Every June, nestled in the valleys of Colorado, Apogaea emerges as a temporary city born of fire, freedom, and radical expression. It’s the state’s official Burning Man Regional, an art-forward, nonprofit-run gathering built by volunteers and bound together by the Nevada gathering’s Ten Principles. It’s a love letter to weirdness, an ode to community, and a challenge to your comfort zone. And this year? It was all of that… plus something else entirely.
Cheesus Crust Rises Again
I’ve been to four Burns, and each one has left its mark on me. This time, I came in as a camp lead for Cheesus Crust, our grilled-cheese-slinging temple of crispy devotion.
We run a late-night food camp that hands out the Body of Crust from 1–3:00 AM. This was my first time taking a leadership role, and I was melted with excitement, ready to feed the hungry masses and lose myself in the magic.
Apogaea Begins
We got down to Valdez on Tuesday night, and rather than setting up in the dark, we played it smart and got a hotel. Come Wednesday morning, we were boots on the ground and camp set up by noon.
And then, because no Burn is complete without a little chaos, the skies opened up. Rain, hail, and a mini river tried to drown our spirits, but we danced through it, in true Burner fashion.
By sunset, rainboots on, we were out exploring. Glamageddon was glowing with fire and oddball humor. Happy Tap, my favorite sound camp, was already vibing.
Mud, Art and a Whole Lot of Heart
Even though the rain had delayed a lot of infrastructure, the camps showed up strong. We saw stages inside fake restaurants, cult classics like the Tower of Redundancy, and art installations that made the mud disappear from our minds.
Thursday night brought our first successful grilled cheese service. Hundreds of happy burners gathered, the crust was hot, the vibes were warmer than the temps (which stayed stubbornly in the 30s).
The News That Broke the Burn
But then, Friday morning, everything changed.
Word spread quickly: the event had been canceled. Reports of non-consensual drug dosing led to a decision by the Apogaea board and safety teams to shut everything down. We had 12 hours to pack up and leave.
We say it all the time: you don’t get the burn you want; you get the burn you need. This year tested my radical self-reliance, my radical acceptance, and honestly, my radical adaptability.
Despite the snark and disappointment from some corners, I still believe in this community. I believe in the messy beauty of what we’re creating out there. Even with just a fraction of the event completed, the art, the laughter, and the care we showed one another — that was real. That was Apogaea.
See You at the Next Spark
I’ll see you all at Elsewhence, and hopefully at next year’s “Fullgaea.” To DPW, the weirdos, the artists, the crust disciples, and the rangers: I love you. Keep it snarky, Keep it sacred, Keep it safe.
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