BEHIND THE PHOTO — Who wouldn’t want to be the next Indiana Jones?

Narrowly escape the path of a rolling boulder to retrieve the golden idol; find a way out of the base of an ancient temple filled with deadly snakes; survive supernatural, deathly spirits from the Ark of the Covenant while lashed to a stake.

Long before computer-generated imagery, the action-packed Indiana Jones trilogy offered some of the best visual effects available 25 years ago. And its appeal lives on today through a social network of Indy enthusiasts.

One such fan is Rick Leisenring of Bath whose collection of movie items includes some of the original story boards from “The Last Crusade,” a decorative chain worn by Marion in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and several of the beetles served for supper at the Pankot Palace in “Temple of Doom.”  Not to mention an eyeball that pops up in a pot of soup during that same banquet scene.

So what’s the attraction, you wonder? It’s a hobby, Leisenring says, just like collecting comic books or baseball cards, except that the Indiana Jones movies complement his love for history and archaeology.

Leisenring has been curator of the Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport for four years, immersing himself in an era he’s quite fond of — the 1930s. So it was easy to get sucked into the Indiana Jones movies, set in the same time period.

While it’s now common for production companies to sell set items, props from movies made before the mid-90s are harder to find. It’s also challenging to verify a prop’s authenticity.

So, Leisenring has been compiling a catalog of props, conversing with other collectors on message boards (like “Club Obi Wan”) and talking with prop stores in the U.S. and abroad.

But a good quality reproduction, when noted as such, can be just as desirable, he said. An original Sankara Stone from Temple of Doom will run you around $15,000; a reproduction is around $150.

And if he can’t find a good quality reproduction? He’ll make it himself.

Props and show biz aren’t anything new to Leisenring. A Civil War buff, he has appeared as an extra in several films, including “Glory,” “North and South,” “Sommersby,” and “Gettysburg,” and helped coordinate re-enactors. He also worked for a historical consulting firm, reviewing scripts for accuracy.

He gave up the movie business, though, because it was taking a toll on his family life. He’s now concentrating on his work at the museum and making plans for a Civil War museum on his property.

“History has always been my bread and butter, as well as my hobby,” he said.

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…are getting so big!

A few months ago, I started hearing some chatter about a “High Peaks Challenge” in the Adirondack Region of Northern New York State. Something about a 24-hour hike up a handful of the highest peaks… looking for a select few who were willing to push themselves to the edge, and maybe over a little. The group would begin in daylight hours, push through the night by headlamp, and count on a majestic sunrise for an energized finish.

Those causing the chatter (my husband and a few crazy friends) had tackled a similar feat last year, mastering 5 peaks in just under 18 hours. “Count me in!” I thought. I’m an athlete for goodness sake, how tough could it be. I was mostly concerned about the 15,000+ calories we were expected to burn (I really don’t like an empty stomach) and protecting myself against the mosquitoes and black flies we were bound to encounter. I sort of forgot about my fear of heights – never mind extreme altitudes, sheer cliffs and scrambling along near vertical rock ledges. Oops.

Day pack, check. Hydration packs, water purification, check. Gaiters, dry socks, rain gear, electrolytes, food and fuel, check. Don’t Bite Me patch – big check. (Worked like a charm!) 5 hour energy, just in case, check. Point and shoot camera, batteries, extra memory card, check.

I’ve never hiked the Adirondack Mountains before. It’s a long way up! Rocky stream beds and long stretches of bare rock to climb. Then it’s a long way back down again. But what a view from above. Night hiking was strange, a little scary at times, but really cool. We didn’t really see anyone else all night long, nor did we hear any signs of life in fact. It was silent aside from our own breathing and boots brushing against the rock and sticking in the gushy bogs.

In the end, it was an incredible adventure that included 4 of the highest peaks. Mud covered, quads tight and spirits high, we climbed the final 5,344 feet to the top of the highest, Mount Marcy, at 1pm Saturday for a grand total of 8 peaks in 24 hours. Make that 29 continuous hours of hiking in and out of the park, 22.5 miles and 11,800 ft of gain and loss when all was said and done.

I never imagined a bed at a Comfort Inn could feel so good.

MULTIMEDIA Adirondack Hike 2009:

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