Sawt Falasteen - 'Burners' at drenched desert party inch toward exodus

With the sun now shining on the colorful makeshift community of 70,000 people called Black Rock City, organizers said that the official exit process known as the "Exodus" should begin later in the day.

"Gate road remains a bit too muddy and there is still too much standing water along it for large numbers of vehicles to safely navigate out of the event this morning, but it is drying up," they said a statement.

They called on people to remain at the site -- a dried-up lakebed in a remote patch of the Nevada desert -- until Tuesday to avoid massive congestion on the way out.

Festival-goers have been stranded since torrential rains, described as two to three months' worth in the space of hours, came down Friday night and Saturday, turning the venue into a quagmire.

So-called "Burners" wearing trademark outlandish outfits trudged through the thick, sticky mud with plastic bags as boots or in bare feet.

Some left on foot, hiking for hours in the middle of the night to make it to the nearest road and hitch a ride back to civilization. The closest airport is a three hour drive away in Reno.

- Abandoned camps -

But David Date, one participant, complained Monday on CNN about people fleeing and leaving gear and trash behind -- breaking the festival's core principle of "no-trace" sustainability.

"They're leaving their entire campsites behind, ditching their cars, their trash, their tents," Date said. "Everyone's got to stick it out."

All events at the annual counterculture gathering were canceled when rain tore down structures for dance parties, art installations and other entertainment.

The festival -- for which tickets cost hundreds of dollars -- culminates each year with the ceremonial burning of a 40-foot (12-meter) effigy.

That had been postponed until Monday evening, but organizers gave no confirmation in their latest update.

They asked people to not attempt the arduous walk out, saying anyone needing a ride should gather at a central location and prepare for a long wait.

"All participants are expected to pack out everything they brought in and clean their camp space before leaving," the statement added.

Dozens of vehicles, mostly recreational motor homes, were stuck in the mud on the roads out, presenting a major logistical challenge.

Mobile cellphone trailers have been deployed and the site's wireless internet was opened for public access, but connections remained patchy.

Police have said they were probing one death, without giving further details.

Last year, the festival contended with an intense heat wave and strong winds.

Launched in 1986 in San Francisco, Burning Man aims to be an undefinable event, somewhere between a celebration of counterculture and a spiritual retreat.

It has been held since the 1990s in the Black Rock Desert, a protected area in northwest Nevada, which the organizers are committed to preserving.

A.Suleiman--SF-PST