Rainbow Gathering
It is estimated 6,000 people attended the Rainbow gathering at Big Sandy in the Wind River Mountains. Note that in late June, everything was lush and green. By late August, the area vegetation had dried out and is normally brown.
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First Parking Lot - June 30
There was concern over where to put all the vehicles. The Rainbows set up three parking areas at the lower, middle and upper entrances to the main meadow. From the parking areas, gatherers had a two- to three-mile hike into the main encampment.
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Hippy truck
This vehicle was here when we visited on June 30th. It was still in the lower parking area on August 25th. It had a flat tire and the interior was full of debris and looked like it had been ransacked and not driveable. This vehicle will have to be hauled away. It had a California license plate.
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Flat tire
Flat tire on the abandoned hippy truck.
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Hippy Truck
The exterior and interior of this abandoned vehicle were covered with hippy graffiti. The interior was full of debris.
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This hippy liked Country
The CD was left on the ground near the abandoned Hippy RV in the first parking lot.
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Candle Holder
This candle holder was left discarded in the 1st Rainbow parking lot.
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1st Parking Area
Other than the dead Hippy RV, this lot had no litter and impact on vegetation and ground appeared negligible. Brown vegetation is normal for this time of year from things drying out.
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Fruit Rinds
Fruit peels were left on the ground of the 1st parking lot.
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Bus Village Before
Bus Village on July 30th. In this photo, the main Big Sandy road is behind the photographer. The next "After" photo shows the parking lot view as if the photographer was went to the treeline and stood by the car at the left and turned around 180 degrees to take the picture.
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Bus Village After
"Bus Village," the middle parking lot and entrance into the Rainbow camp, was spotless. No litter, all signs had been removed, minimal apparent damage to vegetation. This view is looking in the opposite direction from the photo at left. The main Big Sandy Road is in the background along the treeline in this photo.
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Upper Parking Lot - After
This lot was also clean and we found no litter. There appeared to be no damage to vegetation or ground from all the vehicles that had been parked here. Cars parked all along both sides of the Sedgewick Meadows road on the right. The Forest Service had No Parking signs posted along the Big Sandy Road which runs from left to right. Rainbow gatherers hiked in from this point approximately a mile and a half into the trees on the left across the road to get to the main Rainbow camp area. The Big Sandy Opening meadows, further down the road off to the right, were posted off-limits to any of the Rainbow parking and camping activity (and anyone else from camping there also). Law enforcement made sure people stayed off those wet meadows during their patrol efforts.
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Trail Before
Trails were cleared and garbage bags for litter were tied to the trees all along the trail.
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Trail After
Sticks and rocks have been placed on top of the trail. This photo is taken close to the same location as the "Before" photo. The trail goes along a high berm between two lilly pad ponds.
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Trail After
Sticks, logs and rocks have been sprinkled across the access trail to disguise it.
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Reclaimed Fire pit
Fire pits have been filled back in and debris spread to try to make the spot look natural.
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Firepit - After
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Fire Circle - After
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Reclaimed firepit
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Scattered debris
Logs and rocks are scattered on top of the trail to the Rainbow camp.
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Sticks and rocks on trail
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Camp trails before
There were signs posted on many trees throughout the camp giving directions to the various encampments. There were also Missing signs for Garrett Bardin tacked to trees in the camps. In the "After" visit, all had been removed.
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Trail rehabilitation
"After" It is still fairly easy to tell where the old trails were, despite attempts to spread logs and rocks around to give a "natural" feeling to the forest floor. But we didn't find any litter. All signs that had been posted on trees, and stretched between trees, have been removed.
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Not-a-trail Trail
Attempts to disguise the trail through the forest by randomly throwing sticks and rocks across it effectively mark the path of the trail. Note the absence of ground debris in the forest area off to the right. Man has a hard time mimicking the "randomness" of nature.
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Big Fire Circle - Before
This was one of the biggest concern spots mentioned about impacts to the land from the Rainbow gathering.
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Big Fire Circle Pit - After
This is pretty close to the same spot the "Before" photo at left was taken of this big fire pit. The Information Booth was off through the trees on the right in this photo.
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Big Fire Circle - After
In this photo, the photographer went from the picture at left and walked straight ahead and around to the right a bit. The Information Booth and main meadow were to the left in this photo. The trail to Lovin Ovens and Juggler's Glen is off to the right.
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Welcome Commitee Site
These folks greeted people as they came into the area and were given directions on where to go. The firepit in this location was filled back in and attempts made to make the ground look as natural as possible.
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Hat on a log
Someone left their hat on a log.
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Lovin Ovens Camp - After
Many people camped and stayed in this area. We found no traces of their presence upon our return trip inspection. The ovens and main trail are behind the photographer in this angle. This is the general area of the food service set up for Lovin' Ovens.
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Spring - Before
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Spring - After
All hose line has been picked up and removed.
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Toilet paper
This was about all we found in the way of litter along the trails coming into the Rainbow Camp.
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Jugglers Glen - Before
In this photo, the photographer is standing on the main trail that goes by this encampment. Note the tree in the background, just to the right and behind the gal walking the tightrope, and the scar that runs up the length of the tree. The "After" photo next is taken as if the photographer took a few paces backwards from this point.
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Jugglers Glen - After
Trees appear undamaged from the ropes tied around them at Juggler's Camp. Note the tree with the scar that runs up the entire trunk as a reference point for orientation purposes.
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Kiddie Village Kitchen
In this photo, the main gathering meadow and trail into Kiddie Village are off to the photographer's left. The kitchen feedline area is behind the photographer and off to the right.
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Kiddie Village Kitchen - After
This photo is taken very close to the same spot as the "Before" photo just before this one. The main gathering meadow and trail out of Kiddie Village are to the photographer's left. The feedline setup area are to the right, behind the photographer.
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Kiddie Village trail
Kiddie Village is behind the photographer. The Information Booth and main circle area are further down this trail in front of the photographer in the distance behind, and slightly to the right, of the big bush in this photo. There is still an obvious trail from the main meadow into Kiddie Village. Rehab in this case consisted of someone throwing some sticks and branches across the dirt trail to try and make it look more natural. About the only green grass we saw on this second visit was right along the edges of this one trail. Everything else was very brown and withered due to the late-summer dry conditions.
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Kiddie Village after
This is the general vicinity of the feedline setup area. We found no litter, or even a cigarette butt, anywhere in the areas we checked. The kitchen is directly behind the photographer. The trail out to the main gathering meadow goes off to the photographer's right.
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Tree ornament
Ornament left in a tree in Kiddie Village after everyone left. This was found a few paces further beyond the kitchen area.
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Lovin' Ovens - Before
The photographer is standing on the main trail that went past this kitchen. The Information Booth and main gathering meadow are quite a ways down the trails to the right.
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Lovin' Ovens - After
This photo is standing close to the same spot as the "Before" photo at left. The photographer is standing on the main trail past the kitchen. The earlier photo showing the camp area after picture was taken as the photographer walked straight ahead from this point into the trees in the background, where the food service area was set up.
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Information Central - After
In this photo, the main gathering meadow area is off to the right. The big rock where the dinner meal horn was sounded is off to the right and slightly behind the photographer. Kiddie Village is ahead of the photographer to the left along the second smaller line of trees in the distance.
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Main Meadow - After
This angle is taken near the same position as our "Before" photo that shows the evening dinner circle. Kiddie Village trail entrance is directly behind the photographer. The Information Booth is down the trail to the right in front of the photographer, behind the tall fir trees. The trail that goes to Lovin' Ovens is in the distance off to the right.
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Another firepit
"After" photo showing reclamation attempts.
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Discarded can
This forgotten metal can was one of the few pieces of litter we found in the Rainbow camp. This was found on the perimeter of the main gathering meadow. The photographer is standing on the trail that goes between the Information Booth, to the left, and Kiddie Village, to the right. The main meadow is behind the photographer and to the left. Kiddie Village trail entrance is just a few more paces off to the right.
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Broken Mirror
There were a couple of pieces of a broken mirror on the side of one of the trails in the camp.
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Duct Tape
A piece of duct tape dangles from a tree branch near one of the former kitchen sites. Most of the camp had been picked up very well and we only a few items left behind.
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