It is that time of year, again.

The third annual world wide Enterasys conference is held once again in Utah. We would have been 6 but Mark got lost on the way to the airport and never showed up. Or perhaps he was trying to tell us something. So, Doug had to board alone while the rest of us did the usual climb, drop, hit tree thing. A rational answer to an irrational time. And this would be just the beginning.

I was in pretty good shape but we didn't hike this traverse around Mineral Basin only once the first time out at altitude. It was like 5 times in a row. Hey guys, there's more to this mountain than this one hike.

Now matter how good you are, you screw up.

Then there are those times you simply have no clue where you are or where you are going. Stick together and march on. Eventually we'll drop unexpectedly, hit something, and call it a success.

This is why we do this. The sweeter the run the more you have to wait for the right conditions. Then you have to work hard to enjoy it and hope those in the way stopping to take pictures get the hell out of the way. John's expression says it all.

Or I could just move out here.

A fine (and exhausting) trip. What's in front of me when I get home will be the most difficult thing I've ever had to do in my career. Stick together, patience, hard work, obstacle management. Looking for another sweet run. Or another mountain.