PRECAUTIONS
First timers to Black Rock are highly cautioned about roaming off on their own. Black Rock Lake Bed has a very shallow water line. That is to say that many areas, while nice and flat and solid looking, are SOFT. The water can be as little as 12" underground. USE YOU COMMON SENSE, something most rocket scientist don't have!. Don't wander off on your own without telling people where you're headed. Even "old timers" know better. Black Rock is really safe but many a person has gotten bogged down away from the world ALONE! Stay on the existing tire tracks. If you feel the ground getting soft find a more solid path. Listen to the advice of others that have been there, done that!

LOOK OUT FOR TRANSIENT "DUNES" ON THE BLACK ROCK PLAYA

Mike Bilbo, from the Winemucca office of the Bureau of Land Management, informs us about hazards out on the playa, (the Black Rock Dry Lake Bed), please look out for these, especially when driving at night they are hard to see until you are almost upon them - these sound as if they are much larger that those we've seen in previous years - not something to hit at 80mph. Despite being called 'dunes' they are NOT soft sand, they are raised structures of hardened mud. They are 'transient' because they move around from year to year as the playa floods and dries again - we often see smaller ones if we come in from the first playa entrance.

Landsailers call them "reefs." Others call them "playa serpents." Makes sense both ways. Most of them are hard, and are cementing/cemented in place. Average height so far is about 1 to 1.5 feet. They are similar to the ones that formed at the LSR pit stations in '97, but different in their length, attitude and form or style. The two jpg images are from Sue Weeks.

Of interest, on accessing the playa by way of Cholona, Northeast of Gerlach, and then beeline navigating to a ridgeline feature above and behind 1st Access/3-Mile, I totally missed these features in heading to the volunteer training (Friday evening), but on returning Sunday night to Cholona via the easterly trackway, I got nailed by one just south of Coyote Spring. I was going about 35, looking for them and with high beams on. The dune still came up too fast. It was a pretty good hit but the 3/4-ton truck weathered it alright.

TRAIN SAFETY WARNING AT BLACK ROCK DESERT
Apparently people may not realize that trains go real fast (i.e. 70 mph) through those long desert stretches, (like the tracks that run alongside Black Rock Dry Lake),just like all the drivers in cars do on the desert roads. It means drivers have to be vigilant with looking for trains before crossing railroad tracks in the area. In a collision, the train always wins!The Union Pacific train tracks go northeast from Gerlach along the eastern side of the Black Rock playa. Mike Bilbo, from the Winemucca office of the Bureau of Land Management, sends us this report: A recent accident totaled a truck but, thankfully, justify the occupants OK. From the look of the photo, any further on that track and the story would have been tragic. (Select the small image to see a larger one.)

Barbara Bilbo and another BLM volunteer, Frederick Osterhagen, were riding in his truck and were clipped by a 70 mph train at the Trego Hot Spring RR crossing on the southeast edge of the Black Rock Desert. Barbara saw the train at the last second out the corner of her eye, yelled "TRAIN", and Freddie threw it into reverse for 6 inches before the hit. When you look at the photo, think of that difference - 6 inches!

This photo was taken by Freddie shortly after the hit. Part of the crossing is in the lower justify corner. The loose gravel and slope of the elevated crossing also probably aided survival by allowing the truck to be bumped away rather than back in to the train. Pictured is Barbara Bilbo.For those of you receiving this that use the Black Rock Desert, we are getting around 120,000 visitors annually. PLEASE - get the word out to all others you know that 20 trains are on that Union Pacific track daily, all traveling at least 70 mph and some in clusters of 2 to 5 trains. Just because one just went by doesn't mean that's it. Approach all the crossings from Gerlach to Jungo with extreme caution and absolutely STOP before crossing. Ask all in your vehicle, "Does anyone see a train?" Continue to watch as you cross. If you see a train light coming, you better wait. If the wind is blowing you may not hear the horn, which they begin sounding 1/4-mile out.

BLM is teaming up with Union Pacific to take a hard look at the safety of all those crossings.