Off the mountain...

He's back! They made it home safe and sound. (You can stop praying, Roberta!) They arrived home Friday evening (much earlier than I had suspected) after hiking 15 miles out and driving 5 hours home. The trip was exhausting, they all agreed, but still a great opportunity.

This would be much better if Troy were recounting his experience, but I will give it a try.

Basically, they camped one night by their car and the next day hiked 7 miles up to a base camp where people stay the night to get acclamated for the ascent. That afternoon it started to storm with intense rain and even hail. So they spent most of the time hiding out in their own tents until a break in the storm. Most people were already experiencing some symptoms from the high altitude. Troy said when he would lay down his heart felt like there was a lot of pressure on it. Scary. Two people in their group opted out of the next day's hike because of their pain. After a night of no sleep, they arose at 2am to finish the final 4 miles in hopes of catching the sunrise. With the light of the moon and a headlamp, the four guys started up the 97 switchbacks. Three of the guys were hiking faster than Troy, so they eventually got separated. There came a point where Troy did not feel safe about going on in the dark. With sheer cliffs on both sides, rugged terrain, and limited light, he made the decision to stop about a mile from the top. Hard for me to believe coming from the man who was called "stupido" by the locals when he dove off the cliff in Mazatlan where the native divers perform for the tourists. But for whatever reason, I am glad that he did not do something he didn't feel safe about. I guess with a family at home now, some of those dare devil stunts are given a second thought.

All in all, he enjoyed the experience. Loved watching the sunrise from that vantage point, and was glad to be back home with his family. He would love the opportunity to do it again. Maybe next summer with my brothers?!

Here are some pictures that our friend Ryan took.


Troy in front of Mt. Whitney (some 14,000 feet tall)


Base camp 7 miles up. Looks like the moon to me.


After the storm


Some of the cliffs they were hiking along!