Crap....I am so far behind on my e-mail!!!! I shoulda posted this last weekend but didn't even get around to reading it myself until today. Oops, sorry.... For folks who want to know what's going on with the Gathering this year, the logistics end is well described by Garrick in this e-mail: >Here's what I have in the way of info about siting so far for Rainbow '07. > >One area being looked at thoroughly is the Ozark Plateau in Northern >Arkansas. It's about 50 miles wide and 100 miles long and scouts are >looking for open area plus water, assuming parking could be along >some long and winding roads. > >Another area is in the Sabine N.F. along the Texas coast. There are >several postings (three that I know of) out already about sites to >be looked at and folks are enroute to check them out. > >Third is the Lake McClellan National Grasslands site, about which >much has already been posted. Clearly it's a fall back location if >nothing else without developed areas/hazard tress/fee issues comes forward. > >Scouts have been planning a 'Scouts Barbecue' for Sat. June 2nd. I >hope folks can announce where this going to be in time for the >various crews to get there. > >So far there hasn't been anywhere seen and walked that any scout >crew says could work -- outside of the Grasslands -- but that is >likely to change. My understanding is that a.s.a scouts see a >possibility they will check in with local F.S. Rangers and begin the >process of F.S. review. > >Because a lot of the Texas families are involved with the Kerrville >Folk Festival they have pushed Spring Circle ahead till the end of >that -- which means the weekend of the 9th. I suppose that if sites >scouts like and the F.S. likes could be brought to that circle and a >judgment made then an Operating Plan could go into effect and things >progress smoothly. > >That's all the update I have. On the one hand things are moving >slowly, on the other they are moving. > >The key reason things seem to be going slow is that many, many >un-usable sites have been looked at. It's just hard to find suitable >locations in Tx-Ark-Ok. That's why we need to initiate a process to >identify and protect areas that can sustain Gathering-size >expressive uses on public forestlands across the country. That would >make earlier siting of events like these much easier. > >(as the kids say) Peace on, > >Garrick >
thanks hippesteadfolks if the spring council is being pushed back then wont info being released also be pushed back causing a later & shorter seed camp?
Maybe...a shorter seed camp could mean easier clean-up...guess it kind of depends on the Bar-B-Que this weekend & if spring council goes smoothly
I can't wait! Thanks for posting! I may be heading to seed camp if I can snag a ride at that time! See ya all there!
Well, we used to get kind of fancy with the kitchen when we could plug in right around the 1st of June, our kitchen in Montana was HUGE! (took a 30ft by 100 ft tarp to cover just the main kitchen space, not including the roll back tarp over the cooking area) It took a lot of work to make that kitchen disappear. In Missouri, folks were sequestered at several holding camps of less than 75 folks at each and we all came together onsite around the 10th of June (or somewhere around that date...I have it logged in one of my journals)..we had less time to set up the kitchen, so our kitchen was smaller and clean up was easier. Still, I don't like the late site announcements, early seed camp is my favorite part of the Gathering.
It would be an easier clean-up for everybody just because trash accumulates on a 'per person, per day' ratio...plus less days of folks walking on trails means less soil compacting. The Gathering doesn't seem to spread out as far either when there's less time. The rumors I'm hearing this weekend all sound like things are picking up and there might be some solid site info soon.
