Gear Check

As we count down to T-Day, we thought it handy to have a gear check to make sure that everything was in working order, to see what gear everyone had, and to go through a "master list" one more time to make sure we had everything we needed.

In actuality, we didn't really have many community items: tents, jet boils, fuel. Everything else was the responsibility of the individual...and who wants to carry an extra 10 pounds of crap for five days? Not me! (Though I will admit that I am bringing a deck of cards and a journal. And maybe a Patrick McManus book to read around the campfire. So that's an extra pound or so of stuff, but I simply can't resist.)

Amanda's boyfriend Alec had some very sage advice, which Amanda related to us. He said that if you see someone struggling, to help them out. Carry some of their weight. Divide the community items evenly so that no one gets bitter or angry about carrying everything on their own. We're all in this together. He would know. He's been on numerous climbs and has had to work with other people as a team to summit.

I can't believe it's almost here.