NEW Cranberry Glade Site
Directions:
From Elkins, WV take Hwy 219 south for
about 70 miles to the town of Mill Point. Turn Right on 55/39. Go 6
miles to RD 150. Turn right on 102 which is 6/10ths of a mile past
150. Welcome Homeless. From Interstate 64: Exit from Interstate 64 on Highway 219 (exit 169). Go
North on 219 to 55/39 and follow directions above.
Kiddie Village
has moved to the new site, and what's left of the water system
(The Incident Command Team stole a lot of it on Sat) and CALM are
already there trying to get setup. Yes, the Forest Service is helping make
sure everyone
gets sick by removing our ability to produce clean water.
Original Sully Road site: From Elkins, WV take 33 east past
Bowden to Alpena (approx 13 mi). At the Alpena Lodge & Cafe (the only
thing there) take a left (north) up County Rd. 12, also known as Galdwin
Rd and CR26 in some areas. CR12 goes thru the
countryside and dives down toward the Glady Fork (approx 5 mi). At the
bottom of the hill, just before CR12 crosses the Glady Fork River & turns
into CR10-Sully Rd, take a hard (120%) left on to FR 162, which
is Bus Village. Go to the gated end of Bus Village (FR162). Just beyond
the gate is a meadow on the left. At the back right of this meadow is
Easy Street, a gentle grassy ancient railroad bed, which goes off to the
left. Follow
Easy Street up to Main Trail and take a right to Main Circle, which is
the third meadow on the trail.
From the East,
from Harrisonburg, VA take 33 west into Wavy past Franklin, WV and
Seneca Rocks. Stay on US 33 past Wymer to Alpena, take a right on CR12 and
follow the above.
If you are planning to fly, consider
flying into Charleston, Pittsburgh, Baltimore or Washington DC. Driving from
Pittsburgh would be the fastest; it is approx. 150 miles away and Baltimore
the furthest distance, at approx. 250 miles. I did a quick check of airline
prices, and at this point, airline tickets to DC seem to be the cheapest.
However, airline prices fluctuate every day or so, so it is best to compare prices.
If you are considering taking a bus,
the closest stop is in Clarksburg, which is about 50 miles from Elkins. Greyhound
bus service is available to Clarksburg from Pittsburgh, Baltimore and DC.
Barton Knob
(aka Cheat Mountain) site:
There is also another camp
on what has been speculated to be a restored strip mine site.
It is known as Barton Knob and further information concerning
these folks can be found below.
Directions to Barton
Knob from Elkins, South on
219 to Huttonsville, southeast on 250 9 miles to FR227, opposite FR92
at
top of Cheat Mountain. Follow 227 7 miles to 233,
then right .3 miles to 233A, hard right then 1.7 miles
up hill to bus village. We will probably have a drop
off, turnaround shuttle scene at intersection of 223
and 223A, cause best parking is on 227.
Topographic maps of all
three sites, can be found on Hawker's
website.
For the most up-to-date information
concerning this year's annual gathering, check any of the following:
There is
a post office box for the 2005 Rainbow Gathering of the Tribes.
The bank is set up so please make donation checks or money orders out to: Rainbow Peace Gathering 2005 and send to:
Note by Jane June
24th concerning Barton Knob Site
NERF and several other kitchens feel that the
smallness of the site at
Cranberry Glen and its potentional for overcrowding, could case some
health issues. Thus NERF, Musical Vegie and Grateful Dread have moved
to another site until they can get assessments from other scouts. The
site is very large (over three times larger than the Cranberry Glen
site) with much off road parking away from any highways. There is a
large area for a bus village encampment. There is plenty of good
water and good swimming in the river which is adjacent to the site.
There are several large meadows and forested land.
Note by Joan from Maine June 24th concerning
Barton Knob Site
i am passing this on from NERF kitchen:
Reasons for NERF Kitchen Consensus to not go
to
Pocohontas County, primarily because the Family
consensed not to go there at TG Council. Secondly,
the Forest Service put the Family there (and many felt
they had no choice. Now they do) The fact that the
Family has lost three members in Poc. County, Two
girls murdered in 1980, a man in 90 or 91 while in the
County jail (same sherriff)
Reasons for not going there now, It's
too small (one square mile in a triangle, surrounded by roads. The
woods are taped off so those who step into them (the
Wilderness) will be ticketed. It is a swamp. Cars
are already getting stuck and it has been a dry
spring.
It's a health issue, as well, how do you dig a shitter
in a swamp. Family doesn't gather in Wilderness areas
generally.
Folks have gone there today to invite the
Cranberry
people to join us.
There is no cell service at the site, and
the nearest
pay phone is over 20 miles, Library in Elkins.
Need to go, I am on a supply run today. Please
join us in a beautiful spot, and support a safe healthy
unparanoid gathering.
PS Forest Service has told us we do not need
a permit
for this site.
Comments from Glowing Feather June
23nd concerning Cranberry Glade Site
This is the glowing feather at the cranberry
site. It's not a perfect world
but we are gathering the 2005 national rainbow family of living light at the
cranberry site. I do hope that you will join Granola funk, Krishna kitchen,
fantuzzi & the variety show, Yoga Camp, Katuah, Instant soup, turtle Island,
Mudd, Kiddie Village & our 4th of July celebration of our relation (we
elation). We really had no choice at the time of heavy LEO ticketing and
threatening of cars to be towed. For those who are proposing to separate to
another location please reconsider. Do not let you ego rule and be separate
from the rest of us. The council on the land decided to move. I did not
support it but did not block because I was not willing to take a stand where
there was a chance for environmental problems. I am sure it was bulshit but
we are here now and everything is ok with parking. They will even open
nature center parking for overflow. Please again come to the nationals. You
can spend anytime camping in the woods with your small clan but only once a
year can you have this magic moment with each other. With all my love and
Open Heart, come hOME
Glowing Feather the MaJi
Comments from Hawker June
22nd concerning Cranberry Glade Site
Last report from me before hitting site
Spoke with several folks today, both on and
off site as well as LOCAL Cranberry resource folks
Many large kitchens are considering boycotting this
site for health and environmental reasons.
But while the Armchair Warrior Elders sit home and
talk about how unworkable the site is, the young kids
are busy making lemonade and getting dug in.
The word is that the site is not that boggy,
not as boggy as Michigan was and slightly larger than Michigan.
The heavy handedness of the LEOs seem to have
gotten them in trouble and removed. There are less and less
LEOs present every moment. Today they were scarce
being replaced with both local and federal resource
folks (instead of the LEO folks as usual) who are now
managing this from a resource perspective and not law
enforcement as we have seen the last several years.
Cooperation is high as resource and Rainbows work
together in a method of cooperation not seen for many
years. Concessions are being made by the FS of the
level that has not been seen in years and years. Folks
feel good, dug in, feel the site has obstacles, but is
workable without health and safety issues. The main
focus I kept getting is although this is a challenging
site, it is not as unsafe or challenging as Michigan
was. Is seems that the obsticals of this site, and
the lack of elder support has brought the younger kids
together to forge ahead and make a gathering from
this. The advesary we are facing has made them
strong, tight, and wiser. Congratulations to the kids.
I will check things out myself tomorrow and
report back, if I can, on my take on all this.
Regardless of what is happening or will happen
we will gather somewhere in the area. Please don't let the
early confusion discourage you. The most important
part is that we gather, no matter what we face. And
wherever, however that happens we must gather.
CU on the land
Comments from Rob June
20th concerning site concensus misunderstanding:
Just to make things really confusing, it appears
my earlier post was wrong somewhat. The council on the 18th didn't make any consensus, it was mostly
just a loud discussion/argument. Some folks announced they were moving to
the other site, and called me first thing this morning... But in more phone
calls (it's rung of the hook all day) it appears that most people may be
staying put and not moving. I've listed both sets of directions now on
my web site until it's clearer what is truly going on. I figure the next
24 hours things will be clearer because in the past any site change has
either happened right away and very fast, or not at all...
It also turns out the "new site" has
a paved main road running right through main circle... I guess this is the
forest services idea of a good main trail... I think I'd rather go to Elkins and get harassed.
The folks at strip mine have said they'll probably be moving to the new
site, but not right away till they see what's happening.
Comments from Hawker June
19th regarding the blockade:
Woza, what a day. My phone has been ringing
off the hook all day.
First the facts, then the commentary. It's
hard to get all the truth because I am not there and many stories conflicts with each other. I
have spoken today with several folks on site and many others and am
trying to piece together the real story.As for the new site. My directions
from folks on site are slightly different than Rob's. It is in Cranberry Glades. The directions are
take 219 70 miles south of Elkins to Mill Point. Turn Right on 55/39.
Go 6 miles to Rd 150. Left 6/10 of a mile to 102. Left on 102. This
would seem that the directions for folks not on site already (coming
from Elkins) are : Interstate 64 to 219 (exit 169). North on 219 to
55/39 and follow the rest of the directions.
Also as I understand this
there never was a consensus to move the site.
I last spoke to the scouts Friday Night. At the time they had just found
this new site. They said it had some good points, but a major road went
right through main meadow. They also said they didn't want to move and
were upset that they heard folks wanted to move. Given this I don't
understand why most rumors now are the scouts said lets go when others
said no. I won't know the real story till I am able to talk to them.
Kid Village called a council for Saturday. I was told that there was
lots of shouting and arguing and no consensus. Then KV and the scouts
just left to the new site. I spoke to no one on site who wanted to move
or who thought that they should move, yet they are moving since the feel
beat by the FS, Scouts and KV.
Re: The stolen water pipe rumor. Here is
what I know. There was a stash of water pipe at the back door. It was NOT all the water pipe,
perhaps 1/5th of it at best. I personally saw this water pipe on
Friday. On Saturday there were horse tracks all around it but
it was not there any more. This is the water pipe that was stolen by the FS. AFAIK
the big stash is under cover and safe where I left it, but i
have not confirmed this. I left the rest with a responsible person who made
effort to keep it hidden as they were concerned about it being stolen already.
Re: Endangered species issues. Every local
authority on the endangered/threatened species issue has told me it is bullshit.
That there are issues in the area but not here. This is a public
and popular campsite because it is safe. In addition I was told a regular
festival is held on the same site each year with over 3,000 people.
That wouldn't happen if there were issues.
I was told that several folks will call me
tonight or tomorrow morning from site with more updates and info. I personally am meeting
with one of the scouts in a few hours and will upload topo maps to
Rob and my site as well.
Some folks are gathering/staying in other sites including
the strip mine (RJ) near Elkins and other campsites trying to re-group and figure out
what to do. There are also other sites that are better
that the scouts found, but didn't use because they liked the Elkins site, so why are we
not going to them? This site is a set up. It was
chosen by the FS because it was closer to there camp in Snowshoe resort
and because it is easier for the FS to drive into the site. I am being
told that the parking lot crew is signing the permit for this FS
chosen site and is trying to make sure there are not the kind of issues
we had last year (no nudity, dogs on leashes, drive ins by the FS etc) but my trust for
the Tim Lynn and the FEDs is 0. They have already lied to us on several
occasions this year alone and broken several promises.
O.k. So the commentary (or more blatantly commentary).
WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE DOING PEOPLE! This is dangerous precedence we are
setting here letting the FS know they can whip us into submission. Now
they think they can run things every year. There is no telling what
they will try to pull next year. In addition we need to NOT be in
Pocahontas county. There is no support system there. The town doesn't
love us like Elkins did. The Emergency Management system there has only
BLS not ALS (Basic/Advanced Life Support) for emergencies. Elkins has
ALS. They are only volunteers so it impacts them more than the larger
more established town of Elkins. We loose all the work and time we have
done working with local businesses and agencies as well as understanding
the site and how to best use it. Buisness owners who stuck there neck
out to help us now get screwed and loose $$$ (they bought extra supplies
for us). This happened because the site was mostly populated by
young, inexperienced kids who lacked past knowledge on how to fight this
as well as the support of enough people to maintain the site. In
addition most of the experienced folks were hiding in town, other
campsites or the back door rather than teaching the kids how to fight
and encouraging them. By the time folks, myself included, started
working to motivate folks and teach them how to reclaim the site moral
had been to far lost and we had been beat. There are plenty of other
ways into the first site from many angles. They can't stop us all if we
just keep showing up there.
We need to ignore all rumors, including those of a moved
site and return to the original site, where we can safely gather in a good location.
When enough folks show up then we can reclaim the site from the federalies.
An archive of Hawker's 2005 National Gathering
comments are available here.
See our gallery of "Howdy Folks" and
Rainbow Guide Covers in the About the Guide section.
