MOOP Map Live 2012: Day 4 Results

Hello out there, all you MOOP maniacs and line sweepers extraordinaire! After a nail-biting interlude, we are BACK with the results of the next round of MOOP Map Live 2012. Our brave Playa Restoration moopers are nearly done combing Black Rock City, and let me tell you, this year they’re going above and beyond to cover more of the city than has ever been mooped!

Some of you diehard fans out there have noticed that there’s a significant delay between when each round wraps up, and when we post the score here. That’s because mooping is an art and a science! Read on to find out more.

Each morning, D.A. and the Playa Restoration team review the current map and lay out a plan for the day. Photo by Vertumnus; click for full size.

How the MOOP Map is Made

When you’re working in the middle of nowhere and details matter, your most important tool is your GPS unit. DPW’s tech wizard Bubblegique maintains a GPS-coordinated map of the entire Burning Man site. Throughout the season, everything from art sites, to roads, to photographs can be added to that map. As the MOOP Line wends its way through the city, it adds its own records of hot spots and other significant locations.

The key players here are the Scribes, a team of no-nonsense, hard-working women whose job is to record everything accurately. They’re equipped with GPS units, as well as tablet computers with block-by-block maps of the city. As the MOOP Line discovers hot spots, the scribes note exactly what was found. They color each block of the map while it’s being walked, and record GPS locations for significant hot spots.

Make Out Queen records a hot spot. Photo by Vertumnus; click for full size.

At the end of the day, all the Playa Restoration team leaders meet at the Black Rock Saloon, and the Scribes fill in the physical map to match the maps on their computers. The rest of the team leaders discuss the day’s results and make a plan for the following day.

MOOP Map Coloring Party. Photo by Vertumnus. Map blurred for your protection!

Still, the map isn’t done yet! Next it goes to D.A., Playa Restoration Manager. He verifies each block, checks the Scribes’ notes and makes a higher-quality MOOP Map which we can then share with you on this blog.

Finally, all the GPS hotspots will be matched with the map, all the data double- and triple-checked — and THEN, only then will we see the final, high-resolution MOOP Map 2012 in all its detail and glory!

Day 4 Results

With no further ado, here is the next set of scores. On Day 4, the MOOP Line marched all the way from 7:00 to 10:00 between Foxglove and Iris, then turned around and marched right back to 7:00 between Columbine and Foxglove!

Click to enlarge!

MOOP Map Legend:

Today’s speed: SLOW.

GREEN: GO! GO! GO! The Line Sweep moves quickly because it’s clean. Minimal time and effort spent in this location.
YELLOW: Caution! The Line Sweep moves at a stop-and-go pace. Moderate time and effort spent in this location.
RED: Full stop. The Line Sweepers are on their hands and knees. A ton of MOOP. Extensive time and effort in this location.

Yikes! Well, Black Rock City, you threw us a few curve balls today. With scattered hot spots and yellow zones — even a few surprise red zones — stretching all the way from 8:30 to 10:00, our MOOP Line Sweep just couldn’t get a rhythm going. But they powered through for another victory nonetheless, and you can be sure that those blocks are now spotless and ready for the BLM inspection!

How did your camp fare? Did the results surprise you? What was your MOOP prevention strategy this year? What will you do differently next time?

We’ll be back real soon with more results and updates from the field. ‘Til then, this is The Hun signing off.

Photos by Vertumnus. MOOP Meter by Ballyhoo Betty!

About the author: The Hun

The Hun

The Hun, also known as J.H. Fearless, has been blogging for Burning Man (and many other outlets) since 2005, which is also the year she joined the BRC DPW on a whim that turned out to be a ten-year commitment. Since then she's won some awards for blogging, built her own creative business, and produced some of the Burning Blog's most popular stories and series. She co-created a grant-funded art piece, "Refoliation," in 2007, and stood next to it watching the Man burn on Monday night during a full lunar eclipse. She considers that, in many ways, to have been the symbolic end of Burning Man that was. The Hun lives in Reno with DPW Shade King, Quiet Earp. You may address her as "The Hun" or "Hun". If you call her "Honey" she reserves the right to cut you.

32 Comments on “MOOP Map Live 2012: Day 4 Results

  • Thumper says:

    Playa Restoration team ROCKS! Thanks so much to all of you for what you do!

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  • Mudley says:

    Most of our camp was green, with the exception of a little red dot. Is there any way we can find out what was left behind?

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  • Willow says:

    I’m sad.

    We tried SO hard to prevent MOOP during the burn and spent a solid 30 minutes combing through our site after in a line getting all the little bits. We also had a very small, simple camp with very little equipment and basically nothing that could break up or blow away.

    and we got Yellow (corner or 5:45 and H)

    :(

    Thank-you so much for what you do, restoration team. You’re amazing.

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  • durgy says:

    Thanks for the update The Hun! I believe today (it is 3 October already here) is inspection day. I a nervous, hopeful and excited for y’all. May all undiscovered MOOP stay buried until the BLM Inspectors are between Gerlach and Empire!

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  • Wrath says:

    I take it Distrikt never got the DanzKleen™ memo.

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  • Katy Tahja says:

    Those of us in the Mobility Camp near 6 and Center Camp are expectantly waiting!

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  • X says:

    You guys rock! Thanks for all the hard work!
    Looks like we held up our end and left it all green!

    PleasureFist @9:15 And E street. (Our perfect LNT record continues!)

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  • Balance says:

    I can’t read the map/camp names. Can you post a bigger map?

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  • G says:

    @durgy,
    In my book buried undiscovered moop is as bad or worse than the other kind.
    Think long term here. How will this designated zone at the south end of the playa look 10 or 20 years from now after as many burns have occurred if undiscovered moop build up? I have found undiscovered moop every year I have attended, starting in 2003.
    folks, we all have to LNT!!! There is not alternative.

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  • Franko says:

    i’m surprised and sad to see our camp (8:45 & G) got a yellow rating! we are ALWAYS so diligent during and after the burn to clean our camp, and even go through our neighbor’s camps. is there any way to find out more info about a particular site? we combed, sifted and swept our site, and as our camp contact, i’d love to know what we missed, and how we can improve.

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  • The Hun says:

    Mudley, what’s your camp address? I’ll do what I can!

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  • durgy says:

    @G – It’s the difference between reality and ideal. Ideally each person never lets anything hit the ground and the entire map is green. In fact, ideally, Playa Restoration sprints the length of the City site, never once slowing down to pick anything up, and there are hugs and fanny pats all around. My comment is more geared to wishing the event a clean inspection – now delayed until 17 October, stay tuned – rather than condoning MOOP in any fashion.

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  • Durian says:

    According to the Day 4 Map, 52% of the public toilet areas are not clean.

    15 are not yet mapped (7 are on the playa)
    10 are green
    9 are red
    2 are yellow

    What is the primary MOOP in these areas?

    Thanks for all your diligent work!

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  • Grady says:

    Way to go Emerge-n-See InTentsIV Care Unit !
    We are the only green in a whole block of yellow (behind the real med-tent on the corner of 9:00 & D).
    I hope that our placer (Scar) takes note…

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  • The Hun says:

    Willow, don’t be sad!!! You did great! One little hotspot is not a big deal. Thanks for keeping it green. That spot was some wood chips, it sounds like.

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  • The Hun says:

    Wrath – I know DISTRIKT works very hard on picking up MOOP, but they have a very high level of traffic and TONS of trash to deal with. Yes, they can improve, but I know for sure they are trying to get better all the time.

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  • The Hun says:

    Katy – thanks for being so patient!! It’s coming soon!

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  • The Hun says:

    X – YEAH! great job. way to keep it green year after year.

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  • The Hun says:

    Balance – yes! It takes a few months for us to come up with the finalized map, but it will be published eventually.

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  • The Hun says:

    G – too true. Those buried carpets will be the death of us someday.

    durgy – I too hope&pray for a clean inspection, followed by a MOOP-free year. ;)

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  • The Hun says:

    Franko – Which side of 8:45 and G were you on? I’ll see what I can find out.

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  • Mudley says:

    @The Hun: We were at 7:40 & Hyacinth, second camp in from 7:45, across the street from the most dangerous game camp.

    Thanks!

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  • Felony says:

    Can someone- perhaps the Hun, explain the solid 7.5 block of yellow line? It looks odd on the day 5 map. It’s disconcerting to many camps who have been chatting on Eplaya and FB about it. Please identify if possible the contents of the 7.5 block of moopiness between E and F.

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  • Felony says:

    Maybe I should have been clearer in my above post. Not the 7.5 block, but 7.5 blocks, right in a line, on the 3 o’clock side of the city, pure yellow between E and F.

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  • John says:

    When can we find out about day #5 MOOP map ?? Our camp is on the part that hasnt been released yet. Thanks !!

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  • Jeremy AKA CNC says:

    The hun,
    We still wandered out to the playa with the kids Saturday and on our way across to see Trego hot springs we found city streets and we were quite depressed that within a half hour we mooped around the 2:00 and esplanade and found what would amount to about 3 cups worth of moop :-( Don’t get me wrong I am not critiquing the efforts of the moop army but found myself depressed.

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  • Franko says:

    hello, Hun — i’m sorry, i got confused looking at the map (*cough* my eyes aren’t what they used to be… larger map please, haha) — our section was actually GREEN this year. thank you for responding, and all the work you do!

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  • The Hun says:

    Mudley – Good news bad news! The red line is from pine needles that apparently blew over from the other side of the street.

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  • The Hun says:

    Felony, sorry it took me a bit but I have responded to all the comments from that day. I am especially interested in your comment that the MOOP Map was different at Decom. I’ll ask my team about that (I live in Reno so didn’t see it there) and see if there are changes I should know about. Can you tell me what the differences were?

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  • The Hun says:

    Jeremy AKA CNC – I’m not surprised! Sadly (as you can see on the final map) that was one of the messier spots. We spent a LOT of time there, but because of the dust and the amount of MOOP, it’s likely that more will be uncovered with wind and rain. THANK YOU for stopping by to do your part, that means a lot.

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  • Felony says:

    Hun,
    I’ve messaged you on your website. I have a photo of the map posted at decom I can Email you-or you can find the picture on my Facebook page.

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