Greetings Fellow Travellers,
Thanks to everyone who reached out with well wishes and healing vibes. You’d think being stuck at home with a foot injury would be ideal for getting some solid writing done, but it seems to have coincided with a dip in creative energy. Not quite writer’s block, more a gentle malaise — possibly something to do with being back in the West, where things aren’t looking particularly inspiring at the moment.
But fear not, friends. I’ve taken a break from the doom scrolling to share a light-hearted LA story that popped into my head this morning.
But first, a little context:
Back in 2010, a YouTube video went viral. You may remember it: Double Rainbow, by Paul Vasquez — or Bear, as he was affectionately known. The video was one man’s semi-religious meltdown at the sight of a perfect double rainbow over Yosemite National Park.
If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a watch. If you have, it’s worth another. Either way, it’s the catalyst for the story.
You can check it out HERE
The Call to Adventure
At the time, I was living in Santa Monica and spending a lot of time at a café called Flying Saucers – a UFO-themed establishment that attracted a steady stream of colourful regulars.
Among them were Marty and Natasha. He was a songwriter and she was an actress, and together they navigated LA with a level of unironic, slightly ridiculous ambition that was actually quite endearing – and if the phone wasn’t ringing with offers, Marty would do all he could to create new opportunities.
On this particular day, he’d come across a strategy: take a viral YouTube video, write a song about it, make your own version, and tag the original creator.
At the time, Bear’s Double Rainbow video wasn’t just going viral – it was going stratospheric, pulling in tens of millions of views and climbing fast.
So, Marty wrote a rainbow song, pulled in a few phrases from the original, recorded it with Natasha, and tagged Paul Vasquez himself.
And then something unexpected happened.
Bear saw it.
Bear liked it.
And Bear invited them up to Yosemite to film a new version of the video with him in it.
This was an opportunity I couldn’t miss, so I asked if I could tag along.
The next day, we set off in Marty’s car, along with their little terrier lap dog, Vivienne.
Meeting Bear
Meeting Bear was an experience in itself.
He lived in a trailer that had been dragged up a steep, unpaved, rutted road – the kind of ride that makes your suspension question its life choices. The view at the top, though, was worth it. It was the exact spot where he had filmed the original viral video.
Bear was quite a character. He had long hair tied into plaited pigtails, a beard decorated with coloured rubber bands, and was dressed in red shorts and a red tank top with two black paw prints on the chest. He was a short, heavy-set man with a big personality, striking eyes, and the kind of face that looked like it couldn’t stop smiling even if it tried.
Bear Burglars
Evening was already setting in, and the shoot was planned for the following morning. We sat in the trailer drinking tea and chatting as the light faded.
At one point, I noticed a large paw print on the glass door and pointed it out.
“Oh, that’s from one of the bears,” Bear said. “Sometimes they break in looking for food.”
As we all sat there staring at the print, the door simply slipped out of its frame and fell outward, shattering on the ground below.
There was a moment of silence.
We all just sat there, completely gobsmacked.
Then we turned to Bear.
He burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter.
To this day I have no idea what happened. Did the door get uncomfortable with all the attention? Or did one of us suddenly develop telekinetic abilities? Either way, it remains one of the strangest and most unexplainable events I’ve ever witnessed.
The Night
With no guest room – and now no front door – Marty and Natasha pitched a tent outside and climbed in with Vivienne. I chose the back seat of the car, which felt like a strong strategic decision given the earlier bear briefing.
After a long, restless night of barking dogs and unrelenting rooster crows, I woke early and stepped out to take in the view. As I did, I noticed a pair of dogs circling the tent – sniffing, pacing, and pawing at the fabric.
When Marty and Natasha eventually surfaced, they looked utterly exhausted. They hadn’t slept a single wink. They’d spent the entire night convinced a bear was trying to break into the tent and eat them.
In reality, it had been the dogs trying to make friends with Vivienne.
The Shoot
Despite the restless night, the four of us set out into the national park to shoot the video.
Bear knew the park like the back of his hand and took us to all the best vantage spots. At one point, he stepped straight into a waterfall and stood there getting drenched while Natasha sang.
It was incredible to experience the park with someone who knew it so well. It was a day filled with astonishing views and unforgettable scenery.
The Cosmic Event
As evening approached, the shoot wrapped, but Bear had one more surprise in store.
By chance, we had arrived on the day of a well-timed cosmic moment. The sun would set as a full moon rose – each kissing the horizon at exactly the same moment – and Yosemite’s Half Dome was the perfect place to watch it unfold.
We made our way over, climbed the dome, and settled in.
Just as Bear had promised, as the sun set, directly opposite, the full moon began to rise.
An auspicious end to a wonderful day.
The Ride Home
Tired but happy, we made our way back to Santa Monica – a car full of footage and a story ready to be told back at Flying Saucers Cafe.
In the end, the new video didn’t become the viral hit they’d been hoping for, racking up a modest 3k views. While their original song pulled in a respectable 63k and even inspired a few cover versions, it was never going to catch the raw magic of Bear’s original – which sits today at an astonishing 52 million views.
You can see them all here:
Double Rainbow Song Featuring Paul ‘Bear’ Vasquez
Original Double Rainbow Song by Marty and Natasha
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed this story, you might like my book – Chasing Ghosts
Loving this and all your other tales JG.
Hope your footsie gets better soonest and that you're inspired to write more of your adventures, because they're a joy to read 🙂
As usual, a great story, thank you.