Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mt. St. Helens: To the Rainbow Gathering- July 2, 2011

To Rainbow - July 2, 2011

To Rainbow - departed from C & P's, where I spent the night, this morning in SE Portland near Reed, after also visiting P & L to return a sleeping bag briefly at 11:30 am, and boiling a dozen eggs, on my way to the Rainbow Gathering in Washington state.

got to woodland in an hour and half, after web-surfing for a long time 30 miles south of here near Vancouver, just after crossing into Washington

from woodland wa the town of cougar is 28 miles away, and the last community on the way into the Rainbow meadows

from cougar wa
19 miles
r on rt 25 for 5 miles
right at Criple Creek 5 miles
r at T 2.5 miles to gathering
wlk in 3 miles to gathering


through increasingly beautiful forest a 70 miles drive in

I first begin to see campfires on the side of the road upon nearing the area where many Rainbow cars are parked

then I come across a line of parked cars 3 miles long

not some hitchhikers

among the parked vehicles, there are very few hippy vans

but lots of young folks

getting close at a T where pavement
and gravel meet -
Rainbow to the left down a maze of
gravel roads, I go
straight on gravel ...
drove past all 2.2 miles of vehicles
to an opening with few peopl and
vehicles.


I park - it's getting close to dusk -
think I'll probably sleep here.
I talk to some folks
around a fire,
move my car from
near the spur Lake Placid road
trail 29 sign,
closer to some other folks
who look friendly,
park and go over to talk.
C, H and Nic,
who came as 5 in a small car
from Bellingham,
are nice.
We talk for a few hours.
Out of the blue,
someone brings over
a salmon dinner with pesto
and 2 fresh strawberries,
then some upside down
pineapple cake -
random acts of kindness,
and what a treat -
Nic and I don't eat the salmon,
because we're vegetarian.

I head to bed, after bidding
Nic good night ...


















(http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2011/07/gifford-pinchot-national-forest-mt-st.html - July 2, 2011)