Never one to be shy, reserved or without comment about a situation in which he is involved, Ken Babbs is the creator of the Band of Merry Pranksters. Cap'n Skypilot Babbs the Intrepid Traveler is THE Pied Piper of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s into the new Millennium! Babbs created the Six Kesey Sketches that are presented on the BookVenture Tour interspersed among the readings by Ed, George and other writers. It was Babbs' idea to delete the barriers during the acid tests between performance and performers forcing the audience to participate offering them the opportunity to become the show. Babbs urged anyone who wants to participate to grab an instrument, sing the songs, dance to the music, follow our muses and get on the Bus. He continues his effort daily at the Skypilotclub, you invited to become a member. You may already be one and don't realize it.

George Walker recounted the event resulting in Babbs' coining the term the Intrepid Traveler and His Band of Merry Pranksters. They were in La Honda, California and had decided to trip. It was George's first. They went down to the beach in San Gregorio where Kesey hiked everyone up into a cave in the cliff above the beach where the army lookout was located during World War II watching for enemy ships to sail in off the Pacific.This particular evening's trip coincided with the great Alaskan earthquake that sent warnings out by radio of an impending tsunami approaching the California coast. Like any other curious group of individuals, the group of psychedelic pioneers headed to the beach to have a look. George recounts the event describing the ocean water receeding far beyond the lowest of tides, then slowly rising approaching the lip of the tunnel in which they sitting in. Mountain Girl remembered no one had a flashlight and it was damp and dark but they could see the water slowly rising from the luminescence of the phosphorous in the ocean, or was it the minds of this group. The tsunami was so large that it pushed water several miles up through the creeks and rivers. At the highest point of the tsunami, they realized they were trapped in the cave and were all stressing about what they would do and how they would get out. To the rescue rises Babbs to declare... "Have no Fear, the Intrepid Traveler and His Band of Merry Prankstes will find a way to get us out of here!" Babbs is still leading the way out... we're not quite there yet.