Harvey: I suspected that all hell was breaking loose, so I stayed away for a while. I would much rather tag a summit than die trying or have to report that I didn't make it because all hell broke loose.
Paul: It was nice bumping into you too. It sounds like you covered more miles than I did. Sorry I couldn't stop and camp with you, but I needed to camp closer to Thunder to make it work.
Gary: Yes, thanks to your prodding (and another Relay-Houghton-Rose-Church fourfer yesterday), my average is one 10K peak every 6.68 days for 27+ years. I've tried several pairs of approach shoes, and every time I ended up with either a crappy, uncomfortable hiking boot or a poor substitute for a rock shoe. I used a new pair of Vasque boots that take good care of my feet, even for talus-hopping, and a pair of real rock shoes that gave me a much-appreciated margin of safety on the summits. Screwing up~18 miles from the car when you're 65 and alone is serious business. I delayed my trip three times and carried rock shoes to give myself the best possible chance of a successful outcome.
My writing style is much more a reflection of my personality than my climbing experience. I really am a "just the facts, ma'am" kind of guy. I come from an engineering/math/computer background. What's the objective? What's the best way to get it done? Can I add something for little additional effort? How can I scale it back if I run out of resources because tried to accomplish too much? I hate turning back more than just about anybody, so I try to avoid having to make that decision by choosing realistic goals and planning carefully.
Steve: That photo (from Bob Burd) is worth 1,000 words of explaining why I waited for perfect weather and brought rock shoes.
