It struck me a little while ago that on 8/18/09 - one year today - I attempted Whitney for the first time. Overconfidence due to a history of no altitude issues at 14K' and less-than-perfect planning led to AMS at 13,000 feet on that dayhike and turned me around. I can still recall how miserable I felt between the switchbacks and Outpost Camp - that was the worst I've ever felt and it took every bit of determination I could summon to get my sorry ass back to the Portal in one piece.
I learned a lot that day - and in the months that followed on the WPS, and then here after the Whitney Zone's creation. I made a lot of friends on these boards during this past year, more in number and more in sincerity and genuineness than I ever could have imagined in August of 2009. All that expertise and support and friendship went a long way in getting me to the summit of Whitney last month, feeling great and wondering what all the fuss was about! And most especially getting there with a good friend in L.A. I didn't even realize I had 12 months ago! Thank you Joe!
Sitting in my office in Atlanta thinking about all that's transpired for me in the past 365 days, and how beaten and defeated I felt on 8/18/09, I can only deliver a heartfelt "Thank You" to all the regulars of this board who helped me pick myself up and go on to achieve that goal, and made the mountain a huge part of my life for all the years to come.
