June 19-23
North Ghost Campground
What is BLB?
BLB is not an official burn, but it is organized by passionate and experienced burners, and heavily based in burner culture and experience. We aim to abide by the Burning Man 10 Principles (11 including consent), and to create an amazing experience for everyone.
We plan to host a variety of fun events, burn some art, and enjoy time with a wonderful community. As we are confirming numbers, you can anticipate the event having between 40-60 people.
A couple things that are different from an official burn:
- There will be no formal Rangers, security, medical teams on site, however we do have safety plans and support
- Unstaffed, self-serve gate with a code (no ‘off hours’ or re-entry fees)
- No open fires, therefore no open field “Big Burns” – all art burns must fit inside (large) fire pits
- No ice for sale
- Pets permitted (all animals must be ‘registered’ & confirmed by us in advance)
Site information
Location:
North Ghost Campground, a hidden gem in the Ghost – Waiparous Creek area (closest town: Cochrane, ~45 min/53km)
Amenities:
- Vault toilets (4 at group site, plus throughout campground)
- Shelter building with tables & fireplace
- Dumpsters
- “Non-potable” well water pump
- Picnic tables at campsites
- Free firewood
- 2 large group fire pits (one with cooking grate)
We are using a large group camping area for most events and group connection, which will host some sleeping structures. The rest will be a ~5 minute walk away, with lots of space available within/between individual camping spaces (if desired). The space includes a beautiful private forest walk & river access. The river is clean & floatable and you may see various wildlife.
No cell service within campground, but the edge of the service zone is a short drive away, if you need to pop out to make a call or check messages.
Schedule
Friday June 19th – Monday June 22nd
Arrival: 10am onward on June 19
Departure: off site by 2pm June 23
Please fill out the form to join the event, and include when you plan to arrive, so we know when to expect you, and can support you getting settled.
Quiet Hours: 11:00 pm to 7:00 am daily (but site is HUGE so there are areas to go where music wouldn’t bother neighbours after hours)
The core organizing team will be on site on June 18 to get things set up.
Getting there and getting around
The campground is 1h15min from Calgary on a lovely drive through the Waiparous Creek area on Forestry Trunk Road (Hwy. 40). Once you reach the “Ghost Public Land Use Zone” sign and cattle gate, the road switches to rough gravel that can kick up dust when dry and create poor visibility. Drive safe! Only 13km more to go! When you reach the fork in the road, keep left at the “North Ghost Recreation Area” sign. As you cross the bridge, the main public beach is on your left. Continue straight to all loops and finally the gate to the group site at the top of the hill. Once you get up, our greeter will direct you where to set up your tent/trailer.
The entire campground & river access area is walkable and bikeable. There’s a fairly steep hill up to the group site from the camping loops. To walk all the way from the entry bridge to the group site would take approx. 20 min. on foot.
PLEASE NOTE: The group site’s online presence is a bit confusing. What we call “North Ghost Campground” is listed on Google Maps as “Ghost Airstrip Provincial Recreation Area”, but our group site is the North Ghost Group Camp, NOT the one listed as “North Ghost Airstrip Group Use”. Check the coordinates/directions provided.
There’s no cell service on portions of the drive or within the campground, so plan accordingly. Downloading your driving route & music to your phone before departure would be a good idea.
Camp fees
Camp fees will be finalized when we have our final headcount, as they depend on the final number of camping structures.
Expected cost for the weekend will be around $120 per adult (kids attend for free). The majority of the cost is going towards the campsite itself, which does include a lot of amenities, such as our own portos, unlimited firewood, and extra infrastructure like picnic tables and fir pits. In addition to that, we will have additional infrastructure (like the cuddle tent and sound system), as well as one group meal, and a hot drink station always available.
Your organizing team leads
If you would like to contribute to the event, please reach out to the respective lead.
Registration (logistics, fees and general questions) – Leah
Events (register your events)- Holleay
Burn Art (building and burning) – Chris
Burn Safety and FAST – Rose
Power and Sound (solar!)- Matt
Communal spaces (decorating and set up) – Nelle
Portos (lighting and supplies) – Mary
Greeting and Orientation – Robyn
Sober Safety (ensuring there will always be sober people on shift) – Nick
Leave No Trace – Graham
Kitchen (keeping our kitchen space organized) – Looking for someone!
‘Centre Camp’ (tea and coffee station) – January
Gifts and Swag (fun things to remember the event) – Berkeley