Update from the site - 6/28/13

The Gathering is feeling peaceful and folks are coming home.  The weather has warmed up to 80 degrees daytime and 50's at night.  It should stay this way for a while.

Water lines are still being layed so the lower area still has no water to it. Folks are encouraged to bring 3 to 4 gallons of bottled water per person to make sure you have some.

The Forest Service is being cooperative.  They have changed the nudity order to just on the roads so once you are in the site you don't have to worry about it.

If you are having a medical issue or are sick please go to C.A.L.M. or Info to ask for help.  There are plenty of Doctors, Nurses, EMTs, Natural healers at the gathering who can help you, it is not necessary to leave the gathering and go anywhere else.

As of 6/27/13 only 13 tickets have been issued for various reasons.  Please drive in a legal vehicle, make sure all your lights and turn signals work and you've got your registration and driver's license with you. The Montana Highway Patrol and the Beaverhead Sherrifs Dept. are watching the roads and the Montana Highway Patrol is headquartered in the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge.  

Drive safely and Welcome Home!

Welcome Home

Updated 6/24/13 12:45 Am Montana Time

Bless the sky above, the earth below, the wind in the trees and the water in the creek. Love each other even when you don't like each other. Walk gently on the earth and on your family and come home to this special place where we really try to love and respect each other, cook for each other, make music for each other and laugh together. 

July 4th Prayer/Meditation for World Peace

Dawn until high noon.
Please respect the silence and hold it (or the om) until ALL the children make it to the center of the circle.
Feel the power of thousands of people meditating, praying, blowing bubbles, doing Tai Chi/yoga for world peace and the positive evolution of the planet.
Participate in creating the peace we want to experience every day around the world.

 ~~~ Rap 107 ~~~

Please protect this Beautiful Land

Walk softly.  Harm no living thing.  Harmonize - Blend in.  Use only down, dead wood.  Do not cut living trees.  Preserve the Meadows . . . camp in the Woods.  And remember, We are caretakers of this land.

Everyone sharing makes a strong Human Tribe!

Please Protect the Water Sources by staying out of DELICATE spring areas.  Avoid camping, peeing or washing above spring areas.  Keep ALL soap out of streams, springs or the creek!  Use a bucket to take your bath 300 feet away from the water source.  To be certain drinking water is safe: boil it for ten minutes at a rolling boil!

Use the slit trenches or covered latrines - cover your paper & waste with ashes or lime, wash hands afterwards.  Break the fly/illness connection: shit-fly-food-you!  Dig no shitters near water areas or kitchens.

Protect our Health!

Use your own cup, bowl & spoon!  Wash them after eating and rinse in bleach-water. Go to C.A.L.M. if you feel ill - especially if you have a contagious disease - or are injured.

Camp Together – Establish neighborhoods.  Community Fires only!  Keep a 5 gallon bucket of water and shovel nearby for Fire Protection. If you are the last to leave a fire PUT IT OUT!  Please, NO fireworks!  Keep you camp secure.  “Tempt Not Lest Ye Be Lifted From.”

Pets are discouraged, but if you must bring them, keep them fed, on a leash and out of the kitchens, springs & fights.  Clean up their poop.  Love them.

 * * PACK IT IN  - PACK IT OUT !!! * *

Cleanup begins when you arrive.  Please bring only what is necessary.  There is no janitor here . . . YOU are the cleanup crew.  Separate Garbage for recycling.  Please DON’T LITTER - Find a collection point.  Compost in pits only.

You are the Gathering!

Participate and Volunteer!  Participate in Shanti Sena (the peace keepers council), work crews, workshops, councils and all activities.  Volunteer wherever and whenever needed: kitchens, welcome home, fire watch, parking lot, shitter digging, supply, front gate, etc.  R-E-S-P-E-C-T your Sisters’ & Brothers’ energies.

Keep the Balance: Earth, Sky, Trees, Water & People!

Alcohol is Discouraged, Guns are Inappropriate, Violence is contrary to the Spirit.  Please do not take pictures or videos of people without asking their permission first.  Discourage Drug Abuse.

Buying and selling endangers our right to be here.  The Magic Hat is our Bank, please donate early to fund our needs.  The Magic Hat goes around at Dinner Circle and with the Magic Hat Band.

Our power together is many times our power separated.

Enjoy the Rainbow with an open heart and you Will see the Vision.

There seem to problems with invasive weeds getting into Montana, that    travel in the undercarriage of vehicles traveling across the country.    Please stop at a car wash after entering the state.  Rinse off your car. Make sure you are not bringing in any invasive plants accidentally.

Directions (this is the site we used in 2000):

Fill up your gas tank before you leave the interstate.  No grocery store in Jackson. Last gas station is Wisdom and more expensive than off the interstate. Wisdom gas station open Mon-Sat 8 AM to 5 PMish for cash customers. Credit card customers can purchase gas 24/7.

From points east/south:

From Interstate 15 near Dillon, Montana (about 60 miles south of the Interstate 90/15 interchange). Take the MT-278 exit, EXIT 59, toward Jackson/Wisdom. 

From points west/north/Missoula: (revised 2nd time)

I've driven Hwy 93 from Missoula to the gathering and back. Great road. Crosses Contentienal Divide so a few twisty sections but the road is good.

From Interstate 90, Take the Reserve St exit, EXIT 101, toward I-90-BL/Hamilton/US-93 S.  Follow the signs to stay on HWY-93.  About 80 miles take MT-43 (which pops through Idaho and becomes ID-43 for about 1 mile). Drive 25-28 miles.   Turn right (south) onto MT-278. (MT-278 is 0.9 miles past Lower North Fork Rd If you reach Pine St you've gone a little too far)

Note to hitchhikers, if you thumbing it out of Missoula, make sure you're getting a ride as least as far as Jackson if not all the way home. First 35/45 miles has many little towns and stores, etc.  Many travelers are heading into Idaho and you might get stranded in the middle of nowhere at MT-43/Hwy 93.  Be prepared.

****From Jackson, Montana for all travelers****:

About a mile south of Jackson, turn onto SKINNER MEADOW ROAD heading south toward Idaho, big mountains, (good gravel/dirt road - please respect private ranches - drive slow, watch for cattle) Go 8.5 MILES, through fence and cattle guard into National Forest then take LEFT TURN and ONE LANE BRIDGE over creek (left turn is approx 1.5 miles before Van Houten Lake campground) to FRONT GATE ~ PARKING ~ BUS VILLAGE ~ HANDICAPPED PARKING WELCOME HOME!

See the topo map http://tinyurl.com/Montana2013map.  Or plug N 45.23845 W 113.43487 into your GPS or gathering map at bottom of this post.

The altitude is about 7,000 feet above sea level. Be prepared for days in the 60s & 70s and nights into the 30s.  Thunderstorms happen. Be prepared for rain.  Check the weather here.

 Just a friendly reminder, directions will probably change or additional details will change over the next week or so.  Check back for updated directions.

The site is the the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.  The local USFS offices is at 420 Barrett St. Dillon, MT 59725-3572. Visit the website.
USFS phone numbers:

• (406) 683-3900
• (406) 683-3913 (24-hour recorded information line)

Additional Transportation Information:

Butte, MT is the closest large city although I think Bozeman or Missoula are probably not much further and seem to have bigger airports.

Trailways operates service to Dillon, MT --  the closest city on the interstate and about 45 miles from the gathering site.  Call Trailways at 703-691-3052 between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

There is a Greyhound/Trailways stop at Jim's Smoke Shop, 25 E Helena, Dillon, MT 59725 that is open M-5 from 8 AM to 5 PM. Call (406) 683-6703.

• A bus leaves from Butte @ 7 AM and 7 PM daily to Dillon from 1324 Harrison Avenue Butte, MT 59701.
• There is a daily bus at 4 PM from Missoula Greyhound Station @ 1660 West Broadway Missoula, MT 59800. 
• There is a daily bus at 4:30 PM from Bozeman 1205 E Main Street Bozeman, MT 5971.

Misc. Information:

The closest grocery store is in Wisdom - about 30 miles from the gathering site. Gas is hard to come by once you're off the interstate as the few (very few) places that sell gas are not open 24/7 - although the Wisdom gas station allows pay at the pump with a credit card 24/7.  Be prepared. Always helps to bring 5 gallons of gas in a red jug in case you run short or to share with someone else as the case my be.

The USFS has information check points to look for probably cause to search you. Don't give it to them.  Click here (post on right side of blog) to learn more.

For the USFS map of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, click here.

   Please copy and distribute this information freely.
Ignore all rumors of cancellation.

We Love You!

Attention! Snow Advisory! Hold at Lower Elevations!

ATTENTION!! - Updated 11:32 PM on 6/23/13 Montana Time

We had lots of sunshine today on site and roads are passable now.    We had 6 inches of snow but it melted off this afternoon. Come on home!

SNOW ADVISORY AT RAINBOW GATHERING SITE!!
ROADS IMPASSABLE (SNOW AND ICE on roads)

DO NOT DRIVE UP TO THE SITE TODAY, SATURDAY THE 22nd! 
(And likely tomorrow as well)

Folks on site at the Montana Gathering got word out at 11am this morning (Saturday the 22nd) stating that they had a snowstorm last night which is continuing to a lesser degree this morning with occasional rain and hail. There is six inches of snow on the meadow currently, and the ROADS ARE CURRENTLY IMPASSABLE. People onsite are not able to get down to town, and folks in town should NOT try to drive up today.

Folks are being asked to STAY AT LOWER ELEVATIONS for the time being, until possibly Monday morning. It looks like tonight is the last night for below freezing temps, a bit of a warm up for a couple days with more precipitation expected on Tuesday. After Wednesday, the temps will warm up and a melt is expected, if it hasn't melted Sunday and Monday. The worry is that folks will go off the road into ravines. They are suggesting that ONLY folks with 4-Wheel Drive Vehicles try their luck today or tomorrow and only if entirely necessary.

Folks onsite are dealing with wet gear, improper shoes, and hypothermia because folks have arrived without proper gear. CALM (Medical Area) is not yet set up (nor is Lovin’ Ovens)

Currently set up in camp are KID VILLAGE (Same site as in 2000), Fat Kids, Rough and Ready, and Rumorz.

Again, please do NOT DRIVE UP TO THE SITE TODAY and probably not tomorrow either. Folks who planned to come down to town to set up a Town Meeting for this week and Porta-potties in town for folks driving in, are unable to get down to town today and likely tomorrow, so if ANYONE WANTS TO GET THESE TASKS STARTED, it would be greatly appreciated by those currently stuck onsite.

It is advised that people remember the Gathering in Utah in 2003 when trying to picture weather conditions. Come prepared. Weather is expected to warm up and look good after Wednesday. Hopefully, roads will thaw.

Ignore all rumors of cancellation.
But PLEASE heed warnings of delay.

Where Will the 2013 Gathering Be Held?

Usually when someone gets on my email list, this is the first information I send them. So to you out here in blogsphere, here's that same information.


From the invite to the very first Rainbow Gathering in 1972:

We, who are brothers & sisters, children of God, families of  life on earth, friends of nature & of all people, children of humankind calling ourselves Rainbow Family Tribe, humbly invite:

• All races, peoples, tribes, communes, men, women, children, individuals -- out of love.
• All nations & national leaders -- out of respect
• All religions & religious leaders -- out of faith
• All politicians -- out of charity

to join with us in gathering together for the purpose of expressing our sincere desire that there shall be peace on earth, harmony among all people. This gathering to take place beginning July 1, 1972, near Aspen, Colorado - or between Aspen &; the Hopi &p; Navajo lands - on 3000 acres of land that we hope to purchase or acquire for this gathering -- & to hold open worship, prayer, chanting or whatever is the want or desire of the people, for three days, but upon the fourth day of July at noon to ask that there be a meditative, contemplative silence wherein we, the invited people of the world may consider & give honor & respect to anyone or anything that has aided in the positive evolution of humankind & nature upon this, our most beloved & beautiful world -- asking blessing upon we people of this world & hope that we people can effectively proceed to evolve, expand, & live in harmony & peace.





In July 2012, Vision Council on the land in Tennessee called for the 2013 gathering to take place in Montana. ""We all celebrate that we feel the unity of the spirit and we recognize the oneness of heart as we have the desire to follow spirit calling us to beautiful Montana for the Annual Gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light in the Summer of 2013."

Thanksgiving Council

The next step in the process of landing on a site is Thanksgiving Council (T-Council) which takes place over the four day Thanksgiving Holiday in or near the area for the following gathering. This is a time of people to council and share their hopes and dreams for the 2013 gathering.  If you have potential sites you think are worthy of scouting in the spring, bring topo maps and forest service maps.  Directions to T-Council usually come out in the first half of November. Check back then.



Scout Council(s) or Scout Rendezvous

T-Council usually picks dates for one or two Scout Councils. Scout Councils/Rendezvous is a time for people out scouting to connect up, share information, talk about scouting efforts. As with all things Rainbow, no experience is necessary, just a desire to walk, learn, teach and share. If you come, please be self sufficient - have green energy for gas, food, etc. You don't need your own vehicle if you can be a positive traveling companion, but $$$ are always in short supply for scouting, so please bring enough for yourself and some to share with the person whose vehicle breaks down.

Spring Council

Spring Council is when all potential sites for the gathering are brought to any people who want to be involved in selecting a site. The council usually takes one to seven days and normally ends with either a consensus by silence among people at the council or an exodus of the majority of people heading to the preferred site.  T-Council picks a date for Spring Council but the exact location for this council generally isn't determined until one to two weeks before Spring Council starts.  Directions to Spring Council are available here.

For those of you who think the site is picked in advance and want to get the 411 now so you can book plane tickets.  I'm sorry, but there is no site picked at this time. That's being said, there aren't many commercial  airports in Montana.

Keep in mind that weather conditions (which are unpredictable) play a part in all of this. So let's say someone found a great site in August 2012 (and I have no knowledge that anyone did), for all we know come the first week of June that site is still under snow, then what? Keep in mind that 4 feet of snow at a gathering is rough and 2011 in Washington had far heavier snow than normal and much later in the season than normal. Snow levels played a part in where we landed. 

Drought and high fire danger can have the same effect. A great site that was nice and wet in August 2012 can be dry as a tinder box in June 2013. If the Forest Service has a no open fire ban on that site that looked so great last year, guess it's not looking that great this year. Available water can change year to year as well depending on snow melt.   Conditions change all the time.  The family needs to find the best possible site for the health and safety of gathering participants and the land on which we gather.


Seed Camp

Once Spring Council reaches a decision, people move onto the site and start Seed Camp. Seed Camp is about creating trails, building kitchens, digging shitters, taping springs and dealing with the United States Forest Service. Historically, law enforcement harassment is highest during Seed Camp so if you are planning on being there, take the necessary precautions to keep your self out of the system if you so choose.

The Gathering

The main day of the gathering is July 4 when we observe silence from dawn until high noon and put our energy into manifesting world peace, the positive evolution of the planet and other good things.  Many people observe this with a prayer or mediation for world peace. Others do Yoga for world peace, blow bubbles for world peace, etc. Basically, if it's a silent, gentle energy then it fits in very well.  As to when the gathering starts, that's dynamic.  It's usually one day during the last week of June when some friends and I look at each other and say "today it's a gathering."  (of course you may pick a different date than I do when it feels like a gathering and not like seed camp)  The earlier you come the more self sufficient you need to be and the rougher things with the Forest Service are. If you show up later, say after June 27, then most (but not all) of the drama has subsided.  Traditionally the dates are listed as July 1 to 7, but most years people start leaving in droves on July 5th.

Directions to the 2013 gathering are available here.

Ignore all rumors of cancellation or organization!

Live lightly with the Land and People!
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