Parking and Cars Getting Towed

To prevent your car from being one of the ones that gets towed, make sure to park only along the gathering side of 87 (not the lake side).  Park only on the gravel section of the road. Park with all 4 wheels completely off the gravel.  Do not park on curves.

Rumor has it that areas closed to parking are not clearly marked.  Tow trucks are out in force so unless you want to contribute in this manner to the local economy, make sure to stick with the program.

If you've got a big group and lot's of gear, drop off some of your folks with your gear at a gate and then go park the vehicle.  Then walk back to where you left everyone.

Check with INFO for updates on cars being towed, parking, etc.

Update from a friend of mine whose been on site As of 7/1/12 # 3:15 PM PT

  wanted to let you know that parking is at a critical point.  folks drive around trying to find a place to park.   there is no real bus village and parking is only on the  non-lake side. if you do not park with all four wheels off the road you will be ticketed and towed.  the tow price is  $135.00 plus gas and storage fees.     park in the first place that you can park, making sure to avoid the "no parking" areas.   unfortunately where ever you park you will be a number of miles from any of the entrance trails.    there is not shuttle available; fortunately the locals are helping to shuttle folks in to the trails.

Update from USFS Website 7/2/12 @ 6:30 AM PT (see link at top of page)

NEW INFORMATION
Attendance
As of 9 a.m. on July 1, 2012, there are approximately 5,335 gatherers, 1,450 vehicles, and 26 buses at the event.
All Forest Visitors Must Obey Traffic Laws and Parking Regulations
All visitors to the Cherokee National Forest must obey traffic laws and parking regulations or risk being towed. Please use caution and observe all traffic signs, particularly along Forest Service Road 87, Flatwoods Road. This area is very congested due to the 2012 National Rainbow Family Gathering. If your vehicle is towed, please call Sullivan County at (423) 279-7500.
Forest Service Road 87D Open to One-way Traffic Only
To aid traffic flow, Forest Service Road 87D is open to one-way traffic only. Please use caution and observe all traffic signs.
Parking Prohibited on Paved Portion of Forest Service Road 87
Parking is prohibited on both sides of the paved portion of Forest Service Road 87 from State Road 421 to the Three Rocks Area, the entrance to Little Oak Campground. The road itself remains open. The Forest Service wants to avoid the risk of pavement being broken off by a high number of vehicles parking along the side of the road. This short-term closure will ensure long-term benefits to the local community.

Weather Report

Good news family!  Looks like the heat wave is going to break on Monday and by the 4th it should be just a nice warm day (maybe low 80s/high 70s) with a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms.  Where there is rain, there are rainbows.  Enjoy!

Incident Command Staging Near Site

Sullivan County Emergency Medical Services and the Emergency Management Agency is also on site at the command center, in Little Oak Campground. Deputies and medical responders will be there nearly around-the-clock through the official end of the gathering July 7. Little Oak Campground is on the lake side of Big Creek Road (which is the road you're parking on) right where the gathering is taking place. Smile and make sure to read this rap (opens on right side of blog).

The Silent Prayer/Meditation for World Peace July 4

Some folks may one why we gathering and go through all this craziness year after year. A friend of mine wrote a beautiful peace on this years ago, and it's available here. 

I gather for many reasons as well, but one of the primary reasons is for the Silent Prayer/Meditation for World Peace. The silent prayer/meditation for world peace is the culmination of our attempts to create a peaceful and harmonious gathering.  Please if you are local, plan on being her for the Silence on the 4th.  The power of all of us together is many times stronger than each of us individually.

 The silence beings as the sunrises on July 4. If you're up during that time, it's amazing to hear this loud crazy group of gatherers slowly go silent. Hands lifted off of drums one by one, music trailing off into silence and the chirping of the birds taking over.

While not everyone chooses to participate, we ask that everyone respect the silence and if they must talk, do so in their own camp in a very soft voice.  As people desire, they make their way to Main Meadow to pray for world peace, to meditate for world peace, to do yoga for world peace, to blow bubbles for world peace.  Everyone is free to pray or meditate to their maker in silence.

We hold this peace in preparation for the arrival of our children. The children's parade (meet at Kid Village a few hours before noon if you have kids and want them in the parade) will come into the center of the circle. Please hold the silence and/or the Om until all the children (even the ones at the end of the parade) have made it into the center of the circle. Our children our are future and deserve our respect. PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WIDELY.

At some point before breaking the silence we will om. Not a short 1-2 minute om, but a long drawn out 15 minute or 30 minute om. If we are all focused and om together, not in a hurry to get it down, but to be with it in the moment, we can create energy that will change the world.

Each of us has a crucial role to play in this sacred ceremony that is the core of the Annual Gathering of the Tribes. This is why I and so many people I know go to the gathering, dig shitters, chop wood and carry water. This is why so many people dedicate so much resources and energy to the gathering. Please if you choose not to participate, please be silent and let those who wish to create a sacred ceremony do so.

My Brain on Nature

One of my favorite parts of being at the gathering is the opportunity to live with my family on the land according to the rhythms of the sun and the moon, the wind and the rain. My day job is in computer technology so I spend way too many hours a day dealing with computers and people amped up on instant messaging and coffee.

Sitting in the shade with my family making acoustic music changes the way my brain works. Participating in a circle and gazing in the eyes of my family as I try to understand their perspective is a multi-dimensional experience. I see their smiles, notice their breathing, and hear the song in their voices. The proximity of our bodies to each other and to dirt, grass, trees and sun gives me a depth of understanding that is only possible when we council together on the land.

Listening to the wind in the trees and watching the moon rise changes the way my brain processes information. I begin to tap into deeper ways of knowing. Hauling water and chopping wood helps ground me into Mother Earth, into the wisdom she has to share.

Singing with my family harmonizes my soul with those of my family. The songs we share create space for peace in my heart, the land around me, and my beautiful brothers and sisters.

Image from http://www.bliss-fire.com

For this and other chants that can be sung to help you experience your brain on nature, click here.

Staying Healthy in Hot Weather

Please family, this is a warm gathering and looks like it might be getting warmer.  In order to stay hydrated, please plan on drinking a gallon of water per 24-hour period.  If you are not peeing at least every three to four hours, you are not drinking enough. If your urine is brown, you are not drinking enough water.  Electrolytes beverages when used in moderation can be helpful, but please focus your liquid intake on H20.

Dogs get dehydrated as well. To help keep your dog hydrated, bring beef bullion cubes and dissolve them in filtered drinking water at the ratio recommended on the package. Dogs love the taste and that encourages them to drink. 

Because the journey from your car to where you set up your tent is going to take two to six hours depending on how far away you park and how quickly your group can hike, plan on hauling in at least one gallon of water per person (two gallons per person if you have the means to do so).  This will make sure you have good drinking water for your first 24 hours and will give you time to get settled in and oriented to sources of filtered or boiled drinking water before you run out of what you carried into the gathering. Plus, you can use the one gallon jugs as refills while at the gathering. Also a good idea to leave some water in your vehicle so when you hike back out, everyone in your group can drink.

Please do not drink unfiltered water. The water may have been clean yesterday, but there's a lot of dogs running around and one dog pooping on the water line and .... well you get the picture.

If you are not peeing a few times a day or haven't pooped in five or more days, please go directly to CALM.
Heat stroke and dehydration can kill. Don't be a dead body, drink water.

Front Gate Is Everyone's Responsibility

Everyone loves to come home to a Front Gate that reflects the diversity of this beautiful family we love. In order for this to happen, we all need to spend time at Front Gate, welcoming our family, helping them get oriented and making sure everyone who comes home gets a hug, a we love you, and maybe a cup of soup or coffee.

The year we have three gates so that triple the areas to cover.  Please take the time to spend 4 to 8 hours minimum at the Front Gate welcoming folks home.  This is a tough job, standing by the side of the road in the heat and getting covered in dust. You need to be able to remain peaceful interacting with all sorts of folks from road dogs to locals not sure what is happening.  Please don't work this area if you have warrants as folks on the gate need to interact with law enforcement. 

Especially needed in this area are mechanics as some of our family have vehicles that are limping into this gathering. We also need folks to help out with shuttles and coordinating shuttle drop off points.

Let's keep the energy loving and welcoming on the road.  Send love to everyone passing by.  Be the peace you want to see in this world.