one, sort of, but here are a few small items to consider.

Reno is a sizable community, with its own airport, so let's start our trip there. Checking a few sites, I've found mention of a "daily transport" from Reno to Gerlach, which does take passengers. As this is only a daily transport, you'll want to plan a layover of at least a day in Reno of at least one day, unless, of course, you like the idea of wandering the streets of an unfamiliar city late at night burdened with luggage, looking like a prime target for a mugger, loaded with lots of expensive things to steal and much too slow to get away quickly enough. Some people do, and God rest their souls. For the rest of you, after you enjoy a day or two in Reno and check out of your lodgings, the name of the company is Reno-Gerlach stage lines, for which an Anywho.com search turned the number (which you obviously should call well before you get out there)

When I have a little more time, I'll call those folks and ask them about prices, pack limits and other relevant information. Fine, then - you've gotten to Gerlach. Have I abandoned you to die in the middle of the desert at this step, to be scavenged by the playa chickens? A question which you should instinctively be asking yourself, given the nature of the countryside that you're travelling through, but no, not really.

There is a motel in Gerlach, believe it or not: Bruno's Country Club and Motel. A slightly wider area map for Bruno's can be found here. That gives us lodging at the end of one segment of our trip, IF we can get to Gerlach. The number given for Bruno's in Yahoo! local is

Not at all suprisingly, given the small size of Gerlach, the 'Let's go' page for that town tells us that Bruno's provides the only lodgings in town. It also provides dining, but as it is best known for its ravioli, this may not be completely good news for anybody with Celiac or other gluten sensitivities. Still, a much more pleasant bit of information does come as a surprise, followed by a predictable point of difficulty, should one wish to buy groceries:

"Several restaurant/saloons line Main St., but the nearest store lies south on Rte.447 in Empire, NV."

Don't mistake Empire with Gerlach-Empire, which appears on the wider area map for Bruno's. As one can see from the driving directions, Empire is noticably further away. (6.5 miles). A trivial distance to drive, yes, but on foot that would be a respectable hike even along sidewalks on level ground. This would be through the desert, and as trips to the grocery store go, it doesn't strike me as being a pleasant way to get my morning yogurt. If you don't drive, during your stay in Gerlach, you'll probably be limited to those local restaurants, plus whatever you've brought with you. With apparently several restaurants to choose from, you have a decent chance to find something you can eat; all the same, I'd pack a little extra jerky and dried fruit just to be on the safe side.

From Gerlach, the directions on the Burning Man site read

From Gerlach, go northwest on Highway 447 for one mile to the fork. Take the right-hand fork, Hwy 34, and continue 11 miles to the Burning Man entrance. Note: The 3-mile playa entrance (first turn-off) used in previous years should not be used. The 12-mile playa entrance just beyond ours will not take you to Burning Man and will be patrolled by BLM Rangers.

In other words, you are now 12 miles from the entrance to Black Rock City, and so far haven't had to count on seeing even a single burner keep his word. You're not there, yet, but we've made definite progress. I'm still working on this, and will see how much closer we can get. Right now, I can give you some very quick good news and bad news on that one: the good news is that there is a Burning Man shuttle to the towns of Empire and Gerlach according to this page on the Burning Man site. The bad news is that the service is apparently often provided by the Green Tortoise, so you may be in for an unpleasant encounter, but it's a short ride and only a $5 ticket, so just keep to yourself in the back of the bus and you'll probably have few problems.

Personally, I wouldn't do it, but that's just a matter of the personal history with these people that you've just seen me describe. If that isn't an issue, the going might be easy. Getting your gear from Gerlach to the Playa may be another matter, but seeing as you and your stuff are now 12 miles from the gate, so to speak, if you plan in advance, maybe you could find somebody to pick up you and your load, if there's too much of it for the shuttle to carry? Whether there is an alternative local transportation system, a local cab or anything else of the sort in Gerlach, I don't know. Yet. I'll look into it, but let's understand that this is probably not going to be cheap. Given the limited competition over these routes, the fact that there is only one place to stay in Gerlach, and the remote location that you're going to, I doubt that there is a cheap alternative.

WARNING! The shuttle might - might get you TO Burning Man, but if this is your only connection between Gerlach and the Playa, getting back out might be worrisome. The Green Tortoise, as I mentioned, arrives late and leaves early. I can offer you no guarantees that there will be any shuttle service at the end of the festival. While I would have been able to find a ride out of BM2001, had the Tortoise stranded me there, the consequences of not finding a ride out of there could be kind of harsh in a lethal kind of way. That 12 miles from Gerlach doesn't get you to Black Rock city, it just gets you to the gate that restricts movement through the pass in the Black Rock mountains that leads into the Playa. From there, it's still some miles across hardpan desert, with no shade or water in side - was it 40 miles? So, please don't just set up the trip there, and assume that you're set. You've got to get back, preferably alive.