Weblog: Upper Walbran Valley, Rainbow Family

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Last weekend I placed my second geocache, Cache and a Movie, near Silvercity. This weekend I placed my third, Bridge Over Troubled Walbran, in the Upper Walbran Valley. I'm really getting into the whole placing geocaches thing. I don't know why I didn't place any earlier, since many of the places I want to put them are only practical to find in the Summer. Perhaps if I get into snowshoeing or cross-country skiing this Winter I can locate them there anyway, but above the snow.

I seem to be into my usual end of summer state of mind, which has been a pattern for quite a few years now. I'm not quite sure how to describe this state of mind, but it definitely is the time of year when I have the most trouble staying in one place (although that's the case all year round). The funny thing about this time of year is that it's always when I end up meeting amazing groups of people that really make me reconsider my life. Last year it was cob builders (can't believe I didn't do any cobbing this summer). This weekend I happened upon a Rainbow Gathering.

I was going to the Walbran on a whim after doing some hiking and geocaching around Port Alberni, just because it's my favorite place in the universe, and was surprised to find many, many cars. I'd never heard of the Rainbow Family, so this came as quite a surprise. It was winding down and the majority of the people had already left, but there were still at least 100 there. Seems like an amazing group of people. I love that every person I talked to had a different idea of what it was about. Reminds me of AurovilleUniversalTownship in that way. I felt like one of those people who would visit Auroville for a day or two and couldn't figure out what the place was about. Very positive, in any case. Another parallel between Auroville and the rainbow family is this Native American prophecy on their web site:

"When the earth is ravaged and the animals are dying, a new tribe of people shall come unto the earth from many colors, classes, creeds, and who by their actions and deeds shall make the earth green again. They will be known as the warriors of the Rainbow"

The Irumbai Legend of the Tamil villagers in the Auroville area is a very similar. The Aurovillians did make the earth green again, transforming a barren wasteland into a forest with years of hard work.

When I left, my van was filled up with 10 people who needed rides out of the rain forest, all (except one) very cool, nomadic kids. Of course this brings out my nomadic tendency... will I ever have the courage to follow through, to quit my job and just go?

Thumbnail of: Lower Fletcher Falls Thumbnail of: Rainbow Gathering sign Thumbnail of: Glad Lake Main bridge over Walbran Thumbnail of: Emerald Pool Thumbnail of: Emerald Pool Thumbnail of: Emerald Pool Thumbnail of: Emerald Pool Thumbnail of: Emerald Pool Thumbnail of: Boardwalk and log bridge over stream Thumbnail of: Upper Fletcher Falls Thumbnail of: Boardwalk along pools at top of Fletcher Falls Thumbnail of: Upper Fletcher Falls Thumbnail of: Boardwalk Thumbnail of: Upper Fletcher Falls Thumbnail of: Bridge Over Troubled Walbran Thumbnail of: Sign for bridge Thumbnail of: Rotten fallen tree Thumbnail of: Fallen tree Thumbnail of: Fallen trees Thumbnail of: Fungus Thumbnail of: Fungus Thumbnail of: Fungus Thumbnail of: Fungus Thumbnail of: Fungus Thumbnail of: Fungus Thumbnail of: Fungus Thumbnail of: Camper's hole under a tree

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Posted on Mon, 26 Aug 2020 at 16:48

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