Carmel Magazine

100-104 Troutman Burning Man_Feature 10/26/13 10:44 AM Page 3 W HAT BEGAN IN 1986 ON SAN FRANCISCO'S 26 TO SEPTEMBER 2. AMONG THEM FOR HIS THIRD VISIT WAS MORPHED INTO A TEMPORARY CITY OF REFRESHES AND RENEWS THE THINGS YOU LEARNED BAKER BEACH WITH 20 PEOPLE HAD BY 2013 68,000 IN THE HIGH NEVADA DESERT. TO DEVOTEES, BURNING MAN IS A NOT-TO-BE-MISSED ANNUAL SPIRITUAL, CULTURAL AND INDIVIDUAL REAWAKENING. TO THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER ATTENDED, IT MAY APPEAR TO BE A CHAOTIC, DUSTY, ANYTHING- TROUTMAN. "THE EXPERIENCE OF GOING BACK REPEATEDLY PREVIOUSLY," HE SAYS. "THIS YEAR, I STAYED LONGER TO GET DEEPER INTO THE EXPERIENCE, BOTH AS A PHOTOJOURNALIST AND A PARTICIPANT." EACH PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES BURNING MAN DIFFERENT- GOES WEEK IN THE DESERT. TO MONTEREY PHOTOJOURNALIST LY—AND IT'S NOT FOR THE WEAK OR FAINT OF HEART. "IT'S A SONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGE HE'S ALWAYS SOUGHT. PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY," TROUTMAN SAYS. "YOU'RE MICHAEL TROUTMAN HOWEVER, IT'S EXACTLY THE KIND OF PERAND HE'S PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. THE THEME OF THIS YEAR'S BURNING MAN WAS "CARGO CULT," A REFERENCE TO POST-WORLD WAR II MELANESIA. CHALLENGING ADVENTURE ON MANY LEVELS: SPIRITUALLY, RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SURVIVAL. IT'S LIKE CAMPING ON MARS WITH 68,000 OF YOUR FRIENDS." BUT THE HARDSHIP BREEDS A STRONG CAMARADERIE AND A THERE, PEOPLE CONSTRUCTED CRUDE EFFIGIES OF AIRCRAFT COMMUNAL CARING FOR EACH OTHER THAT SEEMS TO BE MISS- WHO BROUGHT WITH THEM A BOUNTY OF RICHES. AND, IN WORLD." "BURNING MAN IS DEEPLY GRATIFYING IN UNEXPECT- IN THE HOPE OF LURING BACK THE AMERICAN SERVICEMEN THE CASE OF BURNING MAN, IT WORKED: NEARLY 70,000 PEOPLE WERE DRAWN TO THE BLACK ROCK DESERT OF NEVADA (CALLED "BLACK ROCK CITY" OR "THE PLAYA") FROM AUGUST ING IN TODAY'S SOCIETY—WHAT 'BURNERS CALL THE "DEFAULT ED AND PROFOUND WAYS," TROUTMAN ADDS. "I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO GO BACK." — Michael Chatf ield "CARGO CULT" "Burning Man 2013 courted the return of our benevolent Visitors from Elsewhere by constructing an enormous replica of their sky-craft," from the burningman.com theme announcement. "Every year there's a base on the Man, and this year it was a flying saucer. There was a piece of meteorite hung at the center. It was incredible to go in the thing. The view was spectacular." 102 C ARMEL M AG A Z I N E • H O L I D AY 2013

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