UPDATE from the front lines...

Peter Gersten says he’s taking a “Leap of Faith” on top of Bell Rock near Sedona today, but that doesn’t mean he’s literally jumping off the prominent 547-foot-tall red butte in northeast Yavapai County.

“I don’t think it’s going to involve risking my life,” he said. “The Leap of Faith was bringing 120 people to the top of Bell Rock without knowing why.” He said he felt like he needed to bring at least 111 people to the top of Bell Rock over the last several months to prepare for today.

Emergency responders in the Sedona area and officials on the Coconino National Forest where Bell Rock sits were concerned enough about Gersten’s online writings to talk to him about his plans.

“On the Winter Solstice of 2012 at exactly 11:11 UT (Universal Time), a cosmic portal will open in Sedona, Arizona, and a leap of faith – from the top of Bell Rock – will propel me through its opening,” Gersten wrote on bellrock2012.com. That time is one minute before the Winter Solstice.

Since then, Gersten assured the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office he doesn’t plan to jump off Bell Rock, YCSO spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn said.

“Today we walked the trail with him just to get an idea of where he’s going and where he’s going to plant himself” to wait for the portal, D’Evelyn said Thursday. “We obviously have a concern about folks mirroring whatever he’s going to do.”

[link to www.dcourier.com]


2012-12-21 07:05:08