If you’re one of the dedicated folks on the ‘turns all year’ program (or even if not), you know that September is one of the hardest months of the year to find skiable surfaces in the Northern Hemisphere. However, a fundraiser is hoping to remedy that in the most unlikely of places: the Nevada desert.
More specifically, the Black Rock City Snow Club (BRCSC) is hoping to bring their ski slope back to the Black Rock Desert playa and help skiers and snow aficionados get their turns in at Burning Man.
Each year since 2023, BRCSC has built dry ski slope on the playa at Burning Man. Started in 2021, BRCSC has evolved from one of Burning Man’s theme camps for skiers and snowboarders to a full-on mini ski resort. Now, the slope has seen hundreds, even thousands, of riders and is complete with a rental shop and, as of 2024, a kicker.
via Black Rock City Snow Club Facebook
The BRCSC is run by Dylan Hogan and Rachael Gingery, who have poured a significant amount of their personal finances as well as time and energy into it. Given that the slope is technically a “theme camp,” and not an “installation,” BRCSC is ineligible for grant funding from the Burning Man Organization. Now, the two are asking their community for help to bring the slope back to Black Rock City this year.
The BRCSC is in need of $25,000 by August 15 in order to fund storage for the slope, transportation and logistics, and safety upgrades and electrical improvements. The pair has started a GoFundMe, which as of August 13 had raised more than $17k.
“We’re not billionaires. We don’t have an art car, and we’re not a sound camp. In hindsight, that probably would have been much easier. Instead, we bring one of the most unique interactive experiences to playa, along with a full ‘rental’ fleet and the campers to staff it and keep people safe,” reads the fundraiser site.
The fundraiser has garnered single donations of up to $5,000, a true testament to the Burning Man community and support for the BRCSC. However, the page also notes that they’re not the only Burning Man camp that has struggled this year, and despite the attempts to raise funds by holding events in the Bay Area, the BRCSC is still working for a bit more resources before the festival kicks off on August 30, 2026.
