LAKES LETTER – JULY 4TH, 2023
LNT LIKE A PRO: READ THE 2023 GUIDE
In the interest of keeping Lakes of Fire classy, the Leave No Trace team is pleased to present you the 2023 LNT Volunteer Guidebook.
Keeping Lucky Lake beautiful is everyone’s responsibility. Truth be told this manual is a wealth of information about the GLEA org structure, radio protocols, and self-reliance resources that EVERYBODY needs. For the general participant’s curiosity about LNT, we highly recommend these pages:
Page 17 – “Manage Your Physical and Mental Health like a Boss”
Page 20 – “Garbage Guidance for Moop Warriors, Earth Guardians, and Trash Pandas”
Page 23 – “Let’s Talk About Water!”
Read the 2023 LNT Volunteer Guide Book. Bonus if you read these pages BEFORE you pack, so that know what to leave at home AND how to correctly dispose of camp waste water.
PROPANE REMINDER: BRING WHAT YOU NEED OR GET AN ACCOUNT
A reminder to bring the propane you need in 2023, unless you are planning to bring 100lb tanks AND have an account with Crystal Flash. Read all about it in the prior news post where we announced the propane situation in 2023.
FIREWOOD IN 2023 REMINDER: HOW TO BUY BULK
As a reminder, if you’re looking for our bulk firewood vendor, read about it here. Please remember to buy only what you need and are planning to split with other theme camps, as you will be responsible for disposing of extra. Smaller bundles will still be for sale at the front office RV near the Nexus.
GETTING THROUGH GATE
What do you need to get through Gate, besides your winning smile? Your unexpired, government-issued photo ID with your government name and birthdate. WHAT ELSE?? Make sure you know – it’s your responsibility. We prohibit more than just trampolines, handheld lasers, and aerial photography drones. Read the Gate Rules page and you’ll be all set.
LAST-MINUTE ONLINE NEWBIE ORIENTATION
One week to go! New to the world of Burns? Still feeling unprepared? Drop in on July 5th – that’s tomorrow – and get caught up.
Join Burning Man Western Michigan Regional rep Thor and Lakes of Fire Infobot TrashPanda online, or live in Thor’s studio in Kalamazoo, for a quick and dirty rundown. We’ll cover the 10 Principles, what to expect at Lakes of Fire, and a Q&A over Zoom. Link will be posted in the Facebook event page at 6:45 PM EST.
ARTHUB PROGRAMMING IN THE NEXUS
This garden has a mind of its own, y’all. We’ve got exciting new developments coming out of our ears. Did you know that ArtHub is offering arts different education and make-and-take events EVERY DAY of the Burn? Check out our 2023 Nexus Arts Schedule and see what exciting skills and art experiences you can have in our Center Camp. Grow your brain, your heart, and your skill set!
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS: AIR QUALITY AND HEAT
As many of you in the Midwest have noticed the air quality has been a hazy shade of yuck. It has made it hard to be outside and hard to breathe for a lot of people. We can not guarantee that the air quality will improve. We want to remind everyone that we want to see you at the Lake but we want you to be healthy and safe even more. Please consider sitting this one out if you are at risk of having difficulty breathing due to the air quality. (It was better next year anyway.)
Keep an eye on the air quality online, such as with this webpage. As of this writing, the quality is 79/poor. That’s much better than it was even four days ago. With any luck the quality will improve even further as we come up to the week of the 10th.
- Talk to your doctor if you have pre-existing conditions complicated by breathing, smoke, or high temperatures. As usual, you are your own best advocate.
- If you feel you are at risk, stay home.
- If you want to bring PPE to help your breathing, make sure you bring specifically KN95 masks. These are rated for poor air quality.
- Bring extra inhalers; ESD does not carry them and cannot offer you a prescription inhaler if you lose yours.
- You can buy an over the counter inhalers for under $50 under brand names like Primatene Mist.
- If you have trouble breathing, get to ESD. As one of our Emergency Services leads put it, “Our bare minimum goal is to at least keep everyone breathing.”
=LoF===)*(===LoF=
“Look at this one!” I held up an apple with scales. They caught the sun and shimmered as I turned it in my hand. I pulled a scale off. It was soft like a bit of stone crop, but curled and claw-like.
“You think THAT’s cool, look over here.” She held up a vine that looked to be covered in small, colorful grapes. They bobbed and rocked as the curling vine swayed in the air – and then the fruits took wing and flew away.
I surveyed the colorful horizon that stretched west, beyond the copse of singing trees we had just left behind. The trees seemed as confused as we were but no more bothered by the transformed world than a duck is bothered by a rainstorm.
On that far western horizon there was a shape. It pointed skyward, like a towering sunflower seed or an ancient sundial.
“Do you see that?” I asked.
“I do,” you said.
Slowly, the shape seemed to change.
“… I think it’s a gate.”
It began to open.
xoxo,
Info_bot