From: jgw@acpub.duke.edu (JAMES WELCH)
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Subject: Re: Get Well Jerry Video in Colorado
Date: 31 Aug 92 15:48:46 GMT
Distribution: rec.music.gdead
Organization: Duke University; Durham, N.C.


>Yes, this did happen! The montain was Mt. Holy Cross a fourteener in
>the Sawatch Range a fairly easy but long hike(12 miles roundtrip and
>about 5000' elevation change).  Don't know how many made it but it was
>sent Monday Aug. 25th.


Well, your right it did happen on Sunday August 23rd.  However, the video was
not sent out the next day.  It is being sent out today, i.e. the 31st., to 
Dennis McNally.  

Anyways, after a little phone tag I finally caught up with the production crew
as they were putting the finishing touches of the video portion.  They still 
had to create the soundtrack when I caught up with them.

The scoop on the film, as best I can remember from all the interesting details
spewed my way:

They had three cameras, one for each group of hikers.  One group hiked up
Mt. Holy Cross (15,000+ ft), one hiked up Notch Mtn.(14,000 ft ?), and the 
final group hiked to the "Bowl of Tears" (12,000 ft), which is a high mountain 
lake sandwiched between the two mountains.  Suppossedly, the legend has it that
anyone who climbs up Mt. Holy Cross to is healed.  And if one is too weak to
make the climb up, one gives a handkerchief to someone who can make the climb.
The person who makes the climb takes the handerkerchief to the cross and then
upon the return gives it back to the weak person, who is then healed.  Rod 
told me that they were going to send Jerry 5 handkerchiefs along with the video,
one for each vital organ! 

With respect to the hikes, it appears these were no little hikes in the woods.
Not everybody who showed up made it to one of the three final 
destinations.  Approx. 13 people made it up each mountain, and three people, 
including my friend Rod, made it to the "Bowl of Tears".  58 people signed in
at the signup point.  This included four "kids" who came all the way from
Wisconson.  They were completely unprepared.  One of them didn't even have any
socks.  And it snowed up on the mountains.  They didn't make it.  What exactly 
happened to the other 25 people who didn't make it up is a little uncertain.  I
don't mean I'm uncertain, but Rod was uncertain.  Supposedly, the hikes
started at 8:30 in the morning, and I believe many people checked in at some
time after that.  

The original groups reportedly all made it to their final destinations within
minutes of each other, at which point all three groups worked up a yelling
frenzy.  Rod seemed very pleased with this and was happy to have it on film.
The group treking up Notch Mtn.found a plague engraved in the ground stating
that William H. Jackson had taken the first pictures of Mt. Holy Cross.  The
date he took those first pictures, August 23, 1973!!  119 years to the day!!

The completed video is roughly 20 minutes long, consisting mostly of footage
taken from the hike.  The video also includes get well wishes from people 
interviewed at the hike, and from people outside the Phish/Santanna concert 
last week at Red Rocks (I think).  It should be interesting.  I can't wait to
see it!

Hopefully this video will be one very small part of Jerry's recovery!


Peace and Happiness
Jim Welch