Dust clouds sweep through Burning Man

BLACK ROCK CITY, Nev. — Another Burning Man, another round of dust storms.

Massive clouds of dust swept the Black Rock Desert on Tuesday, where an estimated 70,000 people have built a temporary city for the week.

Dust is an ever-present factor at Burning Man, and everyone tries to cope. Facemasks and goggles are standard, and people who breathe in too much of the fine alkali dust can suffer temporary respiratory problems.

Oops! Burning Man stuck upside-down, headless

The dust coats people and cars equally, and RV owners try to seal their windows shut against the president wind and what it carries.

After Burning Man, car washes in the Reno area charge high prices as rental-car drivers wait hours to have the persistent dust vacuumed, wiped and polished away.

The dust is as much a part of the "playa" experience as the late-night dance parties, bare skin and gifting economy, but not everyone loves it: Everyone flying home via Reno must bag their luggage to prevent it from contaminating all the other bags.