Phish at the Gorge

Yes, I've been a Phish fan since...  well, let's just say I have fond memories of putting Maxell XL-II cassette tapes into padded envelopes to mail off to strangers with a promise of some new phish show coming back on the magnetic reel in a few weeks.  My fandom went on hiatus overlapping the band's actual hiatus, but a mix of nostalgia, renewed interest in a rejuvenated and once again productively creative band, and a desire to finally visit one of the more renowned outdoor concert venues around got me interested in making the trek to central Washington to see the phab four again for a two-show stop at the Gorge Amphitheater.  Kate and I chose to camp off-site (at Vantage, right on the Columbia river) which seemed to be a popular spot among fans seeking a little more quiet, sane camping area with close proximity to the river for swimming.

We caught two shows - one each on Friday and Saturday nights - and in between did some exploring of the high desert of central WA, the nearby troves of petrified wood at the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park, and went swimming in the chilly but refreshing Columbia river.  Here are some photos from trip.

Night 1 on the lawn at the Gorge, taking in the amazing vistas. 

Fandom in the form of a boy scout uniform.

The Gorge is one of the few venues where the further you are from the stage, the better the view is.  Amazing rich palates of color on the Gorge changing as the sun set and the stars took over.

Here's Kate at the overlook just to the side of the stage area.

Donut cape and vest fandom.

I caught part of night 2 down on the floor around the FOH area.

View from the side.  As always, the light show is one of the aspects of a Phish show that makes being there much different from simply listening to a recording after the fact.

Focused.

A great couple of shows.  It was fun to see them again with Kate for a more enjoyable performance than the last time we saw them, inside in Boston in the winter in 2003.  Even Mr. Miner ranked the Gorge (night 2) as the best show of the tour!  Glad we were able to make the trip this summer.

Aside from the concerts, we went to the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park.  Here is one of the installations on the hiking trail.  All of the main petrified wood pieces were protected in these gated enclosures to prevent theft, I guess.  Kind of odd, but still impressive samples.

At the visitor center there were some remarkably intact log pieces.

 

As well as some very cool native wall art inscriptions from nearby areas, moved to the visitor center due to some construction somewhere.  Pretty neat! 

Tucked out of the way, this was an enjoyable state park.  Lots of petrified wood around - even the stone used to make the entrance sign was constructed out of blocks of petrified wood!