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"Brothers" and "Sisters" of the Rainbow family wait for scouts to return with information about possible sites for the Rainbows Family Gathering in July. NEWS&GUIDE PHOTO / RACHEL SHAVER

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BOULDER – A loose band of disheveled people huddles under tarps and tents drinking coffee, stirring campfires, shielding cigarettes from the wind and preparing to organize. Sort of.

Roughly 75 “brothers” and “sisters” ages 5 to 80 are gathered here at the Rainbow Family’s Spring Circle to pick the site of the annual July gathering, the Rainbow Gathering of Living Light, which could draw thousands. They have no leaders, no real structure and only the vague outlines of a plan.

As the hours progress, rain turns to hail and someone says, “It’s a beautiful day, I’m going home.” A slender young man in baggy jeans and a hoody strolls by singing.

All in its own time, here.

Finally, Brother Barry Adams Plunker emerges from a green minivan and shouts “circle!” The clan responds “circle.”

“Raise the sails, drop the anchors,” someone says. Excited people emerge from shelters, gather by the side of Boulder Creek, join hands and bow in a few minutes of prayer. Plunker asks them to pray for better weather, and a soft “ohmmm” sounds.

Long-awaited scouts appear on the horizon and the group begins to cheer. The scouts have spent the day looking at two sites – Snyder Basin, where a gathering was held in 1994, and Big Sandy, both on the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

The scouts report and the gathering erupts into passionate arguing.

Sarah Stone doesn’t want to return to Snyder. “In my heart, it’s not right to go to Snyder and use that land again,” she says.

After 45 minutes, Plunker calls for a vote.

“Is there any consensus for Snyder?” he asks. “There will be silence for consensus.”

A dozen voices shout “block!”

“Is there any consensus for Big Sandy?” he asks.

Silence.

Smiles spread across faces in the group. People grasp hands and let loose with another collective “ohmmm.” Then the cheering begins. Now it’s time to start their journey “home.”

Thus begins this year’s Rainbow gathering, an event that in years past has drawn up to 20,000. People from around the world will gather about 90 air miles southeast of Jackson for a festival with traders, drum circles, dancing and prayers for peace. It’s completely noncommercial.

Cooking is done in group kitchens with food brought in by participants. Everybody has a job and pitches in. Some are on toilet patrol. At Spring Circle, one youth was tasked with rolling cigarettes.

The event runs from July 1 through 7 and reaches its peak on the fourth, when the group observes a silent prayer from morning until noon.

Unlike past years, Undersecretary of Agriculture, Mark Rey sanctioned this year’s gathering as a unique recreational event rather than an illegal activity. As such, U.S. Forest Service officials say they’re gearing up.

Resource specialists will assess the site to determine what, if any environmental damage could occur. Then, an “incident command team,” a group of people trained to, among other things, coordinate forest fires, will take charge of the logistics.

By Tuesday afternoon, Tom Peters, the Bridger-Teton’s ranger for the Pinedale District, said he hadn’t yet received word from Rainbow Family members on this year’s choice of Big Sandy.

The spot in the southern part of the Wind River Range is a relatively low-elevation area adjacent to Bureau of Land Management land. Peters said the decision to allow the Rainbow Family Gathering at Big Sandy lies with more senior Forest Service officials.

Not that the family is seeking a permit.

Peters’ job is to coordinate with the incident command team and the Rainbow Family. “We need to start working through the logistics and tactics of this to decide what sort of resources we’re going to be need,” he says.

“They’ve been courteous,” he continued. “They purport not to have any leadership structure.” “What it amounts to is that we are talking to individuals. It’s probably going to require a different sort of thinking on our part than what we typically would use.”

Big Sandy is just east of Boulder at the doorstep to the Bridger Wilderness. It is climbers’ closest trailhead to the majestic Cirque of the Towers. In the past, towns near gatherings have reported an extra $1 million in revenue from the event. Peters says, as with other proposed sites, Big Sandy has its issues.

“It has some sensitive soils – the sandy soils,” Peters says. “It’s not a hardened area.”

There’s also livestock grazing nearby, which could mean a shortage of potable water; it’s the second busiest entrance to the wilderness; there’s a lodge nearby; it’s home to a campground; and the area also holds a population of Colorado cutthroat trout, a fish some people think belongs on the Endangered Species List.

“We are going to work with them to develop an operating plan that will speak to sanitation and to mitigation after the event is over,” Peters said.

A man who calls himself “Useless,” said that from the start of Spring Circle to the end of cleanup usually takes about six months. The Rainbow Family has a pretty good record on cleaning up its sites, according to articles from the Salt Lake Tribune, the Idaho Statesman and others.

After the circle Tuesday, one observer described participants’ attention to cleaning up the Boulder Lake site as “obsessive.”

When the gathering came to Snyder Basin, things went smoothly for such a large group. A campfire got out of control, starting a small forest fire. Hundreds of Rainbow Family members started a bucket brigade to help put it out.

One man started fights in the camp but was caught by Rainbow members and turned over to police. The late Dave Cameron, Jackson police chief at the time, said there was little in the way of crime and told reporters at the Jackson Hole News that the event could have been worse.

The Rainbow Family discourages weapons, drugs and alcohol, and encourages Rainbows to travel using legal transportation. Soliciting a ride is illegal in Wyoming.

Plunker said picking Big Sandy was as much an exercise in intuition as practicality.

“Oftentimes there are many elements that take place when finding a gathering place,” he said. “Some are physical properties like water and space, but there is also a vision element, something that is felt. There is a spirit vibe.”

This year’s nod of approval from authority figures like Rey bodes well, Plunker said.

“So far the State of Wyoming, the BLM and the sheriffs have treated us good,”he said. “They’ve been peace officers and shown us respect. What’s going to happen when the incident command team comes?” he asked. “Who knows. It might be a different story.

“No one interrupts George Bush when he gathers to a place of spirituality,” Plunker continued. “Respect to Cheney.

“We would love to have you show up at our gathering,” he said, inviting the vice president. “But, please don’t bring your gun.”