I was Living in Chico, California and working at the plastics factory when there was a layoff, my wife suggested that I borrow the car and drive over to the gathering. My friend Mike Jensen wanted to go and so we checked the oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid and water and set out on a classic American road trip. We made it as far as Reno the first day and slept by the side of the road.
Normally I'm creepy about just pulling off and sleeping because there is the possibility of being hassled by the police but Mike soothed my fears and we spent an uneventful night there. Then on thru Nevada to Winnemucca and a turn North to get to Boise traveling thru the High Desert. Boise is a very beautiful town in a fertile valley. The directions printed from the website recommended going an extra 50 miles out of the way thru Sun Valley instead of taking the shortest route because the
road was supposed to be difficult to travel. We drove thru the Sawtooth Mountain Range (stunning beauty) and finally saw the tiny sign directing us to the Gathering.
About a mile down the dirt road, the car stopped running. All it needed was 15 minutes rest and it started right up. We had been traveling fast for hours and it was over whelmed by the demands i was putting on it. Many people drove by offering help. I was upset but Mike calmed my fears and sure enough it was fine.
Another 5 miles down the dirt road there was a fork with a sheriff... he directed us to the left and gave us a piece of paper telling us that it was an illegal gathering. Mike wanted to ask him a bunch of questions but I just wanted to go and avoid police contact... We found parking and walked in with our few belongings and set up camp. Went to sleep.
Mike was interested in finding "Serenity Ridge" (a 12 step AA/NA meeting-we met at Mom's AA in Chico and were both interested in the program at that time) ... and so the next day we started our search...
On a side meadow there was a sculpture made out of branches that formed two interlocking three sided pyramids. One with the pointy end up and one with the pointy end down. It formed a three dimensional star... Like the "Star of David"... On the path we saw "Dun Dun Village". They were doing drumming and synchronized dancing.
I ran out of water and was getting really thirsty. Mike suggested that I ask the nearest people for help and "Just bliss out"... It so happened that the people not only had fresh clean drinking water and a glass, but the had herbal tea... I was very grateful... not only for the physical help I got but for the knowledge that my needs were going to be taken care of for the rest of the event... I gave myself permission to "just bliss out"...
Then we went to the main campfire and danced to the drums for hours... actually all night long... It was cold up there in the mountains of Idaho and we only had sleeping bags, no tent... If we left the campfire, it was uncomfortable, so, why NOT stay and enjoy the unique experience of 30
drummers...
The next day I went over to the "Relaxation Station" near the entrance and sat there all day long. I played my guitar and sang for all the newcomers to the gathering. A man wearing a silly "Dr. Seuss" hat sat down with his guitar and I taught him how to play "Uncle John's Band" by the Grateful Dead. We played it for a very long time... It seemed to him to have an odd chord sequence but after repeated instruction, we got it down. Fortunately, I had brought my hand written songbooks and the lyrics/chords to hundreds of classic rock/folks songs were in them... We had a fine time at "Relaxation Station" a place where newcomers were encouraged to stop and rest after their long journey... A lady was telling fortunes with Tarot Cards... we had beverages, food and anything else that a weary traveler could want... Grass, music and shade...
There was a fellow that was playing a trick on passers-by... he had a piece of foam that looked like a concrete block. he would ask the stranger to help him lift it because it was so heavy, then he would "accidentally" drop the block on their toe... They thought it was going to hurt them because it appeared to be a very heavy object, but it actually was very light... The "OH NO!' experience turned into silly laughter when the passers-by realized the joke... He did this to about 15 people during the afternoon I spent there... ahh, simple minds easily amused by cosmic theatre...
The next day was July 3rd and I walked over to the main campfire... Playing my 12 string guitar and singing loudly to the assembled thousands of people. Mostly "Iko Iko"...
ONE DAY WE ALL NOTICED A GIANT RAINBOW IN THE SKY. IT WAS CAUSED BY ICE CRYSTALS IN THE CLOUDS BEING DIFFRACTED... My wife calls this phenomenon a "Sun Dog"... It stretched for over half of the visible sky and stayed there for hours. You could tell something was happening because the people in the meadow all of a sudden started pointing at the sky... In our campsite under the trees I could see the main meadow and saw hundreds of people spread out for a mile stop what they were doing and point...
The people camped next to us were 20 something years old and they had long involved conversations about their careers in computer businesses in the Midwest... they also talked about their body piercing and the trouble with infections/who to go do the piercing that had clean tools
etc. I sat with them for and afternoon and sang them songs. One of the fine things about having my handwritten songbooks is that the people I play for can select which songs to sing from the index. Often they would exclaim "That's my favorite song!" and so we would sing it... It helps because they often don not know the words and can read them while we are singing...
I had to leave the gathering before the big July 4th celebration because my wife had bought tickets to a concert in Clear Lake, California. I took the shortcut road home and it was fine. The directions to the gathering recommended going the long way because of high winds... IF YOU ARE DRIVING A BUS WITH A VOLKSWAGON VAN WELDED ON TOP... But my little Honda car went smoothly.
I drove home alone and Mike stayed there at the gathering and found his own way home... as it turned out he stayed there for a month and got a terrible ride home in an old bus with bad brakes...
On the way home I experienced a light rain shower in the High Desert of Nevada. I stopped the car and walked around the in rain... It is so very rare to have rain in the desert so it was a happy time. I also watched fireworks as I was approaching Reno from the east.
Back at home we packed the car and camped out at a state park near Konocti Resort. Saw Dan Fogelburg and danced it the bar to a local band... Overall, a fine trip that was an unexpected blessing... I was so fortunate to get laid off at the Factory (for a week)...
Read More of My AutoBiography at:
http://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/03/growing-up-in-los-gatos-california-in.html
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