Fiddling About

Nonetheless, the Foresters wowed their fellow rangers, earning several standing ovations. "It was probably the most spiritually connecting experience for the band," Maxwell says, "because here we were, playing for the folks who touch the land--who represent what the Forest Service is all about."

At the conclusion of the band's set, the Foresters played "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," and the response from the crowd came as a huge surprise to the bandmates. "They joined hands and made a big circle and started circling around the room while singing the song," Maxwell remembers. "It ended up as one big ol' family.