Call it a scouting trip, but I dragged Tubby with me up to the Black Rock Desert, just north of Gerlach. This is the desert area where Burning Man hosts its annual experiment in temporary community event. And sure enough, it's a desert, and yes, it's barren.

As you approach Black Rock Desert from the north along route 34, it's a fairly desolate plain.	A bit of shrubbery, and you find yourself at one of the three marked entrances to the playa.	The second one we bumped into was Eight Mile. Nicely graveled, although...
... a bit of a warning that if it's wet out there, you're likely going to get stuck. Very stuck.	Looking at the surface, you'd not believe it. But I guess if this is all dirt, it would be very sticky mud.	Some areas are more established for driving, but I suspect it would be just as icky in the rain.