The Midnight Writers Journal

The following story is an excerpt written by my dear friend and brother, Papabear Rainbow, also known as Bryce Geigle.  Papabear passed on to the Spirit in the Sky last October, 2007. He was returning to the rainbow family tribe once again in Wyoming, and indeed he did. This time he joined the rest of the family waiting for him in eternity.

Raven and I met Papabear at the 1997 Ochoco National Forest Oregon Annual rainbow gathering. The Medicine Wheel Gatherings formed because of this gathering and because of this Land of the Sacred Red Willow in particular. Our history together began there. In honor, I share this first of Papabear's stories as he wrote them. They can be found all over the internet at a.g.r. which means "alternate gathering rainbow".

In Utah, Papabear saw me on the trail near Welcome Home, and began calling "Nurse! Nurse! Is there a nurse anywhere?" I heard the voice say these words a couple times before it registered in my mind that Papabear was calling me from just down the road. Just to clarify a little bit, we worked Mash C.A.L.M. together at the Oregon 97 gathering, and again on occasion. It was an appellation of love and respect. I sure was happy to see him that year.

Out of love and respect for Papabear Rainbow, I am attempting to honor his wish that his folk stories be preserved and passed on.

I noticed a faint, pungent odor as I awoke from a few hours of
slumber. "Yes," I thought, "the odor of the plant genus sativa."
Music reached my ears as I shook off the sleep, the music of
heartbeat drumming echoed off the trees that surrounded my
camp.The year was 1997, the meadow was located in the Ochoco
National Forest, in the West-Central area of Oregon. This was
the 26th Annual Gathering of the Tribes, and I had come home
after a decade of life changing events, coming from A camp to
the focalizer of the herbal MASH Unit located in Bus Village,
giving back to instead of taking from the Gathering and the
people.
My story begins in Iowa, in 1968, in a small farm town close to
the Mississippi River, in cornfield country. A friend of mine
turned me on to a drug called DMT, and although I did not know
it at the time, I was on a path to becoming part of a
counterculture. I soon discovered the music scene, and at the
age of 14, I ran away from home and entered the realms of later
day Haight-Ashbury, a scene that had died down, and soon I went
on a tour of the west coast, eventually stealing a car, and
ending up in the Army, under 18, and lost in a war I did not
understand. By 1973, I was a heroin addict, and on the day that
Saigon fell, April 28th, 1975, I was discharged from the Army,
with a purple heart, pins in my ankles and knees, and, I would
find out years later, a dose of Agent Orange. While processing
out of the Army in Ft. Dix, New Jersey, I met a hippie by the
name of Alabama, and he took me to Arkansas, to my first Rainbow
Gathering, and I partied so hard, I do not remember a lot of it,
but I had a good time, and the seed was planted.
I travelled from Arkansas to Washington, where I attended a
small gathering in a place called Dinosaur Valley (gronk!!!),
and it was here that I knew that I was to become one of the
wandering nomads and one of the peoples that travelled each year
to the Gathering of the Tribes.
My exposure to Rainbow Life began at this place called Dinosaur
Valley, and began to blossom as I rode the rails up and down
the West Coast, at the fruit orchards, jungles, hot springs,
winter camps in the desert, ant at the national gatherings that
I attended. I began to long for the nomadic life, but had no
idea on how to accomplish it. Then I met an Indian lady named
Little Bit, and she taught me how to survive on the road,and for
the next 6 years, we travelled all around, eventually ending up
living on an island by Raccoon Key, outside of Key West, where I
took up working on shrimp boats to keep us high and living well.
Part II coming next.
papabear

From:

"Angel Summer" angelonmyshoulder77@yahoo.com

To:

"Robert C Rawlings" <rrawlings@fs.fed.us>

Cc:

"Cathy A Lund" <clund@fs.fed.us>, "Bill Queen" <bqueen@fs.fed.us>, "mountain spirit" <mountainspirit@yahoogroups.com>

Hi Rob,

We are so sorry not to be there yet. I appreciate the information and will do what I can to share the word. This email is going to our yahoo group at mountainspirit, so I am hoping and trusting that the word will be spread out to all points of light from there.

I will pull the directions from last year and repost them on mountainspirit so folks can share them, but it is not intended for a huge crowd as the folks of mountainspirit tribe were told. It was also discussed that folks coming would have transportation worked out, as well as supplies, food, a tent, warm clothing. We even discussed being prepared to fee two more people. If someone put this out to the general rainbow and other public, they have created an event more than we agreed to have. This is a small assembly of folks who gathered last year for the purpose of teaching, sharing, praying and working on some trails.

I have a feeling that some folks up there who showed up early without consulting us, especially since there was a fire, got anxious for company and food and decided to put out a big invitation. That was inappropriate and against our consensus.

What I can suggest is that I am putting out this message to mountainspirit@yahoogroups.com and hoping that folks on the way to this gathering will read it online and understand the purpose of this event.

I strongly discourage hitchhiking. If someone does not have arrangements for this gathering, then most likely they also were not in on the counsels and do not understand that this is not a rainbow gathering. This is a Mountain Spirit Tribe working counsel and volunteer work crew to do some more clean up from the 1997 annual gathering as well as damage from the cows on the trails because we love this prairie.

The directions are on www.welcomehome.org under the 97 rainbow gathering, however amendments were made last year. Those directions will reposted separately on mountainspirit@yahoogroups.com

Rob, please instruct your Rangers to tell folks that they find hitchhiking to be more respectful to passing traffic. I will also send an email out to folks who might know the folks who are up there. Otherwise, use discernment if someone is violating the law and deal with them accordingly.

Raven and I are really apologetic not to be there yet, but as I said before we need a tire and have been unsuccessful in finding the size we need. We're running on a spare that isn't safe for mountain roads, so we took the roundabout way looking for a tire dealer who might have what we need.

That aside, folks who showed up on the land did not contact us recently to find out if the gathering was still to proceed as planned from last year, so I was not really prepared to come at the time I set out, but am heading that way out of concern for the safety of the people who might be drawn up there and out of respect for you Rob because we told you we would be there if the gathering happened. We are on our way but cannot come into the gathering till we have a tire.

Thanks again for your help.

Summer Breeze and Raven

--- On Thu, 9/11/08, Robert C Rawlings <rrawlings@fs.fed.us> wrote:

From: Robert C Rawlings <rrawlings@fs.fed.us>
Subject: In case you haven't left yet
To: angelonmyshoulder77@yahoo.com
Cc: "Cathy A Lund" <clund@fs.fed.us>, "Bill Queen" <bqueen@fs.fed.us>
Date: Thursday, September 11, 2008, 10:41 AM

I was there yesterday afternoon, looked like maybe 30 people and moreworking their way up to the Prairie.  A couple of things to let youknow....it seems like many of the people are lost once they get toPrineville and especially lost once they get into the Forest, maybe youcould have someone spread some directions or mark the route?  Secondly, Igot several reports yesterday of people doing some pretty aggressivehitchhiking, standing in the road, waving their arms and what not.  I heardthat one of the locals called the Sheriff to come and put a stop to it.Maybe you could get the word out that it's not cool to stop traffic likethat, and especially not cool to stop and try to get on the school busthat's hauling kids home.  At least one of the ladies who lives up thevalley is now scared to drive home from work alone.  Sorry to have to passthis on, here's one of the emails I got today.Good Morning Everyone! I feel like a tattle tail but this seems prettyimportant. The bus driver for our girls bus was pretty scared when Billpicked the girls up at the bus stop.She said the Rainbows were in the road she thought it was an accident orsomething and started to slow down....as she slowed down they tried toboard the bus. Scared her to pieces.So I thought you should know.Rob RawlingsOchoco NF541-416-6500rrawlings@fs.fed.us

Search for missing Salem man suspended

Posted: Sep 15, 2008 05:38 PM PDT

Last Updated: Sep 22, 2008 04:57 PM PDT

Flyer prepared by Crook County Sheriff's Office for missing man, Tyson Schrade

Reportedly had joined 'Rainbow' gathering; mother fears for son

By Amy Easley, Tony Fuller and Kate Paul, KTVZ.COM

Searchers east of Prineville on Thursday found more footprints, for a total of 2 1/2 miles after two days, but so far have not found a Salem man missing for a week in very rugged terrain, Crook County sheriff's deputies said.

But on Saturday afternoon, after eight days of searching, officials suspended the search for Tyson Schrade, 27, pending further developments in the case.

Crook County authorities asked on Monday that anyone who is in the Indian Prairie area look out for a studded belt, black pants cut right below the knee, a black T-shirt with "AUDIO" written in whit, and a conductor's hat. You're asked to notify Crook County sheriff's deputies with any information

Shoe prints in a pattern and size consistent with Schrade were found heading to the north, toward private land and through the area burned by the recent Bridge Creek Fire, deputies said.

Ten Crook and Wheeler county deputies returned to the search area Thursday and followed the footprints, using a GPS tracking device to connect the dots, so to speak.

They said it looked like Schrade was heading north from Indian Prairie to a forest road, but that the footprints stopped. So he might have hitched a ride out of the area, but definitely spent some time in the forest.

Since he left the campsite without his backpack, he apparently had no extra clothes if it got cold, nor any food.

His mother, Denice, has been handing out flyers around Prineville.

Deputies offered thanks to the public for al the tips that have come in as to Schrade's whereabouts. And they said they'd keep searching, as long as new clues arise.

The Salem man was reported missing last Saturday, two days after leaving a group of fellow campers near the Bridge Creek Wilderness Area on the Ochoco National Forest.

Two Civil Air Patrol planes from Bend and Medford flew Monday to help Wheeler and Crook county sheriff's deputies search for the man, last seen Sept. 11 near the wilderness area, about 40 miles northeast of Prineville, said sheriff's Deputy Will Osborn.

Crook County Undersheriff Jim Hensley said Schrade was reported missing Saturday night after leaving a group of friends last Thursday morning at the Spirit Mountain Festival in the Indian Prairie area of Wheeler County.

Osborn said Schrade had been camping in the area with the Rainbow Family, a group that frequently holds gatherings in the national forests during the summer.

Wednesday's focus for search crews was on a location to the east of that gathering, officials said. On Tuesday, 30 search and rescue personnel returned to the area, as Tyson's family arrived in Prineville to assist in the search.

Hensley said Crook County Sheriff's Search and Rescue members were in the area on a training exercise when they were contacted by the group. He said an investigation has determined the man could have gotten a ride out of the area, or could be hiding out in the wilderness.

A ground search was conducted Sunday in the area covered with thick underbrush, Osborn said, and another took place Tuesday.

Schrade was described as 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, with brown hair in a mohawk and blue eyes.

Anyone with information as to his whereabouts was asked to contact Crook or Wheeler county authorities.

"My son has a medical condition, and I don't know if he is going to make it out of here," said Denice Schrade. "So if anybody sees anything odd - he was wearing all black - he is definitely in trouble."

Brandon Smith, Crook County Search and Rescue commander, said, "What we're hoping for is that some woodcutters or some hunters might be able to see him or maybe spot some clothing from this gentleman, and give us some clues, so we know where to search."

But Denice Schrade added, "They're saying the odds aren't so good.  I just want him found, one way or the other, because I don't know if I can live with him just being missing forever, and I just want him found."

Two days later, she was still trying to hold out hope, but said, "I just don't understand."

Oregon: Searchers seek camper in forest
Searchers in central Oregon's Ochoco National Forest said they have found footprints believed to be those of missing camper Tyson Schrade and followed them for about a mile.

About 30 searchers from the U.S. Forest Service and Wheeler, Crook and Deschutes counties are looking for the 27-year-old Schrade, reported missing Saturday by members of the Rainbow Family camping near Fossil.

Search directors said Schrade may suffer from medical conditions causing hallucinations and delirium.
Associated Press
© 2008The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA

This news taken from http://www.heraldnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080919/NEWS03/709199848&template=printart

Searchers seek Lost Camper in Forest-Update

9/18/2008, 8:57 a.m. PT
The Associated Press

FOSSIL, Ore. (AP) — Searchers in central Oregon's Ochoco National Forest say they have found footprints believed to be those of missing camper Tyson Schrade (SHRAD-ee) and followed them for about a mile.

About 30 searchers from the U.S. Forest Service and Wheeler, Crook and Deschutes counties are looking for the 27-year-old Schrade, reported missing Saturday by members of the Rainbow Family camping in the area.

Story copied from http://kohd.com/news/local/45469
Search for Missing Man
09/22/08 Ochoco Nat'l Forest

Progress is made in the search for 27 year old Tyson Schrade who wandered away from a gathering in the Ochoco Nat'l Forest in Wheeler County last Thursday. Below is the timeline of the search.

Monday, September 22, 2008

On Saturday afternoon after 8 days of searching, officials have suspended the search for Tyson Schrade pending further developments in the case. We are asking that anyone that may be in that area keeps their eyes open for a studded belt, black pants cut right below the knee, a black t-shirt with AUDIO written in white, and a conductor's hat. Please notify Crook County Sheriff's Offfice if you have any information.

Friday, September 19, 2008 Update
Searchers will return to the Search area today to continue to track foot prints followed yesterday. Ground teams will continue searching in the hopes of finding new clues to determine Tyson's direction of travel.
Thursday, September 18, 2008 Update

Wednesday's Search was very productive. Searchers located a set of foot prints heading to the north toward private land and through the recent Bridge Creek burn. Searchers followed the tracks nearly 1 mile through very rugged terrain. The shoe print pattern and size are consistent with Tyson's.

10 Searchers from the Crook County Sheriff's Office and the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office will return to the Search area today in an attempt to re-locate and follow these foot prints. We would like to thank the public for all of the tips that have come in.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 Update

The Search for Tyson Schrade will continue for today. Search crews will focus their efforts on a location to the East of the gathering.

Tuesday , September 16, 2008 Update

Thirty Search and Rescue Personnel representing Wheeler County, Crook County, Deschutes County and the United States Forest Service returned to the area around Indian Prairie. Tyson's family arrived in Prineville today to assist with the search.

Monday, September 15, 2008 Update

The Search Continues for Tyson Schrade. The Civil Air Patrol and Crook County Search and Rescue searched the Ochoco National Forest today. Tyson Schrade's family has been located in Northern California and is on their way to Prineville to assist in the search efforts. Authorities appreciate the assistance of the public and are following up on leads.

Sunday, September 14, 2008 Update

Members of the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office, Crook County Sheriff's Office, and Crook County Search and Rescue volunteers continue to look for Tyson Schrade (pronounced Schrad E) in and around the Indian Prairie area. Information gathered today leads authorities to believe that Tyson is more than likely still in the forest and we are looking for the publics help. If anyone has seen Tyson or a person meeting Tyson's description, please contact the Wheeler County or Crook County Sheriff's Office.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

While performing Search and Rescue training on Saturday September 13, 2008, the
Crook County Search and Rescue Team was flagged down by Rainbow Gathering participants near Indian Prairie in the Ochoco National Forest, Wheeler County Oregon. The Search and Rescue Team was informed that Tyson Glenn Schrade (age 27) had wandered away from the gathering the morning of Thursday, September 11th.

Tyson is described as a Caucasian male, 5'10", 175 lbs, dark brown hair and blue eyes. Tyson was last seen wearing black cut off "Dickies" style work pants, a black t-shirt with 6"-8" white horizontal lettering on the front spelling out the word "Audio". Tyson has a Mohawk style hair cut, but was last seen wearing a train conductor's hat. Tyson may be suffering from a medical condition causing hallucinations and delirium.

At this time, it is unclear if Tyson is in the forest or has hitched hiked out of the area. If anyone has information about Tyson Schrade's whereabouts, please contact the Wheeler or Crook County Sheriff's Office