I had a very successful climb! I departed at 3 am in the pitch black with all of the enthusiasm in the world to get me to the summit. At 2: 45 pm following a trip/fall that resulted in a broken hiking stick at an elevation of 13,700ft. I ran out of steam. After a brief rest I determined that I could make it to the summit however, other factors entered into my decision. The first of which being that I was approximately three hours from the summit (less than 2 plus miles and less than an 800 foot climb)that would have added an additional six hours to the overall time. This would have placed me descending the most treacherous part of the trail after dark, without a hiking stick. I was fatigued at this point and adding an additional six hours to my return trip, in the dark, made it an unwise choice to continue and I chose to abort. The descent was normal however, with about three miles to go the fatigue really hit, my pace slowed, and the overall pain and muscle stress kicked in. It was a real tough finish. Highlight: My family was waiting in the dark to surprise me! (It was so dark in fact, that Robert ran into a scale, used at the departure point.) This morning, after a great night’s sleep, I got up feeling GREAT with the exception of normal soreness.(legs, feet, neck)

Goals Achieved
1. I completed a 20 hr hike with the firm belief that I could have reached the summit.
2. Returned with no injuries.
3. Very high degree of personal satisfaction.
4. Experience no altitude sickness.
5. I SURVIVED MY 65TH BIRTHDAY! (But, Angie’s charts say I am only 50)
Lessons Learned
1. It is INSANE to attempt this peak in one day without vast experience and superior physical conditioning.
2. Shortcomings: I over estimated my stamina and underestimated the effects of the altitude on my physical performance.
3. I read all the books, took all the advice, and ended up with an overweight pack.
Gratitude
To My family: For their support and understanding during my training and preparation and insisting on a GPS.
To Angie Lustrick and Wilma Young from “Angie’s World”: For their training guidance and nutritional knowledge (I did not get altitude sickness and I directly attribute this to their input)
To All of You: We e-mailed about 20 of our family and friends a link that allowed them to follow my day long efforts, this exploded with people emailing to their friends, family, and friends of friends. Judy received in excess of a hundred emails, texts and phone calls; this of course does not include the others who followed my progress without contact. Your response has overwhelmed me and I am truly grateful for the support that I was unaware I had.

Thank you, again.
-John Adair