>A few years back while traveling in Big Sur, a friend and I wandered into
>the final days of a Rainbow gathering. They were industriously and
>energetically cleaning all debri, trash and left behind articles.
Thank you for confirming that you too have encountered a Rainbow
gathering in Big Sur. I got a number of replies from people
who said that they probably weren't Rainbowers and/or there's no
record of Rainbow gatherings at Big Sur. Nothing like dogmatism!
>Things were being separated for recycling and articles that could be re-used
>were being distributed amoung the crew or packaged and shipped to charities.
So you missed the point as well. I don't give a damn about their anal-
retentive practices; that would be hopefully assumed. My gripe is: you
get a bunch of people hanging out in one spot for any duration of time
and there will be some vegetative devastation to the area. I'm not
talking garbage, I'm talking stomped down growth, soil erosion, and
every Rites of Spring Passage must include a fire!
Let's get away from using "Rainbow gatherings" as an example. A year
ago I ran into a "men's group" camping along the Eel River. I don't
know why it's so important to include drums in their outdoor experience,
since any wild thing that might remind them of their archetypal behavior
isn't going to come anywhere near to a bunch of maniacal drum beaters.
I'm sure that these groups provide for some excellent outdoor experiences
for people; I don't discredit the therapeutic benefits. I'm just a little
miffed when I come across a romped off restoration area that looks as if