It was dark.  We were out of fresh water and out of food. My feet, swollen in their plastic mountaineering boots, had been hurting for the last 8 hours. We were lost, wandering around a clearing trying to find a trail through the evergreens by the light of our two headlamps. We had just post-holed and bushwhacked for 45 minutes trying to bypass Mt. Eisenhower and we still had 5 miles to go.  All I wanted to do was to sit down and cry from exhaustion and frustration. This wasn't the Presidential Traverse either of us had in mind when we left the trailhead at 8am on Easter. 

I honestly can't remember what inspired David and I to do the Presidential Traverse.  I guess if you look at enough Jimmy Chin photos, you’re bound to want to try a crazy adventure sooner or later.