Colder and Foggier. Wetter and darker. I slept terribly and woke with angst. I needed to summit. The day was a short one in the dark of the rising cloud. I was swirling up, damply. It felt like I was in slow motion. My small wristwatch weighed down my hand. My light pack heaved down its burden. My bright blue jacket beaded with moisture. The mist was heavy. I wasn't there. It wasn't happening. My breathing was shorter and tougher. I had lived in Colorado two years ago and the mountains were high. The Himalayas were 2 times higher than the very highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains 14,000! This day I was walking to that elevation to be in the shadow of peaks of nearly 28,000 feet. It's no wonder my body was slowing and
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