Dave and I are coming down the homestretch, with our departure only a few days away. We have been in Colorado, spending Thanksgiving with Sarah and Ian in Breckenridge. Breckenridge is 9500 ft. and we climbed today and yesterday to about 11,000 ft. It was great altitude and cold weather practice. We tried out different sock arrangements (need those boots to be warm!)and layered up from balaclavas on our heads to wool liners on our hands and feet. The gear works!
We felt the altitude the first 24 hours-each of us had mild headaches. We drank lots of water and acclimatized pretty quickly--a good sign.
We had a wonderful encounter on our snowshoe hike yesterday. We met a British couple, Phil and Elaine, on our climb up Baldy Peak (the trail is actually called Nightmare on Baldy--those western names are never subtle!) They were very friendly, so we told them about our Kili climb with Martina. Phil was keenly aware of our expedition, having heard Mary Carillo announce Marina's charity climb during Wimbledon, exactly the same time I heard Mary. He had even thought of going himself! Phil amazed us, when he asked if he could make a contribution and took out $20 - right there on a snowy trail in the Rockies--incredible! He and his wife were so excited to just run into us like that. That excitement is an adrenaline high for us--exactly the sort of support that will push our bodies to the top of Kilimanjaro. I promised them a photo on my blog. See below.
Happy Trails,
Linda and David
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