Love, prayer and tickets: What we saw at the Rainbow Family gathering in northwest Colorado

ROUTT NATIONAL FOREST – The dirty dishes are stacked neatly next to three bins labeled wash, rinse and sanitize. Rob Savoye rolls up his sleeves and dives in, stacking washed sheet pans and mixing bowls from the Lovin’ Ovens kitchen on a rack built from downed trees. A guitarist sings under a tarp as bakers bustle around wood-burning ovens built from stone and mud only days earlier. “Pretty wild to think none of this was here a few days ago. And none of it will be here in a few days,” says Savoye, a 35-year Nederland resident who is a volunteer firefighter and backcountry rescuer, and a pioneer in the world of open-source software. Savoye also runs welcomehome.org, a repository for 50 years of Rainbow Family of Living Light gatherings. The 50th annual event is underway now in the Routt National Forest about 30 miles north of Hayden. On Monday, July 4, the weeklong event peaked with more than 10,000 attendees joining hands in a grassy meadow for the group’s traditional prayer for peace Several miles of PVC pipe stretches across the entire camp deep in the woods, directing spring water downhill into complicated filtration setups. Giant barrels of filtered water are stationed around a meadow of tents, with the Rainbow kitchens providing clean water to all comers. Fallen trees have been delimbed, cut and neatly stacked to fuel cooking and communal fires. Creeks have log crossings. Areas with standing dead trees that could topple in a gust are flagged with warnings to not enter. More than a dozen, stubbornly old-school kitchens serve thousands of meals a day for anyone with their own plate. At the Lovin’ Ovens kitchen, temporary ovens churn out freshly baked rolls, sticky buns and danishes. The baking crew has even built proofing racks from fallen timber. The pizza night is a rowdy affair, with musicians entertaining as bakers sling pizzas until dawn. The Dirty Kids kitchen brews organic coffee for early risers. The Ozark kitchen fills countless bowls with steaming chili. The Jesus kitchen offers sandal repair, spoon carving, mental health counseling and evening worship services.;;MORE