This was the 4th trip Stratofox has taken to Black Rock for recreation and exploration. Previous trips were Stratofox 1 in September 2002, Stratofox 2 in August 2003 and Stratofox 3 in September 2006. The attendees were Brad Douglas KB8UYR, Ian Kluft KO6YQ, Rafael Skodlar KC6LBJ and Heather Stern KG6ZYC. All four are Stratofox team members. There were no attendees new to Stratofox seeking qualification for membership this time. We camped at Upper High Dry Lakebed like in Stratofox 2 and 3, but in a different location from the previous two trips. One of the differences from the previous camping trips was the recently-proposed idea that this part of the Black Rock Desert may lie within the deeply-eroded remains of an ancient impact crater. Everyone on this trip had some interest in looking for evidence of that. So some photos were taken just of the rocks, which were kept separate from the scenery and action shots. We expect each set of photos will be of interest to different groups of people. This is such a remote area that we don't want to encourage people who are unprepared to go so deep into the desert, away from potential help if anything goes wrong. The paths to this location have ravines on both sides in places, which we half-jokingly call the "sobriety checkpoint" because inattentive or careless drivers will fall off it. If any unprepared person goes here and gets stuck, it's too far to survive a walk back to civilization. It's also possible for a stranded person to die before anyone else comes along who could offer assistance. Do not attempt travel to this location unprepared or alone. See Stratofox's article, "How to avoid needing a rescue at Black Rock", for suggested preparations. You have been warned!
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