 |
[RC] Documentary on 1931 film of Tevis trail - Dawn Simas
<<some footage of Wendell Robie and the very first trail "crew" riding DOWN Cougar Rock, leading a pack mule! =) I hope Dawn Simas sees this since I "think" I picked that bit of info up from her and she can confirm. >>
Yes, Crysta, good memory. Over a year ago, I began making a documentary about this silent film shot in 1931. It does show footage of them going down Cougar Rock with a pack horse. The quality of that particular shot is poor, so unfortunately I don't know if it will make the final cut. When I was still producing the film, I was going to have the film in it's entirety as an Extra Stuff on the DVD, I'm not sure what the current producer will do. I had designed a script, score, historical research/vintage photos, etc in 4 months of work on this and it was turned over to Ginger Kathrens (of PBS Cloud, Mustang of the Rockies fame). Hoping it will air on mainstream television with a DVD for sale, proceeds to go to WSTF. :)
On the Tevis last weekend, I couldn't help but be pointing out the trail blazes in the Granite Chief Wilderness that were done on that day in 1931 to riders next to me. It's a fantastic story and I hope the final film does what I had in mind.
Basically: the trail was created and used in the gold and silver rushes of the 1850's-60's. After that, it fell to disrepair from non-use. The Native Sons in Auburn (including Wendell Robie) wanted to rediscover and mark this trail in 1931 before it was lost forever. They recruited the assistance of Robert Montgomery Watson of Tahoe. He was in his 70's and had first hand knowledge of it, the Native Sons were all half his age. They set out from Auburn, took three days to ride to Tahoe, marking the route, and preserved it with this silent film, along with stills from Wendell. There were still buildings in Deadwood, and residents in the town of Last Chance, really neat to see. Bob Watson died only weeks after that ride. If it weren't for his help, we may have lost this trail forever. That ride and Watson himself are what inspired Wendell to preserve this trail for all time. Of course, it was nearly 25 years later that he rode the first Western
States Trail Ride.
In my version of the script, I was focusing on the lifespan of the trail. How it was heavily used in the 1850's, and is heavily used now in modern day. And there was a quiet time of non-use in the many decades in between, and this ride in 1931 was a pivotal moment when Watson (from the pioneering time) "handed a baton" to Wendell (modern day) to sustain the life of this trail and its history. Quite an important event to all of us that enjoy it.
BTW: Here's a poem that Watson wrote after that ride, just prior to his death. It was going to be recited in verses throughout the films acts, we were working on Sam Elliott as narrator, then in its entirety at the credits at the end, it epitomizes the man that gave us this trail:
|