End of the Rainbow: Death, Prayer, and Partying at the Rainbow Family Gathering (VIDEO)

Our feature story this week, "End of the Rainbow," investigates the peculiar case of Marie Hanson, a 54-year-old grandmother who disappeared in a remote area of southwest Washington last July during the legendary counterculture bacchanal known as Rainbow Family Gathering. Hanson's skeletal remains were discovered this past October near her campsite, but the cause of her death remains a mystery.

Although Hanson, a fervent Christian with an adventuresome streak, vanished more than six months ago, our report is the first to piece together the chain of events that likely led to her demise. The story draws on interviews with Hanson's family, law enforcement officials, and several key members of the Rainbow Family.

The Rainbow Family is a loose-knit coalition of hippies, freaks, and free spirits who have congregated in a different national forest every year since 1972 to party and pray for world peace. This year's "Gathering" took place in the Skookum Meadow area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, on the slopes of Mt. St. Helens.

That part of the woods is covered by several feet of snow this time of year, but we nevertheless attempted to visit the spot where most -- but not all -- of Hanson's remains were found scattered across a steep hillside. The eerily tranquil wilderness scene we encountered was vastly different than the one Hanson experienced during the first week of July.

The Gathering is, by all accounts, a wild affair. And that's putting it mildly. Here are some of the scenes available the Web, starting with footage of the prayer circle on July 4 that marks the culmination of the event. This brief clip shows just how massive this thing is. An estimated 20,000 people attended.

Here's a tour of the 2011 Gathering site in fast forward. It also shows some colorful characters, and pauses for a moment on a list and map of the dozens of volunteer kitchens that feed attendees free of charge:

Naturally, public nudity and drum circles abound:

A bizarre scene involving a dude in some sort of homemade Mad Mad/Stormtrooper costume:

Cash transactions are discouraged at the Gathering, which leads to encounters like this "random pocket trade":

And, finally, a lengthy clip entitled "Grandpa Woodstock goes swimming." An aging hippie meanders around the forest, offers a running commentary on the sights he encounters, and ultimately goes skinny-dipping. Perhaps the best part comes at about the 3:40 mark, when Grandpa arrives at "hallucinogenic headquarters." (NSFW, obviously.)

Read the Story: End of the Rainbow: A grandma disappears at 'hippie Disneyland.'

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