Spoke with Joe earlier today, and they managed to snag 5 of the last 6 day permits available for tomorrow during this morning's lottery. So if catpappy and I had been out there, the group would have been one permit short. That would have been a fun discussion in the IA Center parking lot - draw straws to see who does Langley solo?
Anyway, they plan to launch at 5:00 tomorrow. A little late for my taste, but Joe doesn't want to cross the E-ledges in the dark with the boys. Having had to roust Joe out of his tent on several occasions at 12K', I can assure you that he is positively allergic to O'dark-thirty wake-ups, so maybe they'll really hit the trail by sunrise . . .
I've gotta admit, it's killing me not to be up there with them. I had been looking forward to this since planning it for June, having that fall through due to work demands, then re-scheduling for late August and having work intervene yet again. I feel particularly bad that I talked John (catpappy) into the trip, then left him high and dry at the last minute. Thank God he had refundable airfare. I, of course, didn't.
Joe, I'll be thinking about you guys all through tomorrow. I hope you have a wonderful, rewarding day, and that your first class 3/4 climb gets you seriously hooked (so we can do some really sketchy stuff together in November!). I know you've got it in you, and that you'll tear up the chute and notch. By tomorrow night you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about. I'm with you in spirit, my brutha!
