looks like a great time, thanks for taking the time to post all the pictures. it's great for all of us who didn't go, we appreciate it!!!
No, the salt surface does not regenerate itself, at least not fast enough to overcome the man-made damage. There has been a potash mining operation going on for years that, as a part of the mining process, removes salt making the thickness of the salt cruse thinner with each passing year. There's a campaign to pump the leftover salt back onto the flats in the form of brine and it has helped reverse the mining effects, but it will never be what it once was. More info here http://www.saltflats.com/save the salt.html Thicker = better. Thicker = longer course = faster (400mph cars) can run. As it is now, I don't think that there is enough room for the fastest cars to slow down. I'm certainly no expert here, but I overheard one Bonneville vetran say that the best conditions are for the ground water level to be only an inch or so below the surface of the salt. His reasoning was that a certain level of moisture was needed for best traction.....don't know, could be total B.S.
The Jalopy Journal
