[06.29.01 SALT LAKE] Mysterious tree. [BIGGER]

[SALT LAKE CITY] :: Bound for a mysterious place called the Sun Tunnels, where the regional burn called Synorgy would take place, I headed west along the southern edge of the Great Salt Flats. At one point, I passed a strange concrete tree topped with a cluster of giant globes. It was really hot outside as I neared the turnoff for the Bonneville Flats, which was for many years, the location of many land speed record runs. Man-made changes in the water table have rendered the surface useless for high-speed vehicles. Black Rock is now the place where the records are set. On September 25, 1997, I stood on a hill at the edge of the playa and watched a 7-ton rocket car exceed 763 MPH, setting a new world record.

[06.29.01 SALT LAKE] Getting closer... [BIGGER]

[06.29.01 SALT LAKE] Found it! [BIGGER]

The temperature gauge climbed as the engine began to sputter and I coasted off to the side of the highway and shut it down. I was in the process of removing the cowling to allow convection cooling, when a vehicle pulled up behind. It was a fellow burner passing in the other direction and he spun around when he recognized the Seed in distress. His name was Heyouu and he was headed for Nebraska to see a mutual friend, the notorious Cap’n Crunch, who I had met during the early days of Jasmine Technologies. Now, we're hacking the culture itself.

After restarting the engine, I bid him good journey and we went in different directions. Driving on for another hour, I climbed out of the valley and into the cooler mountains. The Seed ran smoothly after cresting a point called Silverzone Pass. The driving instructions for Synorgy were much like early Burning Man, vague and cryptic. Getting lost was part of the experience. The first couple of years, I painted a large white dot on the asphalt to indicate the playa turnoff. Go for 12 miles and then turn left. A few degrees off and you missed the camp. The 1993 Burning Man Survival Packet included a small plastic, nonmagnetic compass to help participants find their way. You have to really want to be here.

[06.29.01 SALT LAKE] The Sun Tunnels. [BIGGER]

After leaving the asphalt, I drove down dusty roads for an hour, backtracking, rereading the instructions and taking the 2nd left or the next turn, which may or may not be clearly indicated. Finally, I arrived at a fork in the road where a Synorgy sign had been posted. The arrow pointed directly between the two roads. I now had a 50-50 chance of making the right choice. Choosing one and driving for a few miles more, I came upon a vast plain surrounded by mountains. I noticed a distant encampment and took another road which seemed to go in that direction. The Sun Tunnels are 4 large concrete culverts placed on the ground in such a manner that there is a solar alignment on the day of the Summer and Winter equinoxes. An assortment of vehicles now formed an encampment around this modern day Stonehenge.

When I pulled up, they were just beginning to erect a couple of wooden figures, one male, one female, in preparation for the evening activities.

[06.29.01 SALT LAKE] Fire performance. [BIGGER]		[06.29.01 SALT LAKE] The Burn. [BIGGER]

Synorgy consisted of about 90 people, including 3 Black Rock Rangers, who actually patrolled the camp when they weren't being nekked.

[06.29.01 SALT LAKE] Fairies. [BIGGER]		[06.29.01 SALT LAKE] Lion. [BIGGER]		[06.29.01 SALT LAKE] Crowd. [BIGGER]

The evening was filled with burning activity, costuming and even a theater performance. A group known as SLT (Street Legal Theater) produced a short and humorous skit, which involved a fairy, a troll, golden treasure, and a ghost dance.

	[06.29.01 SALT LAKE] SLT [BIGGER]

I went to Synorgy … and survived… and flourished.

The kids are all right.

-Danger Ranger

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