From Susan

Hi Dad,
The Boulder Cello Project organized a climb up Mt. Sherman, a 14,000' peak not far from Denver. (I did not join them because I really dislike hiking over 13,500'... so little oxygen!)

However, the pictures are amazing. Here is Psyche Dunkase playing. She leads a lot of the Boulder Cello Project play-ins:

As the group hiked up the mountain, they were passed by a lot of other hikers. --Of course! With cellos on their backs, they were going very slowly! Well, all those hikers were so excited about a concert, they waited on the peak until the Boulder Cello Project hikers arrived. There may have been almost 50 people in the audience!

My student and good friend, Anna, hiked with them. She rented a cheap cello just for the week-end. (She even cheated a little and rented a smaller 3/4 sized instrument!):

This sure looks pretty sketchy to me! (By the way, that's Anna!!!)

I don't know what Anna had to laugh about-- she was carrying SO MUCH gear! A backpack with a cello strapped to the top!

Not everyone hauling gear was a cello player; a fair number of people went along just to carry stuff. Like this guy:

Here's the concert on the peak:

The guy on the left (below) is Gal Faganel, the cello professor at University of Northern Colorado (he's originally from Slovenia). The guy on the right spear-headed the whole outing. His name is Abram and he's an extremely experienced mountain climber. And (less experienced) cello player. Turns out he did the whole hike with tonsillitis!

Here's Gemma, Boulder Cello Project founder, and Susan Honstein, both friends of mine. Susan worked really hard to make the ascent; she's not much of a hiker.

I have no idea who this lady is, but I really fancy her dog! That must be a Ridgeback... I don't think Tootsie's knees will ever permit her to climb a 14er, but this is what we'd look like if we did!