After days of heavy rain, thousands of attendees at the Burning Man festival in Nevada found themselves stranded in a swamp of mud. The festival's organizers announced on Monday that exodus operations had officially begun, allowing people to start packing up their camps and leaving the site. However, the journey out was a challenging one. The ancient lake bed where the festival takes place had started to dry and harden, but drivers still encountered deep puddles and muddy stretches along the 5-mile route to the nearest paved road. Despite the difficult conditions, some festival-goers remained in high spirits.

Kristine Rae, a physical therapist from Idaho, described her experience of hauling her truck through the mud, passing stranded vehicles along the way. She noted that even in normal years, leaving Burning Man can take up to 12 hours due to traffic, but this year, organizers urged attendees to consider postponing their departure until Tuesday to avoid a massive jam. On Monday night, after being postponed twice due to the weather, the festival's climax finally took place—the burning of a giant wooden effigy in the shape of a man. The event drew crowds who had braved the adverse conditions to witness the spectacle.

The journey home from Burning Man is often a lengthy one, with exodus traffic jams lasting six to nine hours. This year, the delays were exacerbated by the adverse weather conditions, with attendees being stranded since Sunday. The festival's remote location, 120 miles north of the nearest airport, created additional challenges for those trying to leave. The airport, which lacks the facilities to accommodate stranded travelers, cautioned attendees that it could not house them for long periods of time.

Despite the hardships, many attendees embraced the mayhem as part of the Burning Man experience. The festival's principles of self-reliance and communal effort were on full display, with people sharing warm clothes and phone chargers. Some even expressed excitement over the unique, albeit muddy, environment. Maggie Liu, a festival-goer, emphasized the importance of living in the moment, regardless of the weather. While most attendees were focused on getting home, authorities in Nevada were investigating a death at the festival site. The Pershing County sheriff reported that a person was found dead on the playa, but provided no further details.

Despite the challenges of this year's Burning Man, the community remained resilient. Festival-goers made the best of the situation, spreading positivity and camaraderie in the face of adversity. As the festival wrapped up, the organization emphasized the importance of safety and preparedness, highlighting the drills they conducted and their focus on the upcoming Exodus. With more than 70,000 people visiting Black Rock City each year to celebrate art and a counter-cultural community, Burning Man continues to be a significant event despite the occasional obstacles.