After much deliberation, and the unfortunate combination of a variety of factors, we regret to inform you that the Black Rock International Burner Hostel Theme Camp has been cancelled for Burning Man 2008.

Hagey, Kiwi, and myself, Irish, have regretfully been forced into this decision by a wide variety of factors, and we have not taken this
decision lightly. The Burner Hostel has operated and grown for nine years now, but it has not been easy. Every year, we have put in huge amounts of time, effort, and money, and sadly, this is no longer sustainable. Kiwi and myself are no longer able to justify the large
impact that running a large project on a different continent has on our default world lives, while Hagey, after years of basing the
camp out of his home, no longer has the energy or desire to do what he would need to do to sustain the momentum of the BRIBH, and wants to pursue some other dreams while he is still young enough, and healthy enough, and has enough rapidly diminishing capital left, to do so.

The BRIBH has only ever been possible through the use of Hagey's place in Sparks, but this has entailed the total conversion of his house from a home into a virtual military base in the months prior to the burn. While this is great fun for everyone who comes over to the Burn, it represents an 3 month period of the year where Hagey is unable to enjoy the use of his home, has no privacy, puts him at stressful odds with neighbors and local authorities, and consumes his financial resources, personal energy, and so on. After 11 years, Hagey needs his personal space back, and sadly, without a base in the Reno area, this camp is just not feasible.

Kiwi and I share many of the same feelings as Hagey - for the past 4 years, we have willingly and enjoyably helped construct and expand the BRIBH, but to do so, we have had to assume huge responsibility, sacrifice our own time and much of our own money, and have suffered a serious reduction in our ability to enjoy burningman itself. We feel that we have given enough to the Burner Hostel, and would like to go to burningman without any responsiblities, to just have fun!!! Not an unreasonable position, as we hope you agree...

The combination of these factors - Hagey needing his life back, Kiwi and I wanting to enjoy Burningman more than we have been, has rendered the Burner Hostel a non-viable proposition for 2008. We hope you understand, and do not feel too bad about this. As it is only April, you should have plenty of time to find another camp to join, or to join forces with other Campmates.

Therefore, in order to allow previous hostel campmates to communicate amongst themselves and make alternative arrangements, we will be leaving the website and bulletin board up for now... Either way, we do hope to see you at Burning Man 2008, having a great
time, the sort of great time we hope to be having ouselves!! Thanks for being involved with the Black Rock International Burner
Hostel, and good luck!!

Whether the BRIBH will rise from the ashes and be reborn, in glory, for the 2009 Burn, is entirely up to the REST of the BRIBH Family.
The BRIBH is a Beautiful Thing and deserves to be preserved.

Much Love,
Hagey, Kiwi, & Irish