GIFFORD PINCHOT NATIONAL FOREST, Wash. (AP) — The Rainbow Family has packed up its gear after a week of camping in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Now the cleanup begins.
Forest officials tell The Columbian newspaper they estimate 20,000 attended the seven-day event. The vast majority left before Thursday.
The Rainbow Family Gathering started in 1972. The nonprofit organization does not have official leaders or members. People from across America and Canada journeyed to Washington state last Friday to celebrate nature, pray for peace and enjoy harmonious vibes.
Several hundred campers will remain behind to clean the Skookum Meadows area where the Rainbow Family gathered. They will fill in trenches used for latrines, plant flowers and reseed the grass and remove trash.
